Australians are encouraged to remember the courage and ingenuity of the famous Rats of Tobruk on the 70th anniversary of the end of the Siege of Tobruk, where their legend was forged.

The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Warren Snowdon, said 7 December marked 70 years since the end of the eight-month long siege of Tobruk, one of the most famously fought battles of the Second World War involving Australians.

Between April and December 1941, around 14,000 Australians from the 9th and 7th Divisions fought alongside British, Indian, Czechoslovakian and Polish allies to take on the larger German-Italian army, in the North African port town of Tobruk.

“This group of brave men, came to wear the name of ‘Rats’ with pride, while courageously holding the town of Tobruk for 242 days, despite repeated ground assaults and almost constant bombing from the Germans,” Mr Snowdon said.

“They encountered terrible conditions, enduring the heat and the dust of the desert, some of the men took to digging tunnels underground to take shelter, as they bravely held Tobruk and dealt the Germans their first defeat on land of the Second World War.”

During the eight-month siege, more than 800 Australian troops were killed, more than 2,100 were wounded and 941 Australians were taken prisoner.

The ‘Rats’ earned their name from German propagandist William Joyce, known as Lord Haw Haw, who intended it to be insult, but the Australian soldiers embraced it as a badge of honour.

“Today, the ‘Rats’ conjure images of resilience, tenacity and strength in the face of great adversity.”

“These men are national treasures and we continue to honour their courage and triumph against great odds,” Mr Snowdon said.

Major commemorative activities to mark the 70th Anniversary of the start of the Siege of Tobruk were held across the nation earlier in April this year. 

Historical images of the Siege of Tobruk and a media backgrounder are available at www.dva.gov.au/media. Contact the DVA Media Team for interview opportunities with Siege of Tobruk veterans.