When the Australians crossed the border the first Frenchman they met, at the police post on the frontier, was still in bed. On the right, the British reached the town of Dara by lunchtime on the first day of their advance. Just as they had hoped, the Druzes quickly offered their support and the French officer in charge of the dusty railway junction equally quickly defected. The Frenchman explained how, when he had been trying to escape northwards and the front wheel of his car had parted company from its axle, the choice had been very simple. ‘We became Free French at once!’
