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. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest wartime legendsthe rats of tobruk. Tobruk wis the steid o a colony o auncient greeks, an, later, o a roman. With the attack now over, the sergeant major took the roll and found that only one of his man had been killed in the short, sharp action. The rats of tobruk is a dated but watchable aussie ww2 movie, of which there arent too many in existence. Tells the story of three menbluey, a tough two fisted drover. Peter finch, chips rafferty, grant taylor, and pauline garrick star in the rugged australian wwii adventure the fighting rats of tobruk.
Trench art unofficial medal manufactured in tobruk by australian troops. 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 definitive account of when australias famed rats of tobruk they took on general erwin rommel, the desert fox. 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. Stream or download popular movies, tv series, and more. The job of the reconnaissance patrol was to gather information and, if possible, to secure prisoners for identification. The rats of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free. 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.
Australian troops of the australian 9th division and the 18th brigade of the australian 7th division under lieutenant general leslie morshead made up more than. The siege started on 11 april 1941 and was relieved on 10 december. The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 1 on aso australias audio and. 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. Germanys lieutenant general erwin rommel was eventually forced to. German radio started calling the australians poor desert rats of tobruk, which they took immense pride in, calling themselves the rats of tobruk. Rats of tobruk reserve is situated in albert park, close to albert park primary school. Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free lynn m. 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. Operation bulimba, the units next task, brought much credit to the battalion for its fighting qualities and bravery. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest wartime.
Grant taylor is the squarejawed lead, chips rafferty adds character. A hero in our midst the hilltops phoenix hilltops region news. Australian troops of the australian 9th division and the 18th brigade of the australian 7th division under lieutenant general leslie. Three thousand australians were either injured or killed at tobruk, and a further 941 were taken prisoner. 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. Controlling north africa would give the allied forces a base from which to attack occupied europe, across the mediterranean. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the australian army together during world war ii. The rats of tobruk, history teachers association of nsw state conference. 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. Stay connected to your students with prezi video, now in microsoft teams. Its members used all their bushcraft to avoid being discovered. Most of the fighting scenes were in the dark which did not translate well on. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 the fighting rats of.
Australians standing by in a hot section of the front, 400 yards from the enemy. Available on dvd through au following on the great tradition of forty thousand horsemen, charles chauvels 1944. The medal is a triangular piece of brass plate, with the words tobruk rats 1941 stamped around the edge. The siege of tobruk lasted 240 days, ending on november 27, 1941. The rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel. 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. Tobruk patrols were of two types fighting and reconnaissance. 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.
Operation crusader was launched on november 18 to december 30 to achieve what battle axe failed to do. 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 port continued to be held by the allies until its surrender on 21 june 1942. Tobruk was an allied defensive operation in an attempt to maintain a. Rats of tobruk memorial pipes and drums home facebook. Just another day at the office for the australian desert rats during the long siege of tobruk.
The rats of tobruk were australian war soldiers that fought in a siege that took place from 11 april 1941 to 27 november 1941. An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting rats of tobruk. 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. Tobruk was the site of an ancient greek colony and, later, of a roman fortress guarding the frontier of cyrenaica. 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. Rats of tobruk reserve rats of tobruk reserve is a reserve in victoria and has an elevation of 9 meters. 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. 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. 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. There were also major oil fields in the middle east that were vital to fuel their tanks, planes and motorised transport. Meanwhile, the nazi propaganda machine tried to erode the defenders morale. The deserts of north africa were an important battleground in world war ii. Tobruk truth the rats of tobruk association, queensland. The rats of tobruk 1944 directed by charles chauvel.
Identifying with authority, they obeyed rather than thought. Korps armoured division is not only the stuff of australian legend, it is one of the great battles of all time. Adolf hitler had prepared for war by socially engineering his followers into the perfect fighting machines. The rats of tobruk the fighting rats of tobruk 2015. Soldered to the centre of the brass plate is a smaller triangular piece of aluminium with an even smaller triangular piece of copper sheet attached to it. I also want to acknowledge sid toovey, another rat of tobruk. The story follows a trio of characters as they head off to fight rommel on north africa. 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. Then, the british 8th armys taking of occupied africa in 1943, from the trouncing of tobruk to the triumph at tripoli, can be relived once more with the oscarwinning documentary desert victory. The tanks break through and your infantry still keep fighting. The siege of tobruk lasted some 241 days from 10 april 1941 until 27 november of. When did the battle take placethe battle of tobruk took place at the city port of tobruk, lybia, north africa, during world war ii.
An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting rats of. 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. With grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty, pauline garrick. Fighting through incredible heat, cold, thirst and hunger with unmistakable bravery, determination and passion 2011 marks the 70th anniversary of the battle of tobruk. Corny, but its a fair enough way to open a movie made during wartime. It ended in a stalemate, and it cost rommel 33,000 men and most of his tanks. The siege of tobruk took place in the western desert of north africa in 1941 at the height of the second world war.
When dennis davis was fighting on the battlefields in the middle. These actions and campaigns were fought in the middle east and the mediterranean where the three australian services were continuously. The fighting rats of tobruk desert victory on tcm shop. 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. 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.
Between april and august 1941, some 35,000 allies, including around 14,000 australian soldiers, were. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest. The siege started on 10 april 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of november. Like stealthy shadows, they saw without being seen. Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free youtube.
Horsemen is a more entertaining and better constructed film, fully deserving of its place in the australian pantheon. 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. Over the centuries, tobruk also served as a waystation along the coastal caravan route. Original us theatrical trailer for the fighting rats of tobruk a classic australian world war ii film. Their story is based on the siege of the libyan city of tobruk in north africa by rommels afrika korps. 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 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. 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. Italy a german ally had occupied libya, right next to egypt where the british were heavily ensconced. It is the caipital o the butnan destrict an haes a population o 120,000 2011 est. The 1941 siege of tobruk, birth of the rats of tobruk.
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