German radio started calling the australians poor desert rats of tobruk, which they took immense pride in, calling themselves the rats of tobruk. Queenslands last rat of tobruk vernon hansen was in canberra yesterday to mark the 75th anniversary of the siege. The rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest wartime. Australian forces successfully held tobruk against heavy fire from axis troops for 250 days, and the battle has been cited as a turning point in the war in north africa. By 1941, theyre with the 9th division of the australian infantry force, fighting italians and nazis in north africa. Albert donald was a member of alex dutharts drum corps with dalziel highlanders winning the world championship drumming title in 1953 and also played with shotts before moving to australia. 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. Men of the 24th infantry brigade after their voyage from tobruk. The siege started on 10 april 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of november. Today, out of 14,000 aussie rats that held tobruk against rommels forces 78 years ago, only around 30 are still alive to tell the story. It is the caipital o the butnan destrict an haes a population o 120,000 2011 est. Unofficial rats of tobruk medal the australian war memorial.
As the nazis sweep all before them in europe, the anglo australian garrison in the small town of tobruk, north africa. A captured veteran of the early european campaigns stated. Operation crusader was launched on november 18 to december 30 to achieve what battle axe failed to do. Rats of tobruk memorial pipes and drums home facebook.
Tobruk patrols were of two types fighting and reconnaissance. Tough australian soldiers bluey and milo, along with a stuffy englishman named peter, are charged with protecting the libyan city of tobruk from invading german forces that threaten to overwhelm them. These actions and campaigns were fought in the middle east and the mediterranean where the three australian services were continuously. Invision employees share their remote work secrets. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 the fighting rats of. The siege of tobruk was a battle in libya during the north african campaign of world war ii. Meanwhile, the nazi propaganda machine tried to erode the defenders morale. Tobruk was the site of an ancient greek colony and, later, of a roman fortress guarding the frontier of cyrenaica. The australian 9th division the rats of tobruk pulled back to tobruk to avoid encirclement after actions at er regima and mechili and reached tobruk on 9 april 1941 where. Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free by lynn m.
Meet queenslands last rat of tobruk queensland times. The port continued to be held by the allies until its surrender on 21 june 1942. The rats of tobruk, history teachers association of nsw state conference. There were also major oil fields in the middle east that were vital to fuel their tanks, planes and motorised transport. An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting rats of tobruk. The eight month long siege of tobruk in 1941, which saw the name rats of tobruk first coined by radio berlin as a contemptuous one take a proud place in australian history was one of the greatest stories of bravery and endurance against overwhelming odds in.
The 1941 siege of tobruk, birth of the rats of tobruk. Grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty, pauline garrick, mary gay, george wallace, joe valli, tony villa, joe. The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 1 on aso australias audio and. On 22 january 1941, a joint force of british, australian, and indian troops captured the libyan port city of tobruk making it the only alliedheld city in axiscontrolled territory. 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. 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 is a dated but watchable aussie ww2 movie, of which there arent too many in existence.
Members of the 2th battalion on patrol along the antitank ditch. Siege of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. With grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty, pauline garrick. Italy a german ally had occupied libya, right next to egypt where the british were heavily ensconced. The war in north africa, the mediterranean and the middle east. The siege continued for 240 days up to 27 november 1941.
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 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. Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free youtube. Although he travelled with family, it would have been a lonely trip from his. Photo australian war memorial ro although bob returned to.
Oct 11, 2011 fighting through incredible heat, cold, thirst and hunger with unmistakable bravery, determination and passion 2011 marks the 70th anniversary of the battle 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. Adolf hitler had prepared for war by socially engineering his followers into the perfect fighting machines. Found these quotes about the 9th australian infantry division who defended tobruk for 242 days in 1941. 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. They tend to be overlooked in britain at least so here is what the germans thought of them. Tobruk truth the rats of tobruk association, queensland. The german afrika corps under the command of general erwin rommel had commenced the offensive which drove the british forces eastwards across the desert to the egyptian frontier. He joined the rats of tobruk in 2008 his first pipe band after meeting the drum corps when they played at his uncle albert donalds funeral service. The capture of tobruk was followed up by the british 7th armoured division and the 6th division. The germans called them the rats of tobruk always digging in the ground and urged them to come out and fight. William joyce, the nazi broadcaster, known as lord haw haw coined the term rats for the defenders of tobruk but contrary to his intention this slur became a badge of honour for those involved.
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. As war breaks out in europe in 1939, three friends droving cattle in australia decide to join up. Grant taylor bluey donkin, peter finch peter linton, chips rafferty milo trent, pauline garrick kate carmody, mary gay sister mary ellis, george wallace barber of tobruk, joe valli northumberland fusilier. The australian troops of the 6th division aif gained control of tobruk from the italian infantry on the morning of the 22nd of january.
Rats of tobruk thieves in the night convict creations. 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. The rats of tobruk controlling north africa would give the allied forces a base from which to attack occupied europe, across the mediterranean. The battle started on 11 april 1941, when tobruk was besieged by an italian and nazi german force commanded by lieutenant general erwin rommel. On an armoured patrol into the desert, men of the australian 9th division run into an italian patrol.
