November 2, 2025 • 37 mins
In 1941, amid the blistering sands of North Africa, a band of Australian soldiers earned one of the most enduring nicknames in military history — The Rats of Tobruk. Besieged by German and Italian forces, these men held the Libyan port town of Tobruk for eight gruelling months, defying the odds, the desert, and the propaganda of the Axis powers.
What began as an insult from Nazi radio became a badge of honour. The Australians dug in — literally — carving homes and defenses from the desert rock while withstanding relentless shelling and attacks. Their courage, defiance, and larrikin spirit turned Tobruk into a symbol of Australian resilience under fire.
In this episode, we dig into the siege that defined a generation, the humour that kept the Rats going, and the legacy that cemented their place as one of the fiercest fighting forces of the Second World War.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.
What began as an insult from Nazi radio became a badge of honour. The Australians dug in — literally — carving homes and defenses from the desert rock while withstanding relentless shelling and attacks. Their courage, defiance, and larrikin spirit turned Tobruk into a symbol of Australian resilience under fire.
In this episode, we dig into the siege that defined a generation, the humour that kept the Rats going, and the legacy that cemented their place as one of the fiercest fighting forces of the Second World War.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A strange, spiraling white light was spotted in the early
morning sky over Sydney, with even skeptical witnesses wondering if
it was a UFO.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
They were last seen on the beach with the tall
Man and that's the best description police have ever had
of it. More than seventeen years after Harold Holt disappeared
into raging surf at Chevy A Beach, his widow has
finally revealed his last romantic words.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Docky, terrifying, mesmerizing.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
That's the way a number of Australians have described the
alleged encounter with the YOWI.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
It's time the Weird Crap in Australia podcast. Welcome to
the Weird Craft in Australia Podcast. I'm your host, Matthew Soul,
joining me of course, this Holy Soul Hell Ye the
researcher extraordinaire herself. This is episode at three hundred and
(00:52):
eighty five. I hope you're all doing well. I'm recording
from the past past, being days before Monday before this
release is We're we're sort of in the midst of
a really good Halloween week. I know a lot of
Australians get upset when I say that word, and it's
an American.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
It's American.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yeah, well, enjoy your Coca Cola designed fucking Santa Claus.
You know that's saying that most people don't know, Holly,
is it? Traditionally Santa Claus was dressed in all green
and white.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I don't know how they'd not know that, considering you
bring it up every time that's mentioned.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I don't like Christmas. No, it's it is funny like
there was. You know, you sort of expect a lot
of articles around this time of the year, sort of
denouncing Halloween. And interestingly enough, I don't think a lot
of media companies bothered this year to go down that road. Occasionally,
when they did, you know, the comments sections were often
filled with, well, you know, look, Christmas is just as commercialized.
(01:50):
If you're celebrating Christmas in Australia and you're setting up
snowmen and reindeer and Santa Claus produced by Coca Cola,
aren't you just doing the same thing? And so I
like to celebrate this this month as my sort of
anti Christmas. We're covering a story that has been requested
many many times. Frank, come looking at you, buddy, Not
(02:12):
that you've requested it, but this is kind of your thing,
being military history. No, you really enjoy these episodes, so
you do have a special shout out. Today we are
covering Australian legends, the Rats of to Brook. We say
to Brook because we're Australians and we don't know how
to pronounce anything. But Hollywood, you're pretty clear that the
pronunciation is to Brook.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Tb ukb are uk. That's how you spell it.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
To Brook, to Brook.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
It's to Brook.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
It's just to Brook.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
We're Australian, so instead of saying Tobrook, we say to Brook.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
To Brook, to Brook, mate.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah, so we're going to be talking about the legends
of the Rats of to Brook, a fighting force that
was so well liked in Australia, that were so renowned
in Australia that any member of the army who served
as a Rat of Tabrook was given free drinks for
the rest of their life in most pubs that had
(03:09):
any class. Take it away, Holly.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
In the early months of nineteen forty one, the war
in North Africa entered one of its most brutal in
defining chapters. To Brook, a small Libyan port town perched
on the southern edge of the Mediterranean along the Libyan
coast became the stage for one of the most remarkable
sieges of the Second World War. The port of Tabrook
(03:34):
was little more than a sun blasted expanse of stone,
sand and concrete, a crescent shaped harbor hemmed in by
barren desert and low escarpments. To the south stretched endless
miles of dunes and scrub, and beyond them were the
long supply lines that connected Axis forces to their bases
in Tripoli. To the north, the Mediterranean shimmered like a mirage,
(03:57):
its blue waters, promising salvation or death depending on who
held the shore.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Now we're in World War two.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So our Axis of evil as it were, was Germany, Japan,
and interestingly enough, I believe Mexico.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
No, it was Italy.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Well, Italy, of course, but Mexico was aligned with Germany
during World War Two.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I believe they're not the main Axis powers. The main
Axis powers are Italy. When they were on that side,
it was Italy. They flip flopped Italy, Germany and Japan.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Well, I believe to this day. The granddaughter of Mussolini
is currently the leader of the alt right element with
they never learned the Italians.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Do they?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I mean they do because she's not in charge.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Yeah, obviously we have no love for fascists here at
weird crap in Australia.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
If you're.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Currently livering under one, we're sorry.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
If you're a fascist apologist, I don't know. Maybe skip
to the next couple of episodes. I go back and
read and mystic s Google.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
In the waters of the Mediterranean were the dreaded U
boats as well as the more conventionable ships from both sides.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And the U boats they're like your proto submarine, aren't they.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
By January nineteen forty one, Australian and British forces had
pushed through the Italians westward through Saraenaga.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
And to be fair, the Italians didn't often put up
much resistance to Australian forces. There is a reason that
a lot of Italians ended up in Australia as migrants,
because well, they were brought across as POWs, and in
a lot of circumstances, the Italians would surrender en mass
to Australian or British forces because they didn't particularly like Mussolini.
