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56th Anniversary of Siege of TobrukPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the 56th anniversary of the siege of Tobruk 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Australians provided the mainstay of the Tobruk defence force until August, when they were withdrawn and replaced by the British 70th Division, with the attached Polish Carpathian Brigade.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: | 300 Waterdale Road, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, Heidelberg , 3084 |
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| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.755725 Long: 145.047069 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-1997 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Thursday 8th August, 1996 |
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Victorian Branch
Rats of Tobruk Association
A similar fig tree to the one planted here was a prominent landmark within the defence perimeter of Tobruk 1941.
This plaque commemorates the 56th anniversary of the Siege of Tobruk
Unveiled at Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre
8 August 1996
State President : R Bollard
Melbourne President : E Evans
