";s:4:"text";s:19451:"I was a Rat of Tobruk, the siege of Tobruk, one of the longest sieges in the British Empire." The Siege of Tobruk by German forces in 1941, commanded by Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, was lifted only after months of desperate fighting. The port continued to … The deserts of North Africa were an important battleground in World War II. The Rats of Tobruk held their position until being gradually withdrawn in late 1941. The Rats of Tobruk was the name given to the soldiers of the garrison who held the Libyan port of Tobruk against the Africa Corps, during the Siege of Tobruk in WW2. In 1944 the Rats of Tobruk Association NSW was established, this was followed by the establishment of the Victorian Branch on the 2 nd October 1945, from there, other branches were established across Australia in every State and Territory. Beer was a substitute of water, as it was scarce, and soldiers took vitamin C pills and salt tablets daily to ensure they were healthy. Remembering the 'Rats of Tobruk' Harry Ross Sutherland, from the 18th Brigade of the Australian 7th Division, ... “Tobruk was the 1st time they were eve stopped in their advances”. The alliance of the Australian, Indian and British soldiers were called the Rats of Tobruk because they were self supporting prisoners that were caught just like that of rats in a trap. A fig tree was planted at Marian College from a cutting from a tree planted in Libya. "It's first of all a remembrance of what we … One of the surviving Rats of Tobruk, Sutherland Shire resident James Leo (aka Lee) Denman, will turn 100 on June 15. Between April and the end of August, the garrison was subjected to 593 enemy air raids. The siege of Tobruk lasted 240 days but from August the Australian were gradually relieved being evacuated by ship to Alexandria. The Rats of Tobruk were soldiers of the Australian-led Allied garrison that held the Libyan port of Tobruk against the Afrika Corps, during the Siege of Tobruk in World War II.The siege started on 11 April 1941 and was relieved on 10 December. Controlling North Africa would give the Allied forces a base from which to attack occupied Europe, across the Mediterranean. "I absolutely love travelling into town with Pop and being with Pop and just the way people respond to him, the thanks people give," she said. For a soldier to be recognised by this Association as a Rat of Tobruk, there needs to be evidence that he served at Tobruk during the Siege. Why were they called the 'Rats of Tobruk'? Which countries were involved? They were names the Rats of Tobruk because it was like being a rat in a trap, and they couldn't escape. Tobruk had lots of crevasses that allowed them to hide and make sure that there defense force became strong enough to protect the country. The soldiers of the Tobruk garrison were given the name 'Rats of Tobruk' as they were referred to as the "poor desert rats of Tobruk" and were mocked during German propaganda radio broadcasts. To the Axis they were rats with razor-sharp teeth. And for Ms Brown, April 25 is about family as much as service. 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. Approximately 14,000 Australians were in the siege of Tobruk. The siege started on the 10 April 1941 when the first shots were exchanged with the Germans after they had encircled the fortress with the Italians and ended on 7 December 1941 when Rommel was finally forced to abandon the siege. The Anzac Day tribute outside Sydney Kinsman's house in Alice Springs. They were dubbed the Rats of Tobruk, encouraged by the enemy to come out of their holes waving white flags of surrender. Only 1,400 tickets were available due to coronavirus restrictions, ... As one of the last living 'Rats of Tobruk', Mr Kinsman said the yearly commemoration was a "must". One of the few surviving "Rats of Tobruk", centenarian Dennis Davis was among the thousands attending Sydney events. The siege of the rats of Tobruk was in a desert in Tobruk so the conditions were extremely harsh. Also they lived in very dirty conditions and were always dirty and muddy like a rat. Between April and August 1941 around 14,000 Australian soldiers were besieged in Tobruk by a German–Italian army commanded by General Erwin Rommel. Because of the almost daily enemy air attacks, arrivals and departures of the ships were conducted under the cover of darkness. One of his most famous taunts occurred during the 1941 Siege of Tobruk when the Allied garrison, including 14,000 Australian troops, held out against Axis forces besieging the Libyan city and its strategically important port. They were called the rats of Tobruk as there attitude and the way the Australians fought made them live like rats and they scurried around the war collecting food and weapons stealthily which made them seem like rats. Why were they called the 'Rats of Tobruk'? Mr Kinsman, 98, is a World War II veteran and one of the last living 'Rats of Tobruk'. A 102 year old WWII 'rat of Tobruk', one of the last surviving members of his battalion, attended the Wangaratta ANZAC day service on Sunday to … During the garrisons had to endure the blazing heat during the day, the teeth-chattering cold nights and the constant fierce dust storms. They were unprepared and had little weapons. The siege started on 10 April 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of November. The defenses of Tobruk were poor, the only defenses left were old rusted barb wire. What were the conditions/environment like? Those defenders were the Rats of Tobruk. The siege lasted for … The deserts of North Africa were crucial to the war effort. The Allies marching and singing "Were Off To See The Wizard" was neat as was the German announcer naming the Allies the Fighting Rats of Tobruk, which was deemed a badge of honor by the Allies. There were also the desert rats, like miniature kangaroos with long tails with a brush on the end, and capable of terrific speeds. Many of the young Australian soldiers who fought in the war in Tobruk did not know what they were getting themselves into. The Rats who returned to Melbourne formed as Association which has branches in every state as well as in the United Kingdom. However, one battalion, the 2/13th Battalion remained in Tobruk until the British offensive, Operation Crusader relived the town in December. This short film features Memorial historian Dr Karl James discussing the exhibition "Rats of Tobruk 1941".http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/tobruk/ Tobruk was an important contributor to that emerging trend. This is how they eventually adopted the name as they were self supporting prisoners trapped like rats. 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. Combined with the searing hot conditions, freezing nights and devastating dust storms, the Rats of Tobruk … The Australians were very determined and known as the boys from the bush. There were tank attacks from the heavily reinforced Italians and the Germans, air attacks, and bombardments of artillery. Commemorate the 14,000 Australian soldiers that held out against repeated German attacks in the Libyan port of Tobruk in WWII from 10 April in 1941 – and in particular, the “Rats of Tobruk” – by: “Nowadays, there are no known living Rats of Tobruk in the region so the association is made up of descendants,” he said. Joyce scoffed that the men were caught like “rats in a trap”. Descendants of Rats of Tobruk, Kerry Bell, Andrew Bell, Dennis McCloskey, Pam Low and Bruce Muller. Most of the fighting scenes were in the dark which did not translate well on … They saw it as an opportunity to travel and see the world. Welcome to the Rats of Tobruk Association's Facebook page !! Why were they called the 'Rats of Tobruk'? The living conditions were even worse. “The Rats of Tobruk, like the ANZACs, sacrificed so much for their country.” Bruce said the Rats of Tobruk Memorial Association was formed in 1997 to honour the local men and women who were involved in the siege. 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. WHERE IS Tobruk AND WHY WAS IT SO IMPORTANT IN 1941 ? Lord Haw-Haw constantly referred to the Garrison as “poor desert rats of Tobruk” during radio broadcasts. ... 'Tobruk Rats' It was a miracle the enemy didn't break in. The rats of Tobruk held down the port of Tobruk against all the odds. The garrison, commanded by Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead, consisted of the 9th Division (20th, 24th, and 26th Brigades), the 18th Brigade of the 7th Division, along with four regiments of British artillery and some Indian troops. To the Germans, they were like a tiger by the tail, since, every night, a team of Australian and Indian would go … The Rats of Tobruk were soldiers who held the strategic Libyan port of Tobruk during the Siege of Tobruk in 1941 during WWII. Write a brief summary of what happened. 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