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Tobruk Memorial BathsPrint Page 
Tobruk Memorial Baths, constructed over the period 1941 - 1950, are significant as Australia's most substantial public memorial to the Australians who fought and died during the Siege of Tobruk [Tubruq], a coastal town on the edge of the Libyan desert.
The Tobruk Memorial Baths were officially opened by Major General W. J. V. Windeyer on the 26th November 1951 in front of a crowd of 1000 people. Within the main entrance is a memorial stone in memory of fallen comrades who lost their lives in the Siege of Tobruk.
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Australians provided the mainstay of the Tobruk defence force until August, when they were withdrawn and replaced by the British 70th Division, with the attached Polish Carpathian Brigade.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.
TOWNSVILLE, November 26. -Congratulating the citizens of Townsville for the choice of modern swimming baths as a memorial to the fallen of Tobruk, Major-General Windeyer, himself a "Rat", said at the official opening of the baths today that they were a thought after the heart of every soldier who had seen service in the seige (sic). Situated on the Strand, the baths have a cafe, underwater lamps, dressing sheds and a grandstand and the pool itself is surrounded by lawns and gardens. The total cost was about £50,000.
Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld), 27 November 1951.
Location
| Address: | The Strand, Tobruk Memorial Baths, Townsville, 4810 |
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| State: | QLD |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -19.253652 Long: 146.820044 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Structure |
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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
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Monday 26th November, 1951 |
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Tobruk Memorial Baths
Plaque :
This memorial stone is dedicated to the sacred memory of fallen comrades who served in the Navy, Army and Air Force during the memorable Siege of Tobruk, Western Desert, Great War II from April 9, 1941 to December 13, 1941.
"We shall remember them ."
