Kingsbury, along with the rest of the 7th Division, was shipped to the Middle East in late 1940. Spending time in Tel Aviv and the surrounding areas, the 7th Division continued training and awaited further orders. On 9 April, the division was sent forward to Mersa Matruh in Egypt to support the Commonwealth force's defences. It replaced a Scottish unit and took up positions in the garrison. On 23 May, Kingsbury's brigade was sent back to Palestine, en route to battle in Syria and Lebanon. The 2/14th fought against the Vichy French on the Lebanese mountain ranges, as part of a three-pronged attack on Beirut. During this time, the division fought in many towns, including a major battle in Jezzine, where Avery was wounded by a grenade—which drove metal splinters into his spine—and awarded the Military Medal for his "cool courage and devotion". As the war with the Vichy French was winding down, on 11 July Kingsbury and Avery were selected for a contingent to collect and bury the dead. The battalion stayed in Beirut for a few months, until setting up a semi-permanent camp at Hill 69, outside Jerusalem.