Rats of Tobruk
The Rats of Tobruk were the soldiers of the garrison who held the Libyan port of Tobruk against the Afrika Corps during the siege of Tobruk in World War 2. The siege started on 10th April 1941 and lasted until the end of November that same year.
Australian troops totalled more than 14,000 men and made up more than half of the Allied presence in Tobruk. During the siege there were 3,000 Australian casualties and 941 soldiers had been taken prisoner.
BARRETT, Francis Xavier
Service Number – WX 5316
Rank – Private
Division – 2/11 Field Ambulance
Enlisted – 27/07/1940
Discharged – 31/10/1944
Date of Death – 06/11/1977
Age at Death – 63
Burial Location – Lawn B71
WARD, Francis Leslie
Service Number – WX 5404
Rank – Staff Sergeant
Division – 2/28 Australian Infantry Battalion
Enlisted – 27/07/1940
Discharged – 31/10/1945
Date of Death – 27/01/2004
Age at Death – 88
Burial Location – Crematorium Shrub Bed – Ward