The Free Dutch Forces refers to the Dutch military formations of the Dutch government-in-exile and its colonies that were formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II following the Dutch surrender in May 1940. After the Battle of France, Dutch infantry that had escaped to Britain organized themselves into a "Dutch Legion," which after more structural changes became the Princess Irene Brigade and fought alongside the Allies until the end of the war. In the West Indies, the local defense force protected some of the largest oil refineries in the world, while the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) played a major part in the Pacific War from 1941 to 1942. The Royal Netherlands Navy, the strongest branch of the Dutch Armed Forces, served all over the world. (en)