1942 Manuscript Map of Damascus, Syria During World War II

Ephemeral record of WWII occupied Damascus.

This is a one-of-a-kind c. 1942 manuscript map of Damascus, Syria, created during the British occupation of the city after the successful June 1941 battle during the World War II Syria-Lebanon Campaign. It illustrates those parts of Damascus accessible to, and forbidden to, Allied soldiers.

A Closer Look

Illustrating only a small part of the city, 'in-bounds' areas are shaded to emphasize where British troops were allowed to explore. The red shaded areas, which include the medical school (Faculté de Médecine) and the racecourse, are parts of the city where soldiers were allowed to travel, while the green areas, including the Citadel and the Omayad Mosque, were 'in bounds' during daylight hours except on Fridays. The three streets shaded gray were only 'in bounds' during daylight hours. 32 locations are numerically identified and correspond to a key on the right; these include: cinemas, hotels, the Church Army Hostel, the Y.M.C.A., and the headquarters of the military police. Intriguingly, the map's title, the key (index), and the text explaining which areas are 'in bounds' were all typewritten while the rest of the map is manuscript.

The Battle of Damascus and the Syria-Lebanon Campaign

In 1941, Syria and Lebanon were held by Vichy France. A coup d'état in Iraq on April 1, 1941, instigated the Anglo-Iraqi War (May 2 - 31, 1941) after the leader of the Iraqi nationalists, Rashid Ali, appealed to Nazi Germany for help. This war ended in the establishment of a British puppet government in Iraq. Britain then launched the Syria-Lebanon campaign (June 8 - July 14, 1941) in an effort to prevent Nazi Germany from using the Vichy French-controlled airfield in Syria and Lebanon to attack British forces in Egypt. During this campaign, which suffered from a severe shortage of troops, the British were also preparing for the operation to relieve the Siege of Tobruk in North Africa and were fighting in the East African Campaign. Damascus was captured on June 21, 1941, and Beirut fell to the Australian 21st Brigade on July 10. The Armistice of Saint Jean d'Acre was signed four days later.

Dating the Map

This map is not dated, and very little scholarship is available about Damascus itself during its brief occupation. Luckily, we were able to locate a digitized reminiscence of an American Field Service volunteer named Charles P. Edwards who served with a British ambulance unit in the Middle East and North Africa from October 1942 until at least January 1943. Edwards spent six weeks in Damascus from mid-November through the end of December 1942, working at a casualty clearing station and referring to a transit camp outside of town. A transit camp is referenced here as well, with an arrow in the upper right corner pointing up off the map toward a transit camp. Thus, thanks to Edwards's account, we can assign a date of c. 1942.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn in Damascus, Syria, likely by a British or Australian soldier, during the occupation of Damascus c. 1942. This a one-of-a-kind artifact.

Condition

Fair to Good. Manuscript map drawn on wax paper. All color present and all text easily readable. Exhibits loss along top and bottom margins that does not effect the map. Exhibits tears along original fold lines. Blank on verso.