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80th Anniversary of the Siege of TobrukPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Siege of Tobruk and is dedicated to the Australian forces that served in the Siege of Tobruk in 1941 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Australians provided the mainstay of the Tobruk defence force until August, when they were withdrawn and replaced by the British 70th Division, with the attached Polish Carpathian Brigade.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: | Antill & Campbell Streets, Moore Park, Queanbeyan, 2620 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -35.350006 Long: 149.230281 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
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| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 10-April-1941 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 10-April-2021 |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 2021 |
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Rats of Tobruk
"No Surrender"
This plaque is dedicated to their memory commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Siege which commenced 10 April, 1941
Their name liveth for ever more
Lest We Forget
Descendants of the Rats of Tobruk Australia Association Inc
City of Queanbeyan RSL Sub-Branch
E A Helm President
S K Tizzard OAM JP Hon Sec
