There is a dedicated group of volunteer workers who put in many hours of research, almost daily, out of respect for not only their veterans, but yours as well, to update this huge database of names. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. 8 things you (probably) didn’t know about Tobruk. German radio started calling the Australians “poor desert rats of Tobruk,” which they took immense pride in, calling themselves the Rats of Tobruk. Rats of Tobruk 1941. Their story is based on the siege of the Libyan city of Tobruk in North Africa by Rommel's Afrika Korps. Grant Taylor is the square-jawed lead, Chips Rafferty adds character, and Peter Finch is the upper-crust Englishman. The Capture of Tobruk On January 21 1941, the Australian 6th division attacked the Italian garrison of Tobruk. There seems to be a problem, please try again. The Rats of Tobruk was the name given to the soldiers of the garrison who held the Libyan port of Tobruk against the Afrika Corps, during the Siege of Tobruk in World War II. Tobruk fact file 1. WRITE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT HAPPENED: The Siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted for 241 days in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The Rats of Tobruk is a 1944 Australian film directed by Charles Chauvel. The "Rats of Tobruk" earned an honoured place in Australian military history, more than 70 years ago. Instead, Tobruk had fallen in just 29 hours. The Axis Power named them the Rats of Tobruk because of their attitudes. My Account Sign in. Operation Crusader was launched on November 18 to December 30 to achieve what Battle Axe failed to do. Returning home, the relatively unknown native hero died in 1952 after being struck by a train. Explore the Collection. orders over $150. The Honour Roll for Rats of Tobruk Aust Forces. The battle was between Axis and Allied Forces. Perhaps the Axis’s setback at Tobruk in the Easter Battle was best summarised in a letter home from Rommel’s adjutant, Han Joachim Schraepler: “this outcome was caused by Rommel’s error… One should have realised that such an attack could only have been done after careful preparation and planning.”. There were also the desert rats, like miniature kangaroos with long tails with a brush on the end, and capable of terrific speeds. There were tank attacks from the heavily reinforced Italians and the Germans, air attacks, and bombardments of artillery. Trailer. Rats of Tobruk. Rats of Tobruk Association Inc. 44 Victoria Ave, Albert Park VIC 3206. On 4 October, Vice Admiral Augusto Aubry’s fleet entered Tobruk harbour. This only motivated them. Nazi propaganda used shortwave radio to target the Egyptian populace and provoke an uprising. Anzac rituals resume for 'Rat of Tobruk' After Kerry Ridley, 53, lost her job, naturally she threw herself a "pity party." When Italy declared war on 10 June 1940, the frontier in the Libyan desert posed a challenge to both sides. Nevertheless, morale remained high - the Australians adopting the ironic nickname 'The Rats of Tobruk', in response to reports that Nazi radio propagandist 'Lord Haw Haw' had described them as being caught 'like rats in a trap' in one of his broadcasts. Supplies of food and water decreased, and the troops were plagued by flies, fleas and illness. WRITE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT HAPPENED: The Siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted for 241 days in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. Kemal later commanded a Turkish division at Gallipoli during the 1915 Allied landings. Arid swatches of empty desert along the coast offered little opportunity for terrain-related defence. In 1944, the Rats of Tobruk Association, NSW was established. Controlling north Africa would give the Allied forces a base from which to attack occupied Europe, across the Mediterranean. As it subsided, the troops began their advance. His troops had marched into an unanticipated hail of fire from an unknown enemy ensconced in unknown positions. One of the lesser know battles of World War 2, fought by a small yet stubborn force of mostly Australians in the port city of Tobruk, in Libya. The name "The Rats of Tobruk" refers to the troops, mostly Australian, who held out against German Gen. Erwin Rommel's legendary Afrika Korps at the Libyan port of Tobruk during 1941. They were called the 'Rats of Tobruk' because they were self supporting prisoners caught like a rat in a trap. DISCLAIMER. Haw-Haw’s sneering critique was taken up as a badge of honour, his transmissions a nightly source of welcome entertainment. The first battle of Tobruk arose after the Italian invasion of Ottoman-held Libya in October 1911. By 10 April 1941, the German and Italian forces under the command of Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel had surrounded the Tobruk garrison which was being defended by British Commonwealth forces including more than 14,000 Australians, under the command of Major General Leslie Morshead. A plane carrying a message to Rommel promising support, however, was mistaken for a RAF aircraft and shot down. It lasted for 241 days. The fighting in North Africa during the Second World War evolved in an uncharacteristic way. On 1 May, Rommel invested the city with five Italian divisions and continued on to Egypt before the British could regroup. However, many of the players in this desert drama had changed over the preceding