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Siege of TobrukPrint Page
The cross commemorates those who served in the Siege of Tobruk in North Africa during World War Two.
The Siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 242 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of World War Two. The siege started on 10 April 1941, when Tobruk was attacked by an Italo–German force under Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel.
Australians provided the mainstay of the Tobruk defence force until August, when they were withdrawn and replaced by the British 70th Division, with the attached Polish Carpathian Brigade. British forces lifted the siege on 10 December 1941 during Operation 'Crusader', when 1st Army Tank Brigade linked up with a 'break out' force from Tobruk - the 32nd Army Tank Brigade - at Ed Duda, to the south-east of the town.
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.
The garrison, commanded by Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead, consisted of the 9th Australian Division (20th, 24th, and 26th Brigades), the 18th Brigade of the 7th Australian Division, four regiments of British artillery and some Indian troops
Location
Address: | 216 Daws Road, Repat Health Precinct, Repatriation General Hospital Chapel, Daw Park, 5041 |
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State: | SA |
Area: | AUS |
GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -34.990103 Long: 138.589264 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
Monument Type: | Cross |
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Monument Theme: | Conflict |
Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
Actual Event Start Date: | 10-April-1941 |
Actual Event End Date: | 10-December-1941 |
Dedication
This cross is erected in memory of the men who served in the Siege of Tobruk
9 April 1941 to 7 December 1941
And who have since passed on