The Rats of Tobruk were giving there name because they were the soldiers of the Garrison who held the Libyan Port of Tobruk against the Africa Corps during the Siege of Tobruk in WW2. It was basically bully beef and biscuits, and we occasionally got a hot meal. The Rats of Tobruk was the name of a group of soldiers, primarily existing out of Australians, that held the Libyan port of Tobruk against Erwin Rommel's Afrika Corps, during and after the Siege of Tobruk in World War II. Das Australian War Memorial widmete der Belagerung von Tobruk 2011 eine Sonderausstellung. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Rats of Tobruk. Also they lived in very dirty conditions and were always dirty and muddy like a rat. There were tank attacks from the heavily reinforced Italians and the Germans, air attacks, and bombardments of artillery. Why were they called the ‘Rats of Tobruk’? They had been conditioned to die for their nation's glory even if this entailed sacrificing their own life and the lives of their mates. "(Rats of Tobruk singing): They call us the rats of Tobruk, but we can still sing and here's our opening number 'Bless them all'. S1 Trench S1 Trench with Hill 209 in background. One of the locations so savagely attacked in early May by Afrika corps armour that resulted in many of the 2/24th being forced to surrender. Write a brief summary of what happened. The rats of Tobruk held down the port of Tobruk against all the odds. They were dubbed the Rats of Tobruk, encouraged by the enemy to come out of their holes waving white flags of surrender. After six months besieged in the vital supply port the Australians were evacuated by sea and relieved by fresh troops - 823 men had been killed, 2,214 wounded and 700 captured The Siege; The Importance of Tobruk; Ming the Merciless; The Desert Fox Remembering the 'Rats of Tobruk' Harry Ross Sutherland, from the 18th Brigade of the Australian 7th Division, recounts his experience while deployed in the Libyan port of Tobruk in 1941. The Rats of Tobruk were so named by Lord Haw Haw and we hear the broadcast in which the 9th Australian division men were so dubbed. Ms Munday, who is a Rats of Tobruk descendant, said the rose planting aimed to honour those who were involved in the siege, while educating generations to come about the events. 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. The majority of the Tobruk entrenchments were put in place by Italian troops who prior to the defeat and occupation by Australian troops, had plenty of time for construction. Davis was part of a group known as the Rats of Tobruk, who were the first men in WWII to smash the myth of the invincible German war machine. The siege started on 10 April 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of November. German radio started calling the Australians “poor desert rats of Tobruk,” which they took immense pride in, calling themselves the Rats of Tobruk. 4th Australian General Hospital. Home; The Siege. Why were they called the 'Rats of Tobruk'? “We were completely surrounded and completely cut off,” says Don. The deserts of North Africa were crucial to the war effort. Tobruk was an important contributor to that emerging trend. The Australians were very determined and known as the boys from the bush. They saw it as an opportunity to travel and see the world. They were names the Rats of Tobruk because it was like being a rat in a trap, and they couldn't escape. Usually the Australians had to attack to gather equipment as soon as the enemies had moved. unofficial Rats of Tobruk medal presented, according to its engraving, by Lord Haw Haw. As time moves on, and as ROTA Branches are closing and fading out, we are fast losing our Veteran Rats of Tobruk, with only 52 Living Rats now recorded on the National ROT Database, based on Family and other Input.. This short film features Memorial historian Dr Karl James discussing the exhibition "Rats of Tobruk 1941".http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/tobruk/ The Rats of Tobruk is a 1944 Australian film directed by Charles Chauvel.An abridged version was released in the United States in 1951 as The Fighting Rats of Tobruk.The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the Australian Army together during World War II.Their story is based on the siege of the Libyan city of Tobruk in North Africa by Rommel's Afrika Korps. Major oil fields in the Middle East and North Africa operational areas were vital to fueling the planes, tanks, and motorized transport for nearly all of the war efforts in the European theater of operations. 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: Lord Haw-Haw sarcastically referred to the Garrison as "poor desert rats of Tobruk" during radio broadcasts. The siege had begun. A brief summary. 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 because the defenders dug extensive tunnel networks and shelters to supplement their trenches — and were not afraid to use them when bombarded. “We were always hungry. 