The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 opens on a pastoral scene. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel. The rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian movie that follows three friends who enlist in the australian army together during world war ii. Miloslav kratochvil bitton was a hero several times over. Before ww2 its inhabitants figures about 4,000 citizens, residing in several 100 whitecolored homes standing out starkly about the sunbaked, rugged terrain sloping right down to a small quay.
The army provided advisers who had served in tobruk. On 22 march 1944, the original members of the rats of tobruk formed the. By 1941, theyre with the 9th division of the australian infantry force, fighting italians and nazis in north africa. The rats of tobruk chips rafferty, peter finch, and grant taylor all of whom are australian star in this wartime drama about one of australias greatest military legends. In the course of the fighting, the germans blasted insults as well as artillery at the largely aussie troops, likening them to rats. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the australian army together during world war ii. The 1941 siege of tobruk, birth of the rats of tobruk. The conditions in the siege of tobruk war were desert, rubble, rocks and dust repeated ground assaults were coming from bombs and shells that had gone off all around the area during the fight, which subjected the australians to fight in a harsh dusty place were. The largely australian defenders held the city for 250 days before being relieved by british forces. Erwin rommels legendary afrika korps at the libyan port of tobruk during 1941. After returning to australia, the tobruk siege servicemen looking for comradeship, established the rats of tobruk association. The fighting rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel starring grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty and george wallace. The rats of tobruk were soldiers of the australianled allied garrison that held.
The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 2 on aso australias audio and. The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 1 on aso australianscreen. The battle of tobruk, located on the north coast of africa, was a battle in world war 2 in which a contingent of australian and british soldiers held out against a superior force led by erwin. Handtohand fighting breaks out as they cross the defensive wire. The fighting rats of tobruk the rats of tobruk 1944. Using this as a rallying cry, the rats of tobruk defended the city for 250 days, winning an important battle against the germans and helping to turn the tide of wwii. It is slow to get going, but the story is a good one, and the acting is quite well done. The allied artillery shells land among the advancing germans but do not stop them. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 james higgins 20091205.
The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 rare movie collector. If you can provide me with his soldier portrait i can do the commemoration for him. His story, and that of thousands of other australian soldiers fighting. The siege started on 10 april 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of november. My rot website is now near completion and contains some,500 records of rats of tobruk for aussie, uk and polish veterans and fallen.
The rats of tobruk, history teachers association of nsw state conference 2011. Watch the rats of tobruk, the australian classic war film by. Australian troops of the australian 9th division and the 18th brigade of the australian 7th division under lieutenant general leslie. First, while still only 19, he was involved in a network to help his czechoslovak compatriots flee the 1939 nazi occupation. 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 20yearold sydneysider had arrived in the small mediterranean port of tobruk. Corny, but its a fair enough way to open a movie made during wartime. This socalled siege of tobruk began on 10th of april 1941 and ended in november of that year. To the australian who is conscious of the screen as the greatest medium for the fostering ofa national spirit it has been a constant source. Is there a list of persons who are rats of tobruk answers. The fighting rats of tobruk dvd, 2001 for sale online ebay. Australians in the bougainville campaign, 194445more. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest wartime legendsthe rats of tobruk. The fighting rats of tobruk desert victory on tcm shop. Its notable mostly for providing an early role for peter finch.
A little less of the personal dramatics and more of the action. Then, the british 8th armys taking of occupied africa in 1943, from the trouncing of tobruk to the triumph at tripoli, can be relived once more with the oscarwinning documentary desert victory. One of very few australian features made during world war ii, this 1944 film memorializes a great triumph of the nations troops three years earlier. Richard burton plays a scottish army officer put in charge of a disparate band of anzac troops on the perimeter of tobruk with the german army doing their best.
Their story is based on the siege of the libyan city of tobruk in north africa by rommel s afrika korps. 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 records on my rot website are taken from my national. Available on dvd through au following on the great tradition of forty thousand horsemen, charles chauvels 1944. Craig h proctor collects headstone photos remember the rats of tobruk fb page, owen carlton of rota victoria is making the database for names and families and joanne klein is doing the photos. 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. These men became famously known as the rats of tobruk. This short film features memorial historian dr karl james discussing the exhibition rats of tobruk 1941. Peter finch, chips rafferty, grant taylor, and pauline garrick star in the rugged australian wwii adventure the fighting rats of tobruk. During the siege of tobruk, which lasted from february to november 1941, during world war ii, german and italian troops, led by general erwin rommel, gained control of the city of tobruk in libya. The defenders of tobruk and their besiegers were at a stalemate. The rats of tobruk the fighting rats of tobruk 2015.
Movie about australian rats of tobruk ww2 rats of tobruk. The name the rats of tobruk refers to the troops, mostly australian, who held out against german gen. As war breaks out in europe in 1939, three friends droving cattle in australia decide to join up. The action of the men of the 215th during tobruk s easter battle was lost under the desert sands. German radio started calling the australians poor desert rats of tobruk, which they took immense pride in, calling themselves the rats of tobruk. Peter linton is killed but the others manage to repel the germans. This was an adf pr video extolling the values of the australian defence forces. Please include his name and service, unit and service number.
Tobruk is a tiny but significant harbour on the coastline of cyrenaica. Significance around 1944, active branches and subbranches were started in every state. Beleaguered and battle weary the friends fight on, proving to be a considerable challenge to the enemy and a boon to the allied war effort. The falcon in hollywood, directed by gordon douglas, was one of the most viewed movies released in 1944 on tv people were watching gillette cavalcade of sports. Yet until last year, the only people who knew about it were the ones who were there and the family members they told. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 release info imdb. The germans with hordes of tanks and infantry are defeated in some of the most. The famous story of the rats of tobruk and the ships that supplied them in ww2, as told by the rats themselves.
Opinions of authentic rats of tobruk about the charles chauvel film, the rats of tobruk, which had its world premiere at the mayfair theatre last night, were divided some thought the film a good. The port continued to be held by the allies until its surrender on 21 june 1942. To prepare for that, rommel wasnt receiving the supplies and material he needed. Destined to serve in the north africa campaign in the 9th division they become involved in the siege of tobruk, holding up the advance of pommels forces for months. Australian film about the egyptian campaign against rommel in world war ii attempts to take a slightly documentary approach to the subject. An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting 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.
Dawn fighting against the germans to capture vilna in. Australian forces battle german tanks and infantry for an incredible 281 days in order to capture the libyan port tobruk, one of the crucial battles of wwii. The rats of tobruk may not be charles chauvels best movie, but it deserves serious consideration as his best movie about war. The siege started on 11 april 1941 and was relieved on 10 december.
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