Today I was honoured to unveil two bronze plaques in New Town honouring Tasmanian and Polish soldiers known as the ‘Rats of Tobruk’ who died during the Siege of Tobruk in 1941 during World War II.
The honour rolls with the names of 15 Tasmanian and 133 Polish troops have been placed at the existing Siege of Tobruk monument in New Town, which was unveiled in 1982 to commemorate the brotherhood in arms of the two countries during the war.
The siege was the longest of its kind in Allied military history, lasting a gruelling 241 days between April and December in 1941, when the Australian-led Allied forces held back the advancing German Afrika Corps in the Libyan port of Tobruk in North Africa.
Thousands of Polish troops serving in The Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Regiment fought alongside the 14,000 Australian soldiers during the 8 month battle, cementing a lasting mutual respect.
The ‘Rats of Tobruk’ nickname was coined by German propaganda radio announcer Lord Haw Haw who taunted the dogged defenders as 'rats,' but the term was worn as a badge of honour by the soldiers.
The men lived in unforgiving dug-outs, experienced extreme weather conditions, had little food or water and withstood daily aerial bombings, tank attacks and artillery barrages.
But they did not retreat or surrender and the determination and bravery of the Rats of Tobruk is documented as being a source of inspiration during some of the war’s darkest days.
Following WWII a group of approximately 280 of the Polish Rats of Tobruk migrated to Tasmania and were contracted to help build the state’s hydro electric schemes.
There is no doubt that these Polish men and their subsequent families have enriched our community and should any good have come from the horrendous Siege of Tobruk, it is the legacy of Polish immigration to our shores.
While the deeds of valour of our Australian troops during the Siege of Tobruk are broadly recognised, it has been said that their Polish comrades have not been as publicly acknowledged for their enormous contribution.
I commend the Polish Ex-Servicemen’s Association for this fitting tribute, which serves as a lasting reminder of these valiant men who lost their lives defending our right to freedom and the unveiling is timely during the ANZAC Centenary.
Lest we forget.
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