months, as had the stage. Following the capture of Bardia, the 6th Australian Division advanced west along the Libyan coast to the Italian defended port town of Tobruk. Stirring up opinion, a broadcast on 24 June questioned, “Who of us Arabs has not been proud of Rommel? He never failed to cheer us. 22 thoughts on “ The Rats of Tobruk ” Delf "Jelly" Bryce May 11, 2020. Australian Associated Press. Men of the 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion 'digging in'. German propaganda referred to … The last remaining pockets of enemy resistance collapsed during the afternoon of 22 January. Maseko is remembered today by a primary school and main road in the township of KwaThema, as well as South African navy strike craft, that bear his name. The rats of Tobruk The deserts of north Africa were an important battleground in World War II. Compare Free Australian delivery. This photograph taken in August 1941 shows 'The Rats of Tobruk' - some of the 15,000 men of the 9th Australian Division taking shelter in caves during an air raid in the siege of Tobruk. Later awarded the Military Medal, the accompanying citation read: “In carrying out this deliberately planned action, Job Maseko displayed ingenuity, determination and complete disregard of personal safety from punishment by the enemy or from the ensuing explosion which set the vessel alight.” Neville Lewis, South Africa’s first official war artist, later claimed that Maseko was recommended to receive the Victoria Cross but instead received the Military Medal, since he was “only an African”. The siege continued for 240 days up to 27 November 1941. There were also major oil fields in the Middle East that were vital to fuel their tanks, planes and motorised transport. During the siege, they designed their own medals, in the shape of a rat, made from the scrap metal of a downed German aeroplane. War Books on the Australian Siege of Tobruk 1941-42. From there, other branches and sub-branches were established across Australia. Voluntary research to add all RATS of TOBRUK onto the ROT National Database. You have successfully linked your account! The Eighth Army, formed in September 1941, was a diverse formation made up of units from all corners of the British Empire, with infantry divisions coming from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. Tobruk’s strategic significance dates back millennia. The difficult terrain included vast sand seas of giant dunes which made it impossible for large forces to penetrate inland. The rats of Tobruk held down the port of Tobruk against all the odds. Joyce remains the last person to be hanged in Britain for treason. We are working to produce a tribute for all RATS to be presented to AWM and other organisations for the 80th Anniversary of the Siege of Tobruk and also to Association descendants. Though we were often interrupted by air raids, any wireless receiver tuned in to him was sure of a big audience.” Australian servicemen even struck an unofficial ‘Rats of Tobruk’ medal from the wreckage of a downed German bomber. It was a taunt, however, that immediately backfired. The Famous story of the Rats of Tobruk and the Ships that supplied them in WW2, as told by the Rats themselves. Rats of Tobruk. ANDERSEN LE VX48255; The Last Patrol - Bill Noyce NX14894; SPUD RUN; ROT 75th Stories; THIEVES In The NIGHT; RATS SPECIAL MEDAL; SIEGE of TOBRUK Story; PHILIP, James Robertson Synopsis. A veritable Rommel-mania, particularly among the Arab youth, sprung up in the expectation of Egypt’s liberation by the ‘great general’. Desert Rats, members of the British 7th Armoured Division who participated in the North African campaigns during World War II. Those who served there became known as the ‘Rats of Tobruk’, because the German … Instead they became an ocean for Europe’s mechanised armies to manoeuvre across, in naval-like engagements, while lonely ports became indispensable supply points. 2011 marks the 70th anniversary of Australia’s first major battles of the Second World War. We had suffered insult and provocation, and now we prepared to fight side by side with the Axis to hasten England’s defeat….” As it eventuated, Sadat and several associates were arrested and imprisoned after Rommel was stopped and beaten at El Alamein. Scenes in Cairo following the 21 June 1942 surrender of Tobruk ranged from sheer panic in the European quarters to jubilation. money back guarantee. DIGITAL TRIBUTES. Three months later in mid April, a mixed British force withdrew into the fortress in the face of an Axis advance led by the daring German commander General Erwin Rommel. Three months after Benito Mussolini’s disastrous invasion of Egypt in September 1940, General Archibald Wavell launched a brilliantly successful British counterattack. Nevertheless its reputation from that period remained – influencing the fateful decision to hold it again, despite a directive at the beginning of 1942 that forbade another siege. The ancient Greeks named their colony beside the natural harbour Antipyrgos (meaning ‘across from Pyrgos’, a city on Crete), and the Byzantine emperor Justinian (r527–65 AD) constructed the first fortress – named Antipyrgon – above the harbour to guard the frontier. Rats of Tobruk Memorial on Anzac Parade; Last updated: 9 March 2021. Nazi propaganda radio broadcasts spoke contemptuously of the Tobruk defenders as ‘rats’. Sweeping east into Libya, his mixed Commonwealth force arrived outside the lengthy fortress perimeter on 7 January 1941. The inscription on the stone reads: This is hallowed ground for here lie … Today he is revered as Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. Ring 0434793763 My Cart (0) All Categories PRE WORLD WAR 1. DIGGERS POETRY; HEROES of TOBRUK; THOSE at HOME; VETERANS SONG; SOLDIER'S VALEDICTION; CENOTAPH; NORTH AFRICA; BLACK RAT; CONTACT; DOTROTA MEMBERSHIP; RATS of TOBRUK TRIBUTE . 