The Siege of Tobruk Medal: Originally available to Australian, New Zealand, British, Indian and Polish troops who saw action during the Siege of Tobruk, Libya between April and December 1941. The medal was commissioned and issued by the Rats of Tobruk Association in 1977. Nickel plated bronze, in the shape OS a 'T' the medal has a yellow/khaki riband, with thin red and darkblue stripes left, and thin pale blue and red stripes on the right. The medal was issued to 18 BDE, 20 BDE, 24 BDE, 26 BDE, 2/1 PIONEERs and other miscellaneous units. Some RAAF, Free French Air Force and Canadian personnel attached to the Royal Navy were included.
This is not an official medal. These medals are available by special order only.
you don't... you have to have been at tobruk during the siege!
Click on the link to your right for the weapons used.
My ROT Website is now near completion and contains some 13,500 records of Rats of Tobruk for Aussie, UK and Polish - Veterans and Fallen. The records on my ROT Website are taken from my National ROT Database. At 27/11/2017, both are works in progress - if you find errors or omissions, please contact me by email found on my Website in Contacts. Google search Rats of Tobruk Tribute. Please enjoy. Owen Carlton A Proud Nasho
France did not win any medals during the 2012 Olympics
18 Olympic medals.
The Rats of Tobruk - 1944 is rated/received certificates of: Australia:PG
The name Rats of Tobruk was given to the soldiers that took Tobruk during the Siege of Tobruk during 1941. The weapons they used were mostly bayonets and guns that were captured.
you don't... you have to have been at tobruk during the siege!
Becasue during German propaganda radio broadcasts 'Lord Haw Haw' as called by Allied troops, would refer to the Tobruk garrison as "poor desert rats of Tobruk", mocking them and saying that they were caught like rats in a trap, and that they could not get out. When he was saying this he was specificaly refering to the Australian troops, the 9th Division and 18th Brigade. They then adopted this and became known as the 'Rats of Tobruk'.
800 Australians died out of 14,000 and many more were injured in the Siege of Tobruk.
5
The Rats of Tobruk was the name given to the Australian soldiers defending the port of Tobruk, in Libya. The soldiers dug extensive trenches and tunnels for defensive and offensive movement, leading to their nickname. They fought off a siege of the Afrika Corps for almost 8 full months.
They held out the siege for 8 months until relieved.
The Rats of Tobruk - 1944 was released on: Australia: 7 December 1944 UK: 1949 USA: 23 May 1951 (New York City, New York) Japan: 24 October 1956
Click on the link to your right for the weapons used.
My ROT Website is now near completion and contains some 13,500 records of Rats of Tobruk for Aussie, UK and Polish - Veterans and Fallen. The records on my ROT Website are taken from my National ROT Database. At 27/11/2017, both are works in progress - if you find errors or omissions, please contact me by email found on my Website in Contacts. Google search Rats of Tobruk Tribute. Please enjoy. Owen Carlton A Proud Nasho
The name came from a broadcast by William Joyce (aka Lord Haw Haw) which was from memory something like this "Ali Baba Morshead and his forty-thousand thieves... caught like rats in a trap" The 9th Division proudly accepted the title of the Rats of Tobruk. So it could be said while the inspiration was German propaganda, the bestowing of the title belongs to the original men at the siege of Tobruk. As was not uncommon an attempt to ridicule fighting men was turned into a badge of honour, and Rommel attested in his diaries that "In April 1941 Tobruk was defended by brave men."