Identifying with authority, they obeyed rather than thought. The rats of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free. This was an adf pr video extolling the values of the australian defence forces. The rats of tobruk memorial pipes and drums was formed in 1960 as a living memorial to the. 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. The radio berlin host lord haw haw, the british turncoat william joyce, in his program derisively referred to the australians as the poor desert rats of tobruk who were caught like rats in a. The conditions in the siege of tobruk war were desert, rubble, rocks and dust repeated ground assaults were coming from bombs and shells that had gone off all around the area during the fight, which subjected the australians to fight in a harsh dusty place were war was taking place.
Commemorating one of the first major battles that australia fought in world war ii, the rats of tobruk 1941 special exhibition is on display in the canberra memorial until. Horsemen is a more entertaining and better constructed film, fully deserving of its place in the. This destination was important as it was a place to set up and protect egypt where they could have a good defense. The job of the reconnaissance patrol was to gather information and, if possible, to secure prisoners for identification. Operation bulimba, the units next task, brought much credit to the battalion for its fighting qualities and bravery. In poland, france, and belgium, once the tanks got through the. Around the edge is rats of tobruk 1941 in raised letters. Tobruk wis the steid o a colony o auncient greeks, an, later, o a roman. Corny, but its a fair enough way to open a movie made during wartime. Goebbels referred to the garrison as rats, and they proudly adopted the insult as a title, and became the rats of tobruk. It ended in a stalemate, and it cost rommel 33,000 men and most of his tanks. Over the centuries, tobruk also served as a waystation along the coastal caravan route. Curators notes the rats of tobruk 1944 on aso australia. A group of officers of the 20th infantry brigade in tobruk, libya in 1941.
After early successes against the italian army, the army is besieged in tobruk. At the centre is a gilded image of a rat, surrounded by a purple background. To play the downloadable video, you need quicktime 7. The siege started on 11 april 1941 and was relieved on 10 december. Siege of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free. The siege of tobruk took place in the western desert of north africa in 1941 at the height of the second world war. Also this made the enemies have to bring in more troops and supplies as they had to travel lots of distance over the. Tobruk 1967 in order to slow rommels advance on the suez canal, a group of allied soldiers cross the libyan desert to destroy enemy fuel reserves and stop tanks dead in their tracks. They were very successful in defeating italian troops at benghazi, and vichy french. The rats of tobruk, featuring memorial historian dr karl james discussing the exhibition rats of tobruk 1941. Australian troops of the australian 9th division and the 18th brigade of the australian 7th division under lieutenant general leslie.
The memorial commemorates those who served at tobruk during world war two. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of. Their story is based on the siege of the libyan city of tobruk in north africa by rommels afrika korps. Fighting through incredible heat, cold, thirst and hunger with unmistakable bravery, determination and passion 2011 marks the 70th anniversary of the battle of tobruk. The story follows a trio of characters as they head off to fight rommel on north africa. Tells the story of three menbluey, a tough two fisted drover taylor, milo, a laconic dingo trapper rafferty, and pete, an intellectual english new chum finch. The tanks break through and your infantry still keep fighting.
The battle in tobruk took place from april 10th 1941 to november 27th 1941 w hy was this an important destination. Australians standing by in a hot section of the front, 400 yards from the enemy. Grant taylor is the squarejawed lead, chips rafferty adds character, and peter finch is the uppercrust englishman. May 17, 2015 the memorial commemorates those who served at tobruk during world war two.
Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free lynn m. The rats of tobruk australian war memorial, london. By 1911, tobruk had become an italian military post, but during world war ii, allied forces, mainly the australian 6th division, took tobruk on 22 january 1941. Its members used all their bushcraft to avoid being discovered. 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 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 times as tobruk house or the rathouse. The famous story of the rats of tobruk and the ships that supplied them in ww2, as told by the rats themselves. I did a bit of research for the game panzer leader on the forces in the na campaign some time ago and came away with the understanding that the australians were among the best troops, if not the best troops, on either side of the conflict. Australians in tobruk originally posted by byron back to the original thread. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the australian army together during world war ii.
Fighting rats of tobruk 1951 soldiers chips rafferty, grant taylor, peter finch of the australian and new zealand army corps hold off the nazis for months. Like stealthy shadows, they saw without being seen. The rats of tobruk the fighting rats of tobruk 2015. Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer a lash at the enemy from the feature film the rats of tobruk as a high quality video download.
The stiff fighting on the opening day was not repeated on 22 january when 25,000 italians surrendered and hundreds of artillery pieces and vehicles were captured. The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 1 on aso australianscreen. May 27, 2017 watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free lynn m. Siege of tobruk the siege of tobruk took place in the western desert of north africa in 1941 at the height of the second world war. Tobruk was an allied defensive operation in an attempt to maintain a foothold on the north african coast. As in many war movies, the camaraderie of the men is stressed.
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