3. The siege started on the 10th of April 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of November. Hitler’s ambitious commander had arrived in Libya to buttress the flagging Italians in the wake of their abortive invasion of Egypt, but soon swung his attention east. As Libya forges ahead with a very modern struggle, 6.30 visits an old battleground where many Australians once fought. Tobruk’s strategic value soared during the late 19th century, when Europe’s great powers began to eye Northern Africa with growing interest. Directed by Charles Chauvel. Joining forces with a local sheikh, Kemal successfully led an attack against an Italian hill position at Tobruk on 22 December, the defenders quickly throwing down their arms. The siege ran from the 1 th April 1941 to 7th December 1941 a total of 242 days, this was the longest siege in British Military history. Rats of Tobruk – Rats of Tobruk. Become a Member. After the soldiers returned to Australia, the veterans looked to continue their comradeship. Far from weakening morale the term was enthusiastically adopted by the troops who thenceforth called themselves “The Rats of Tobruk”. Facebook. See more at www.tennews.com.au TOBRUK 1941 This column is a replica of the memorial situated in the war cemetery at Tobruk and is dedicated to those who served and those who died during the epic siege. The 'Rats of Tobruk' fought, died, were wounded, and won many battles in that time. Thank you for subscribing to HistoryExtra, you now have unlimited access. Nevertheless, morale remained high - the Australians adopting the ironic nickname 'The Rats of Tobruk', in response to reports that Nazi radio propagandist 'Lord Haw Haw' had described them as being caught 'like rats in a trap' in one of his broadcasts. Lawrence Of Arabia Battle … The Magnificent 9th - The Rats of Tobruk The 9th Division was a division of the Australian Army that served during World War II. In defiance, the soldiers proudly adopted this nickname and have been known by it ever since. Britain’s Eighth Army amassed a wealth of intelligence prior to Rommel’s final assault on Tobruk on 20 June 1942. The Battle in Brief. OUR STORY. The Tobruk War Cemetery. The largely Australian defenders held the city for 250 days before being relieved by British forces. Against the hopes of both the Italian and German high commands, Tobruk was quickly overrun by the British after a brief battle in January 1941. As one ‘rat’ wrote, the “Lord Haw-Haw broadcast was another bright interlude in each Tobruk day. Tobruk bore little resemblance to the bastion it was during the height of the siege of 1941. Tells the story of three men--Bluey, a tough two fisted drover (Taylor), Milo, a laconic dingo trapper (Rafferty), and Pete, an intellectual English "new chum" (Finch). The Australians provided the mainstay of the Tobruk defence force until August, when they were withdrawn and replaced by the British 70th Division, with the attached Polish Carpathian Brigade. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the Australian Army together during World War II. Tobruk was an Allied defensive operation in an attempt to maintain a … The Siege of Tobruk was a battle in Libya during the North African Campaign of World War II. 1941 was a dark year for the Allies. In time it became Italy’s primary stronghold guarding the eastern Libyan province of Cyrenaica. The siege started on 10 April 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of November. Join us on Facebook. It was also the albatross that thwarted Rommel’s unauthorised and audacious plan to seize Cairo. The Rats of Tobruk. AT 101 years of age, Mackay man Allan Skerman is the oldest living Rat of Tobruk. This stronghold changed hands when the Ottoman Turks occupied it to guard against an invasion by warring states across the Mediterranean. The Rats of Tobruk was the name given to the soldiers who held the Libyan port of Tobruk against the Afrika Corps, during the Siege of Tobruk in World War II.. Add to wishlist. With Grant Taylor, Peter Finch, Chips Rafferty, Pauline Garrick. 536 likes. Wishlist. Tobruk … Watch Now. Decrypts of German radio signals and teleprinter traffic confirmed his intention to seize Tobruk, and his abandoned November 1941 plan for storming the fortress was in British hands – dropped by air to the fortress – and well known by many British staff officers. Australian Memorial. According to Rommel’s former intelligence officer, Hans-Otto Behrendt, Fellers’ diligent and detailed reporting to Washington was “stupefying” in its “openness” and spectacularly useful in the weeks after 26 May when Rommel punched through Britain’s Gazala Line and moved on Tobruk. Tobruk The Rats of Tobruk, 1941. The Rats of Tobruk The experiences of Australians during WW2 2. THE RATS OF TOBRUK is a dated but watchable Aussie WW2 movie, of which there aren't too many in existence. The Germans conquered all before them but Tobruk held out against Rommel and stood in the way of his advance towards Egypt and the Suez Canal.