This is the personal record of nine months spent as a medical officer on active service in. Richard burton did a fine hollywood based film, desert rats, about the same siege at tobruk and chips rafferty had a featured role in that. They prided themselves on being the first troops to withstand the german. The film was written by leo gordon who also acted in the film and released through universal pictures. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 opens on a pastoral scene lowing herds roaming over the gently rolling hills of australia, whips cracking, and on the background soundtrack a male chorus singing an outback song. The rats who returned to melbourne formed as association which has branches in every state as well as in the united kingdom. Very good and entertaining war picture, tobruk is a classic of the genre, but by no means is this an accurate retelling of the famous tobruk battle. Fighting rats of tobruk desert war fight for available in dvd ship this item temporarily out of stock online buy online, pick up in store is currently unavailable, but this item may be. An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting rats of tobruk.
Their story is based on the siege of the libyan city of tobruk in north africa by rommels afrika korps. The siege started on 11 april 1941 and was relieved on 10 december. The rats of tobruk was the name given to the soldiers who held the libyan port of tobruk against the afrika corps, during the siege of tobruk in world war ii. Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free youtube. The film takes significant liberties with the real events, yet it is an exciting and thrilling war feature with several terrific performances from its cast. Grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty, pauline garrick, mary gay, george wallace, joe valli, tony villa, joe. Tobruk is a 1967 american technicolor drama war film directed by arthur hiller and starring rock hudson and george peppard. This opened with an outflanking movement that brought eighth army to within 30 miles of the tobruk perimeter.
The allies marching and singing were off to see the wizard was neat as was the german announcer naming the allies the fighting rats of tobruk, which was deemed a badge of honor by the allies. The rats of tobruk was the name given to the soldiers who held the libyan port of tobruk against the afrika corps, during the siege of tobruk in world war ii the siege started on 10 april 1941. Also they lived in very dirty conditions and were always dirty and muddy like a rat. The rats of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free. Rats of tobruk is a twoplayer operationaltactical game that simulates rommels easter day attack on tobruk in april 1941.
Available on dvd through au following on the great tradition of forty thousand horsemen, charles chauvels 1944. 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 of tobruk in world war ii. The 1941 siege of tobruk, birth of the rats of tobruk. The rats of tobruk were soldiers of the australianled allied garrison that held the libyan port of tobruk against the afrika corps, during the siege of tobruk in world war ii. Most of the fighting scenes were in the dark which did not translate well on.
The defenders of tobruk and their besiegers were at a stalemate. Corny, but its a fair enough way to open a movie made during wartime. Original us theatrical trailer for the fighting rats of tobruk a classic australian world war ii film. It contains most of the elements that you expect from a world war 2 film. The rats of tobruk the fighting rats of tobruk 2015. As war breaks out in europe in 1939, three friends droving cattle in australia decide to join up. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the australian army together during world war ii. The rats of tobruk by john berchmans devine overdrive. This is the personal record of nine months spent as a medical officer on.
The polish army in the siege of tobruk, 1941 imperial. The fighting rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel. The only libyan territory still in british hands was the cyrenaican port of tobruk. Watch the rats of tobruk, the australian classic war film by. Read the rats of tobruk by john berchmans devine available from rakuten kobo. Fighting through incredible heat, cold, thirst and hunger with unmistakable bravery, determination and passion 2011. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 the fighting rats of. Combined german and italian troops had sealed off all land approaches to tobruk on april 11. Charles chauvel shooting australia 1944 hd stock video 245. The siege started on 10 april 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of november. Rats of tobruk memorial pipes and drums home facebook. A lot of the fighting is done at night and it is very difficult to see what is going on because the film has gotten darker over the years. Rats of tobruk home tribute is a tribute to the rats of tobruk, who fought in tobruk, during the siege of tobruk, of 241 days from april 10 to december 1941.
They were replaced by the free polish carpathian brigade, the free czech 11th infantry battalion, the british 70th infantry division and a tank brigade. Tells the story of three menbluey, a tough two fisted drover taylor, milo, a laconic dingo trapper rafferty, and pete, an intellectual english new chum finch. The nazi propagandist lord haw haw william joyce derided the tenacious defenders as rats, a term that the australian soldiers embraced as an ironic compliment. Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.
Grant taylor is the squarejawed lead, chips rafferty adds character, and peter finch is the uppercrust englishman. This is the personal record of nine months spent as a medical officer on active service in libya. Watch rats of tobruk online vimeo on demand on vimeo. Australian troops of the australian 9th division and the 18th brigade of the australian 7th division under lieutenant general leslie morshead made up more than. Dead, wounded and held captive the battle of tobruk 8 months, 559 dead, 2450 wounded and 941 taken prisoner, in 1941 australian troops endured intense bombing and constant threat of attack from both the german and italian forces. They were called the rats of tobruk as there attitude and the way the australians fought made them live like rats and they scurried around the war collecting food and weapons stealthily which made them seem like rats.
Action packed war epic about a group of british commandos who find themselves trapped behind enemy lines after the german afrika korps smash through the allied defenses in north africa. By 1941, theyre with the 9th division of the australian infantry force, fighting italians and nazis in north africa. This film turned up very unexpectedly on one of our free view film channels. By downloading or embedding any media, you agree to the terms and conditions of. The story follows a trio of characters as they head off to fight rommel on north africa. Identifying with authority, they obeyed rather than thought. The victorian state branch decided to form a pipe band as a living memorial to the soldiers who died at tobruk and to keep alive the proud name the rats of tobruk. Rat of tobruk definition rats of tobruk association.
To prepare for that, rommel wasnt receiving the supplies and material he needed. The rats of tobruk memorial pipes and drums was formed in 1960 as a living memorial to the military units involved in the siege of tobruk of. For relief, the australian soldiers get to go sightseeing in down town tobruk or whats left of it. The rats of tobruk were australian war soldiers that fought in a siege that took place from 11 april 1941 to 27 november 1941. Fully restored and presented in a brand new transfer, the rats of tobruk is a rousing tribute to the many brave the soldiers who served their nation. The battle of tobruk, in which a small british force composing primarily of australians, nicknamed the rats of tobruk, held tobruk while surviving waves of axis forces, is the most significant to australia. Of course the production values were much superior, still the rats of tobruk shows a lot of care about the australian fighting man and his contribution in world war ii from the folks they were defending.
Its purpose is to endeavour to show what a great warrior the ordinary australian soldier really is, and with what lighthearted bravery and endurance he faces up to discomfort and death. The british lost nearly 800 tanks destroyed or broken down in the fighting, while. Also featuring george wallace and joe valli, chauvels bold tale of war gives life to the many heroic tales of mateship during wwii. It was planned that 70th division would break out from prezi. The rats of tobruk is a dated but watchable aussie ww2 movie, of which there arent too many in existence. The desert rats, led by general allen francis harding, were especially noted for a hardfought, threemonth campaign against the more experienced german afrika korps, led by general.