As the rats of tobruk memorial on anzac parade states, it was here that the germans received. Operation crusader was launched on november 18 to december 30 to achieve what battle axe failed to do. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 opens on a pastoral scene lowing herds roaming over the gently rolling hills of australia, whips cracking, and on the background soundtrack a male chorus singing an outback song. Grant taylor is the squarejawed lead, chips rafferty adds character, and peter finch is the uppercrust englishman.
In whats acknowledged as the longest recorded siege in british military history, those dubbed the rats of tobruk fought for eight months to repel repeated attempts by the germans. The rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel. Curators notes the rats of tobruk 1944 on aso australia. The only libyan territory still in british hands was the cyrenaican port of tobruk. Tobruk was an allied defensive operation in an attempt to maintain a foothold on the north african coast. David is currently the pipe major of the band having joined the rats of tobruk in 2003. Rats of tobruk reserve rats of tobruk reserve is a reserve in victoria and has an elevation of 9 meters.
The rats of tobruk, a name adopted by australian soldiers who were at the siege of tobruk. The rats of tobruk may not be charles chauvels best movie, but it deserves serious consideration as his best movie about war which is to argue that it is in some ways superior to his more famous and betterloved forty thousand horsemen 1940, made four years earlier. The victorian state branch decided to form a pipe band as a living memorial to the soldiers who died at tobruk and to keep alive the proud name the rats of. The rats of tobruk may not be charles chauvels best movie, but it deserves serious consideration as his best movie about war. May 18, 2011 this short film features memorial historian dr karl james discussing the exhibition rats of tobruk 1941. His experience in pipe bands spans 45 years, having also served as pipe major of the victoria police pipe band from 1980 to 1987, and retiring from that band in 20.
Men of the 2th battalion going out through the wire in tobruk, 30 april 1941 awm 007. It translates into human individual terms all the planning and endeavour and struggle that characterized the splendid defence of tobruk by our own 9th australian division and by other british troops from the united kingdom and troops from india who were there with them in that epic siege. The famous story of the rats of tobruk and the ships that supplied them in ww2, as told by the rats themselves. In his introduction to this book, peter fitzsimons writes of how seeing a framed certificate of some kind, featuring the title rats of tobruk association on the wall of the spare room in his aunt and uncles home in tamworth led him to write this book.
The siege started on 10 april 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of november. The defenders of tobruk and their besiegers were at a stalemate. The port continued to be held by the allies until its surrender on 21 june 1942. Tobruk 75th anniversary edition by peter fitzsimons, 9781460751916, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. You can download lowresolution, watermarked files from the iwm website free of. Rats of tobruk memorial pipes and drums home facebook. This battle was fought in the north part of africa and it was important because it was home of an important harbor, the countries involved were australia, united kingdom, india, poland, czechoslovakia, germany and italy. Erwin rommel, in a letter to his wife, lucie, wrote, today may well see the end of the battle of tobruk. 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.
The rats of tobruk 1944 directed by charles chauvel. Riverina rats of tobruk honour roll nsw war memorials register. Around the edge is rats of tobruk 1941 in raised letters. An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting rats of tobruk. The rats of tobruk ebook by john berchmans devine rakuten kobo. Riverina rats of tobruk honour roll nsw war memorials.
Rats of tobruk is a twoplayer operationaltactical game that simulates rommels easter day attack on tobruk in april 1941. The garrison, commanded by lieutenant general leslie morshead, consisted of the 9th australian division 20th, 24th, and 26th brigades, the 18th brigade of the 7th australian division, four. Names inscribed below were members of the sub branch formed at temora on 1st november, 1980. German radio started calling the australians poor desert rats of tobruk, which they took immense pride in, calling themselves the rats of tobruk. Combined german and italian troops had sealed off all land approaches to tobruk on april 11. Tobruk 75th anniversary edition peter fitzsimons download. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 the fighting rats of.
Rats of tobruk home tribute is a tribute to the rats of tobruk, who fought in tobruk, during the siege of tobruk, of 241 days from april 10 to december 1941. Anzac parade selfguided walking tour national capital authority. The polish army in the siege of tobruk, 1941 imperial. The rats who returned to melbourne formed as association which has branches in every state as well as in the united kingdom. This short film features memorial historian dr karl james discussing the exhibition rats of tobruk 1941. This battle primarily involved the australian 9th infantry division, as well as british. The memorial commemorates those who served at tobruk during world war two. Most of the fighting scenes were in the dark which did not translate well on my dvd version as the scenes looked totally black. May 12, 2012 the famous story of the rats of tobruk and the ships that supplied them in ww2, as told by the rats themselves.
