Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"The Allied Commander in the Middle East, General Allenby, opened a final offensive against Turkish-held northern Palestine and Syria on September 20, 1918. By October 1, the Allied armies had secured a victory, although Allenby himself entered Damascus on October 3 and missed the mayhem. . . . Lawrence's orders were to occupy Dera and cut off the Turkish retreat, but he intended to occupy Damascus itself to demonstrate Arab independence and establish Faisal in power. . . . Soldiers of the Australian Third Light Horse were the first to arrive in the city on September 30, and they were greeted by cheering Damascenes offering food and cigars. . . . This effectively meant the end of Turkey's part in World War I and the end of five centuries of Ottoman rule over the Arabs. Disappointed, Lawrence obtained Allenby's permission for home leave and returned to Britain determined to lobby for the Arab cause, which he had adopted so enthusiastically as his own." [Furtado: 1001 Days]