Surviving veteran of Tobruk siege opens up about wartime experiences

[@chrisfry6658]

What an amazing veteran rat. Still going strong at 103! Thank you so much for your service, best regards from England.

[@larrylongprong5219]

My great uncle Alan was a rat of Tobruk ! Very proud to be related to him.

[@barryfrench2534]

My Father was a "Rat" (2nd 25th). He had never talked about the War until one evening in the early 80's we were sitting on our verandah watching a spectacular lightning storm light up the sky and he said "Reminds me of the batteries firing in Tobruk, they lit up the sky just like that". For the only time in my life he actually talked about some of the events that happened during that time. Mainly the lighter moments. Here are some I remember. 1. Under fire at night and finding a nice bit of rock sticking up out of the sand to hide behind while shooting, until a flare went up and he realised it was a landmine lying on it's edge. 2. Driving hell for leather with no lights 40-50km behind enemy lines at night and raiding the German fuel supply for their tanks, holding them up for weeks at a time. 3. When one of a Two man survey team was injured behind enemy lines his mate had to carry him back. At some point they had also "captured" an Italian Soldier. They got back to base with him carrying his mate, and the prisoner the rifles. When asked "Didn't he think that was dangerous?" his reply was "Safety's On". Dad reckoned the happiest guy in the camp was the Prisoner. 4. He was moving down a slope (advance\kneel\fire, repeat). After a kneel he tried to get up and just fell over. Thought he had tripped on something, tried to get up but just fell over again so he just rolled onto his back and watched the sky till someone found him and told him he had been shot. Bullet had hit him while kneeling just above the knee, travelled up his leg, came out near the top of his leg then went into his abdominal area and out the other side.

[@larrylongprong5219]

@@barryfrench2534 thank you for sharing your fathers incredible stories! 👍

[@jodiebaker3635]

At the going down of Australia I will remember Ben Robert Smith

[@judeinLA.]

Who?

[@kyu6938]

he is proven to be a war criminal

[@iawy8264]

Thank you for your service sir ❤🙏

[@lunae10]

My uncle was in Tobruk he was 21 and FORCED into joining the Italian army under the dictatorship of Mussolini. When my uncle surrendered to the Australian soldiers - he was hungry and his uniform was full of parasites and lice. He recounted how the Australian soldiers treated him with respect - one of them filled some sort of tank with water and heated it with a flame thrower so that my uncle could have a so needed bath, the same soldier gave him clean clothing. He always remembered that soldier with that tilted hat, there is not a time that I don't think of my uncle when I drive over the Anzac Bridge. Thank you for taking care of my uncle, he was indeed a good man and a good influence on all of us. He died three years ago, after living a good and honest life.

[@b.manowar3692]

Rommel had total respect for the Rats fighting spirit and courage . Says it all. The African campaigns must be in our school history classes .

[@truefactjack]

Unfortunately they only teach gender transition these days 😕

[@positivepawpaw7564]

anzac troops are " intelligent in attack & stern in defence " - Rommel.

[@jay_kay709]

Rommel's troops and an SS unit under his command still commited pogroms and mass killings,,, not directly but Rommell knew the dirty Nazi bastard,

[@richardtravers8772]

Thank you Geoffrey But the band plays Waltzing Matilda And the old men still answer the call But as year follows year, more old men disappear Someday no one will march there at all

[@hebbsylicious]

I cry everytime I play that song, which is often. Lest We forget

[@brettmitchell1777]

True heroes.

[@OFFSHOREDOUG]

The words hero and legend are used way too much these days. This guy def is.

[@jaiess540]

@@OFFSHOREDOUG spot on!!! And think about this, war was fought in a much cruder way back then. What these MEN went through, I can't imagine!!!

[@truefactjack]

Good on ya digger... 👍when men where men..

[@jay_kay709]

I heard about what the AUssies did to those clownish Italians at Tobruk.... 40k allied troops countered an attack and pushed on bascially capturing a whole 180k italian army. Yet Rommell gets the history cred! Amazing conincidence i see one of these men just a few days later.

[@gw5436]

What an incredible example of unassuming hero. Imagine the LGBTIABCDEFG ever going to war for this country.

[@KentRoads]

You spelled it 'Tobuk' lol

[@lukei6255]

Why would an Australian go and fight somewhere in north Africa?

[@emrox4181]

During this war specifically, to free and defend our allies from German occupation, who in turn could help us against Japanesse advances in the Pacific. The UK was unable to do a lot in Pacific but still helped and sticking with the US ensured we had US help against Japan. (The UK/ Churchill not being the greatest help plus trying to keep our soldiers in North Africa ment we did withdraw our troops eventually, to assist in the fight against Japan in the Pacific.) We also joined because we were loyal to the UK as a part of the British Empire/ Commonwealth and felt it to be a necessity to ensure the UK won the war. This is primarily because the UK was seen as our best bet in ensuring our country was not invaded, destroyed or ended up controlled by a foreign power such as Germany or Japan, especially during that time. Many Australians at the time were also born in the UK or were the children of people born in the UK. Legally speaking Australian citizenship also did not exist until 1949, after the war had ended, meaning all Australians including Indigenous Australians were British. Why North Africa specifically? Because Europe was pretty much completely under German control by that point. France was gone, USSR inundated and Germany wanted to control the Suez Canal so it could control shipping and move to the Middle East for oil which it needed for the war to continue. With this move the allies would have had a much harder time. So, Australians, along with New Zealanders, South Africans and Indians assisted the UK in defending the Suez against the German advance across North Africa. Generally speaking, helping each other is all a part of being an ally to other nations. It's also the reason we have followed the US and UK into other wars. Unless we're OK with our allies being killed, we join the war to help them and protect our mates. 😊🇦🇺

[@allthatjazz641]

Monty band 8th Army from listening to Lord Hawhaw, but the ANZACs ignored him, we were after all fighting for freedom, not to be ruled harder ! my how times have changed.

[@AshleyandWesley]

“Congrats Everyone Who Is Early & Found This Comment!” 🥇