The rats of tobruk, history teachers association of nsw state conference 2011, university of sydney, sydney, nsw, 2223 july 2011. Eight months later these heroic, gallant, determined rats of tobruk were rescued by the british navy having held the fort against the might of rommels neverbefore defeated afrika corps. These men from riverina and western districts of new south wales served in tobruk during the siege from 10. Horsemen is a more entertaining and better constructed film, fully deserving of its place in the. 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. The australians gave themselves the nickname the rats of tobruk after radio berlin described the australians as caught like rats in a trap. Descendants of the rats of tobruk australia association inc. The 1941 siege of tobruk, birth of the rats of tobruk.
The rats of tobruk by john berchmans devine overdrive. Australian rats of tobruk lz click here to view list. Book a facilitated program for 2011 and we will provide a much. Richard burton did a fine hollywood based film, desert rats, about the same siege at tobruk and chips rafferty had a featured role in that. The definitive account of when australias famed rats of tobruk they took on general. The classic story of 1941s battle of tobruk, in which more than 15,000 australian troops backed by british artillery fought in excruciating desert heat through eight long months, against rommels formidable afrika korps. The old warships that helped the rats of tobruk with supplies and evacuation of the wounded were insulted by radio berlin, being called a pile of scrap iron. The rats of tobruk memorial pipes and drums was formed in 1960 as a living memorial to the. 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. It ended in a stalemate, and it cost rommel 33,000 men and most of his tanks. The rats of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free. The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 1 on aso australianscreen. May 17, 2015 the memorial commemorates those who served at tobruk during world war two. At the centre is a gilded image of a rat, surrounded by a purple background.
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 the siege started on 10 april 1941. Corny, but its a fair enough way to open a movie made during wartime. Rats of tobruk reserve is situated in albert park, close to albert park primary school. It is expected there will be a big enrolment of members of the hobart branch of the rats of tobruk association, to be formed at a meeting. The national library of australias copies direct service lets you purchase higher quality, larger sized photocopies or electronic copies of newspapers pages clicking on the order now button below will open the ordering form in a new window which will. 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. Tobruk 75th anniversary edition peter fitzsimons on. On 22 march 1944, the original members of the rats of tobruk formed the north bondi subbranch of the returned and services league of australia and it is still known in modern. Tobruk was the 1st time they were eve stopped in their advances. The rats of tobruk were soldiers of the australianled allied garrison that held the libyan port. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app.
The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the australian army together during world war ii. Pdf tobruk 75th anniversary edition download full pdf. The battle of tobruk, in which a small british force composing primarily of australians, nicknamed the rats of tobruk, held tobruk while surviving waves of axis forces, is the most significant to australia. It is a permanent offensive day after day, night after night. Like gallipoli and kokoda, the siege of tobruk is an iconic battle in australias military history. The food in tobruk was horrible as all they had was canned food and not a good variety of it. The story follows a trio of characters as they head off to fight rommel on north africa. The rats of tobruk the fighting rats of tobruk 2015. The rats of tobruk memorial pipes and drums was formed in 1960 as a living memorial to the military units involved in the siege of tobruk of. The rats of tobruk were soldiers of the australianled allied garrison that held the libyan port of tobruk against the afrika corps, during the siege of tobruk in world war ii. Read the rats of tobruk by john berchmans devine available from rakuten kobo. To prepare for that, rommel wasnt receiving the supplies and material he needed.
The definitive account of when australias famed rats of tobruk they took on general erwin rommel, the desert fox. The siege started on 11 april 1941 and was relieved on 10 december. The rats of tobruk is a dated but watchable aussie ww2 movie, of which there arent too many in existence. Tobruk ray ewers and george browning, 195456 awm art41035. This is the personal record of nine months spent as a medical officer on active service in libya.
Unofficial rats of tobruk medal the australian war memorial. The rats of tobruk hold an identifiable place within the ranks of returned servicemen, particularly in australia, where there is the rats of tobruk memorial, canberra. Of course the production values were much superior, still the rats of tobruk shows a lot of care about the australian fighting man and his contribution in world war ii from the folks they were defending. Leah riches, the patrolling war in tobruk australian war memorial 1 tobruk is not a siege, nor a defence.
The rats of tobruk were australian war soldiers that fought in a siege that took place from 11 april 1941 to 27 november 1941. This was an adf pr video extolling the values of the australian defence forces. In my little dugout in tobruk where us rats carefully peep out to look. This site is dedicated to those who fought at tobruk. On return home the soldiers formed the rats of tobruk association. During world war 2, more than 14,000 australians fought at tobruk libya, during the historic 242 day siege. Australian troops of the australian 9th division and the 18th brigade of the australian 7th division under lieutenant general leslie morshead made up more. Special mention to owen carlton and roger murphy who have tirelessly worked for years verifying and documenting the rats roll, pierre sellier fr for his artistic work creating the logo for the association and banners, and others too many to mention who work towards keeping this story alive for the benefit of future generations. The victorian state branch decided to form a pipe band as a living memorial to the soldiers who died at tobruk and to keep alive the proud name the rats of tobruk.