Who were the Rats of Tobruk?
The Rats of Tobruk were the Allied soldiers, mostly Australians, who defended the Libyan port of Tobruk during a siege by German and Italian forces in 1941, during World War II.
Tobruk was an important port in North Africa. In April 1941, German General Erwin Rommel's forces surrounded the town, hoping to capture it.
The defenders, including the Australian 9th Division, held out for months. They lived in trenches and dugouts, endured heat, dust, flies and constant attacks.
A badge of honor
The nickname Rats of Tobruk came from Nazi propaganda broadcaster William Joyce, known as Lord Haw-Haw, who described the defenders as rats caught in a trap. The soldiers adopted the name with pride.
Most Australian units were relieved by sea later in 1941, and the siege was lifted in December 1941.
The defense of Tobruk was one of the first times the German army was stopped during World War II. More than 800 Australians were killed during the siege. Rats of Tobruk associations were formed by veterans after the war.