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. Along the perimeter the first shots were exchanged. TOBRUK SUB-AREA MEDICAL . They adopted the name when Erwin Rommel's forces said they were "...caught like rats in a trap". They would send us what they could, but we never got a decent meal. Lord Haw-Haw derisively referred to the Garrison as “poor desert rats of Tobruk” during radio broadcasts. Why were they called the 'Rats of Tobruk'? The group planted four roses in the spot, which were among the 2,000 ‘No Surrender’ variety created by Treloar Roses for the occasion. Adolf Hitler had prepared for war by socially engineering his followers into the 'perfect' fighting machines. Der australische Roman “We were the Rats” von Lawson Glassop aus dem Jahr 1944 beschreibt den Verlauf der Belagerung. Identifying with authority, they obeyed rather than thought. The Rats used a series of tunnels which they used as shelter during bombardments. Thieves in the Night . 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. Many of the young Australian soldiers who fought in the war in Tobruk did not know what they were getting themselves into. The 'Rats of Tobruk' - some of the 15,000 men of General Morshead's 9th Australian Division shelter in caves during an air raid during the siege of Tobruk. Heavy fighting continued for 242 days. Finally on 7 December 1941, Rommel was forced to abandon the siege. A Rat of Tobruk: A Digger’s Lost Images of the Siege by Mike Rosel can be ordered from Arcadia - Australian Scholarly Publishing. 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 trap.” The derogatory references meant to dispirit the troops backfired. Though their name was supposed to be derogatory, the soldiers adopted it as a badge of honor. A British traitor who was broadcasting from Berlin mocked the Australians referring to them as filthy prisoners trapped like rats, however the Australians took to this name and claimed it as their own. The defenders of Tobruk and their besiegers were at a stalemate. 2/2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station . It was an epic battle and despite heavy casualties, the Tobruk garrison was held. Those defenders were the Rats of Tobruk. Hobart-based military historian Reg Watson, whose father was a rat of Tobruk, said the siege “shines in our nation’s military history”. Der australische Film Rats of Tobruk von 1944 zeichnet das Schicksal dreier australischer Soldaten während der Belagerung nach. Summary of The Rats of Tobruk The Siege of Tobruk was in WW2, the battle started 10 April 1941. Gallipoli The war of Gallipoli is started on April 25th 1915. Why were they called the 'Rats of Tobruk'? Supplies of food and water decreased, and the troops were plagued by flies, fleas and illness. “The only contact we had was with the Navy support, who delivered food, petrol and oil, but only at night-time because of the bombing. The force was eventually relieved by the 18th Australian Infantry Brigade. This was one of the longest sieges in British military history and gave rise to the legend of the mighty ‘Rats of Tobruk’. Operation Crusader was launched on November 18 to December 30 to achieve what Battle Axe failed to do. After the British withdrew from Africa in 1941 the only Allied controlled area was Tobruk. 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. 4th Army Ordnance Depot - Australian Army Ordnance Corps (AAOC) The following units were formed from 7 and 9 Aust Div Supply Columns and appeared in Orders of Battle subsequent to the one above: 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. Around twenty of these medals were made at Tobruk, which illustrates one of the earliest examples of the town’s defenders reclaiming the title ‘Rat’, bestowed on them by the propaganda radio program ‘Germany Calling’. 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. The Rats of Tobruk were an Australian military force that served in Tobruk, Africa during the Second World War. Between April and August 1941 around 14,000 Australian soldiers were besieged in Tobruk by a German–Italian army commanded by General Erwin Rommel. They were unprepared and had little weapons. This is how they eventually adopted the name as they were self supporting prisoners trapped like rats. Combined with the searing hot conditions, freezing nights and devastating dust storms, the Rats of Tobruk had a lot to endure. TOBRUK SUB-AREA ORDNANCE . They dug wide tunnels and shelters to their trenches. Between April and August 1941 around 14,000 Australian soldiers were besieged in Tobruk by a German–Italian army commanded by General Erwin Rommel. Our American soldiers were popularly named GIs in World War II, but the troops from Australia and New Zealand retained their name of 'Digger.' Menu.
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