ANZAC Day 2021

Afer gathering in our driveways in 2020, it was wonderful to see our community out in force to commemorate ANZAC Day 2021 across northern Tasmania.

Te following is a speech given at the George Town RSL 11am service, highlighting the Rats of Tobruk by Kaye Ross.

Invited guests, Veterans, Serving members of the Armed forces, Ladies and Gentlemen.

April 10th this year marked the 80th anniversary of the siege of Tobruk in 1941.

I am the proud descendant of four Rats of Tobruk, one of whom was killed aged 19 another taken pow and tortured for 31/2 years before escaping and walking across the alps to Switzerland while hiding fom the Germans. I had the privilege of getting to know a few others during my working life and while making a textile project I created on them.

I am also a committee member of the descendants of the Rats of Tobruk Association Australia and have spent the last couple of years helping to organize the world reunion for the 80th anniversary which was to be held in Brisbane this month.

Unfortunately, due to the Covid outbreak we had to postpone it until later in the year.

Our frst patron Gordon Wallace asked if we could do something to remember his mates and their sacrifce during the siege as they never received a medal. We decided on a rose which was developed by Treloars Nursery in Victoria it has red for the bloodshed and yellow for the sand. Treloars generously donated a rose to every state and territory in Australia to be planted somewhere appropriate to remember the brave men who served in Tobruk. Tey also now donate $2 fom every rose sold to our association to help us keep their story alive.

Te rose is called the “No Surrender Rose” which was the order given by Lieutenant General Leslie Moorsehead “Tere will be no surrender and no retreat!”

Gordon lived long enough to see the rose but sadly died in December aged 99 years and not making the 80th anniversary.

Tis is a large proportion of the eligible male population in 1941.

During the 8 months of the 14,000 rats who held Tobruk 776 were killed, 65 went missing, and 2112 were wounded and 954 taken pow.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the members of the Royal Australian Navy who served on the Scrap Iron Flotilla. A feet of ships way past their prime but, which did a magnifcent job taking food, water and supplies in and the wounded out during extremely perilous conditions.

Of these ships HMAS Waterhen was the frst Australian Navy ship lost in WW2, HMAS Parramatta was sunk with a loss of 138 lives, HMAS Voyager and HMAS Vampire were sunk and HMAS Yarra was attacked by 35 aircraf in one day and later sunk. HMAS Stuart survived more than 50 air attacks and came all the way home to Australia on one engine!

While supporting our troops HMAS Napier was attacked by 12 planes at once and travelled 290,000 miles delivering troops to Tobruk. HMAS Vendetta made 20 trips into Tobruk harbour.

As many of the Rats I interviewed for my wall hanging told me

“Don’t forget the Navy they kept us alive!

As part of the anniversary I made 200 replica comfort packs like those sent to our troops in WW2 and greatly appreciate the help given by Robyn Moody, Viv Rush, Audrey Evans and the George Town RSL. Today I would like to make special mention of the Tasmanian Rats of Tobruk, in 1941 the population of males aged between 20 and 44 was approximately 36,000 of these 22,000 joined the Army and 1400 went to Tobruk.