Australian troops led the advance. The Siege dates 10th April to 7th December 1941.To be classified as a Rat of Tobruk your Veteran needs to be in Tobruk during those dates. Soon, the defenders would earn the sobriquet “Rats of Tobruk,” courtesy of the traitorous Nazi radio announcer William Joyce, a/k/a “Lord Haw-Haw.” Tobruk is in Libya, on the Mediterranean Sea, less than 80 miles from the Egyptian border. Engineers in a dugout furnished with bits from wrecked ships. Descendants of Rats of Tobruk, Kerry Bell, Andrew Bell, Dennis McCloskey, Pam Low and Bruce Muller. The Rats of Tobruk. The Story of 2/1st Australian Pioneer Battalion 2nd AIF 1940-46’, 1988, G.H. He served at Tobruk as a chaplain and recorded a typical Sunday (20 July 1941) in his diary. Rats of Tobruk – Rats of Tobruk. In so doing, they achieved lasting fame as the “Rats of Tobruk”. 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. Tobruk. At his first ceremony as president, Cec admitted to the ROTA padre that he could no longer see and asked him to make sure he marched in a straight line. In so doing, they achieved lasting fame as the “Rats of Tobruk”. 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. G.S. Exhibition dates The garrison, commanded by Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead, consisted of the 9th Division (20th, 24th, and 26th Brigades), the 18th … Sergeant Bert Le-Merton was there with the 2/13 Battalion. Patiently they waited in the baking sun, until eventually a party of Italians approached. Use this login for Shop items, and image, film, sound reproductions, Photos, medals, records and other items in our collection. The salient was a thorn in the side of the Australians, but through aggressive defence they compelled the Germans to hold the position in strength with some of their best troops. He underwent an operation on his brain in a makeshift underground hospital at Tobruk before being evacuated to Egypt by sea. Welcome to the Rats of Tobruk Association's Facebook page !! DIGITAL TRIBUTES. The deserts of north Africa were an important battleground in World War II. According to Pinkney, “when they were only twenty yards away we rose like ghosts out of the desert and told them to surrender. For eight long months, surrounded by German and Italian forces, the men of the Tobruk garrison, mostly Australians, withstood tank attacks, artillery barrages, and daily bombings. The Germans soon began probing for weaknesses, however the garrison had been busy improving the perimeter defences and the anti tank ditches, creating minefields and strengthening outposts. See the COVID-19 website for more information. 020286. Later that night German tanks entered the perimeter through the gap but were allowed to do so that the British artillery could deal with them. All rights reserved. 10 am to 5 pm daily (except Christmas Day) It starts with 15 minutes of a bucolic view of the Australian outback, some cowboys and a woman that’s in love with one of them. Accession Number: A trained mechanic and fitter, he was well skilled for the tasks. This website and the information it contains would not be possible without the work of our many researchers behind the scenes, descendants and friends of the Rats. The start of the movie reveals it’s true intent. Australian soldier painted cigarett-smoking rats on their bigger guns and tanks. The defenders of Tobruk did not surrender, they did not retreat. 2011 marks the 70th anniversary of Australia’s first major battles of the Second World War. Mission . From 10 April to 30 April 1941, Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead’s 9th Australian Division defeated every attempt by Rommel’s Afrika Korps to seize the vital city and port of Tobruk on Libya’s northeast coast. 2021 His unit had responsibility for the water supply for the whole garrison (including distilleries, pumping stations and pipe lines), electricity for the hospitals and Divisional HQ and camouflage for the harbour and key locations. Tobruk had two essential elements for an army advancing through the desert of North Africa; a deep harbour and reliable water supplies. Every single year, "Rat of Tobruk" Dennis Davis and granddaughter Fiona Brown break up their Anzac Day schedule with a quick Maccas run. Accession Number: The sappers may not have endured the stress faced by the infantry on the perimeter, but they and the facilities they managed were constant targets for air attacks by the Stukas. Owen Cosgriff was a former public servant who received his vocation while living in Canberra and became a Catholic priest. Cec Cotter served as a sapper with the 2/4 Field Park during the siege and he may well have been one of Cosgriff’s parishioners. In March 1941 the 6th Division was sent to Greece and were replaced in Libya by the 9th Division of the AIF and a brigade from the 7th Division. Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the memorial adjacent to the entrance of the Tobruk Memorial Baths on The Strand commemorated the lives of the thousands of Australian soldiers who fought during the siege. Voluntary research to add all RATS of TOBRUK onto the ROT National Database. Watch later. The first battle of Tobruk arose after the Italian invasion of Ottoman-held Libya … Your generous donation will be used to ensure the memory of our Defence Forces and what they have done for us, and what they continue to do for our freedom remains – today and into the future. During the fighting he was shot in the left side of the head causing complete paralysis down the right side of his body. Ronny Fisher May 10, 2020. If there was a weakness in the perimeter it was at Hill 209. We pay our respects to elders past and present. An abridged version was released in the United States in 1951 as The Fighting Rats of Tobruk. None of the men realised that they were following a blind man. This special anniversary exhibition is on display in the Memorial until 16 November 2011. In so doing, they achieved lasting fame as the “Rats of Tobruk”. The siege started on 10 April 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of November. The German attack faltered and they retreated. Come and see why. The German infantry, which was to follow behind the tanks, were handled by the Australian infantry posted in the perimeter strongpoints. Their determination, bravery, and humour, combined with the aggressive tactics of their commanders, became a source of inspiration during some of the war’s darkest days. The Nazi propagandist William Joyce, better known as Lord Haw Haw, referred to the men as the “poor desert rats of Tobruk”. Rommel’s ambition of reaching Egypt had been halted as he did not have the resources to advance eastward while protecting his rear from the large garrison at Tobruk. Rather than being insulted the garrison adopted the moniker of the ‘Rats of Tobruk’ and would proudly bear the name for the rest of their lives. Statue chipped and blackened and troops very indignant.” The church of St. Anthony in Tobruk was so damaged it was eventually deemed unsafe by the Engineers and Cosgriff ceased using it. The Australian War Memorial acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia. Atatürk and Tobruk. Goodfellow was killed during the fight. Australians standing by in a hot section of the front, 400 yards from the enemy. Yet while Mr Davis and Ms Brown's April 25 ritual - the dawn service at Bella Vista in Sydney's northwest, followed by breakfast and a dash to the Sydney CBD parade - endures, 2020 … Although most of the garrison were Australian, there were also British artillery units and Indian troops stationed within the perimeter. To the best of our knowledge there were 17 Australian ‘Rats’ still enjoying life as at the end of 2020, most of whom have reached their centenary year. The Rats of Tobruk - YouTube. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Resources, Facilities and Services of the ACT Heritage Library, Owen Thomas Cosgriff (2/4 Australian General Hospital), James Edward Twynam Cunningham (2/4 Field Park), James Thomas Reid (Paddy) Goodfellow* (2/1 Pioneer Battalion), Peter Maxwell Kerridge (18 Advanced Supply Depot Company), Stanley Alexander Shumack (2/13 Battalion). Yet Cotter survived and was evacuated to Egypt by sea at the end of September 1941 along with the rest of his unit. Share. Approximately 14,000 Australians were in the siege of Tobruk. Rats like Arn Hannaford endured searing heat, bitterly cold nights, and hellish dust storms. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Terence ‘Toc’ Hourigan remembered the conditions endured by the men of Tobruk protecting the perimeter, the regular air raids by the Stukas, the night time patrols beyond the wire into enemy territory to gain intelligence on the location of units and the general lay of the ground. 020461. Poor crowd and Church described as 'death trap' by one lad. The Rats of Tobruk in 1941 denied Axis forces a sweeping advance through North Africa. Yet while Mr Davis and Ms Brown's April 25 ritual - … It is 288 miles east of Benghazi, 388 miles east of Agedabia and 630 miles east of Tripoli, by air. It’s actually an excuse for a melodrama. 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