British troops land in Madagascar.

Date: 4 May 1942
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Madagascar, a mountainous large island in the Indian Ocean, consists of many rivers and high rainfalls. was previously a French colony controlled at the time by the French Vichy government. The British were afraid that the French, would allow Japan to set up military bases on the Island. If this happened, it would have seriously threatened its sea routes leading to India and Ceylon. On 4 May 1942 British troops landed in the Bay and Bay Ambararata Mail, just west of the port of Diego Suarez at the northern tip of Madagascar. Britain then attacked its ally, France. The British decided to capture Madagascar, and handed it over to the Free French to control in order to consolidate their own routes to the East safely

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How we know this

01Clayton, C.J.A., The South African air force in the Madagascar Campaign, from SA Military History Society, [online], Available at samilitaryhistory.org [Accessed:16 April 2014]
02Dessert War, World War II, from dessert war net, [online], Available at www.desertwar.net [Accessed: 16 April 2014]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, May 3). British troops land in Madagascar.. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0082547

South African History Online (2012) 'British troops land in Madagascar.', South African History Online, 3 May. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0082547 (Accessed: 11 September 2026).

South African History Online, British troops land in Madagascar. [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0082547, (accessed 11 September 2026).

"British troops land in Madagascar.." South African History Online, 3 May 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0082547. Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.

South African History Online. "British troops land in Madagascar.." South African History Online. May 3, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0082547.