(05:46):
If you're feeling particularly brave or you have a strong stomach.
You can see exactly what the Italians did to Mussolini
at the end of the war. It did not go
well for him and his partner.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
The Italian swap sides in nineteen forty three, almost exactly
in the middle of.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
The war, and MURCELINI paid Beyle for his bullshit.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
The port was strategically vital. Whoever controlled it controlled the
key to Egypt, the sue Canal, and the supply routes
of the Middle East.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
So for the Germans and Holly, is this just like
obviously it's a it's an important part of supply. But
I'm just trying to square this up in my head
because the front that they're most pushing obviously is you know, Europe,
and then eventually they'll be pushing towards Russia. Why is
Africa so strategically important for them?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
There are British allies all across the top of Africa,
very specifically Egypt. So the British were getting supplies and
troops in through Egypt, the sou Canal, sus Canal, I
don't remember how everyone else pronounce it. Up through there,
you also have Germany is on the northern part of
Europe in order to supply soldiers in that on the
southern part without going overland and getting into seid did
(07:00):
you have to go around into the Mediterraneans. So having
a port in there you can pull in and refuel
or drop supplies off. That's important as well.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So it's very strategically important for the Germans to have
a presence in Africa due to England Lady having a
huge military presence there and the fact that it allows
for more secure transportation for their forces, their weapons, etc.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
It's the same reason why America has bases in northern Australia.
It's the same reason why the British were keeping hold
over a couple of the islands. Why I think it
was the Dutch had. Yeah, the Dutch had the East
Indies back in colonial times because they needed a base
nearby that they could use to spread their shit out.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
So strategically important yep.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
But the victory came with the cost. The British and
Australian forces had extended their supply lines dangerously, leaving themselves exposed.
When General Irwin Rommel, the newly arrived commander of the
German Africa Corps, launched his counter attack, in March, the
Allied forces found themselves retreating in disarray. Only one bastion
(08:03):
remained in their hands to brook.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Ban Ghazi, the capital of Saranaika in eastern Libya, which
surrendered to the British on February sixth following a swift
encirclement and assault, has been evacuated by our forces. A
special community announcing the evacuation was issued in Cairo last night.
Quote from the Geraldon Gharian and Express, Saturday, fifth of
(08:28):
April nineteen forty one, page one the Wire in Africa.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
In early March nineteen forty one, command of Tobrook was
given to Lieutenant General Leslie Moore's Head, a career soldier
known for his discipline and meticulous planning. Under his command
were the men of Australia's ninth Division, comprising the twentieth,
twenty fourth, and twenty six brigades, supported by elements of
the British Artillery, Indian units, and a scattering of engineers
(08:55):
and service troops. In total, about fourteen thousand Australians and
a five A few thousand British, Indian and Polish soldiers
were left to defend the port against Rommel's seasoned veterans.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Bill Adams, they say won the Battle of Waterloo and
Lance Sergeant Wall Hunt of Bathist, New South Wales and
fellow members of the aif Field Cash Office might go
down in history as the men who very nearly captured Tobrook.
In a letter home, Hunt says that the morning after
the attack started, he and others got permission to take
(09:28):
a car and go on a scrounging expedition. They thought
the town was already captured, and so set out along
the main road. Italian soldiers and sailors were passed at
an outpost on the side of the road. But half
a mile further on, just outside the town, the Australians
realized there were only Italians in front. Some were running
(09:52):
into the town, others towards the car, which started on
the return journey. The diggers had their pistols ready and
as they repassed the outpost they expected a hail of
machine gun bullets, instead of which the Italians appeared very
friendly and crowded onto the road. Speed was clapped on
and after about a mile or so, two British officers
(10:13):
were met with The officers had seen the party go
towards to Brook earlier and had fully expected to find
a stationary car with some dead men in it. Just
as the officers were saying this, a line of tanks
came along with the Australians were ordered off the road
to enable the official advance party to proceed towards de Brook. Later,
(10:35):
in happier circumstances, the scraunging expedition was resumed, this time
with marked success. The souvenirs included field glasses, binoculars, cameras,
hair clippers and even a shot gun. Quote from Joanne
LIFTERO New South Wales, Smith Weekley, Saturday, the first of
March nineteen forty one, page sixteen, Unofficial History, aif.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
The Australians weren't paying enough attention and just drove across
the line, went oh shit, and then drove back.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Oh well, you know what do your Australians do in
over here? Gotta go o smoke, spy, skate and pick
up a durry mate.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Molli'shead immediately set about fortifying the perimeter. The defenses formed
a rough semicircle around the harbor, stretching roughly eight kilometers
east to nine kilometers west. Italian built bunkers and trenches
captured during the earlier campaign were reinforced with bilbed wire,
anti tank ditches and minefields. Artillery batteries were positioned along
(11:44):
the ridges, including four regiments of twenty five pounder guns
and three anti tank regiments. Anti aircraft guns were mounted
to protecting against the Luftwaffer's inevitable raids.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
The Luftwaffle.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Waffle someone just threw the dessert across the.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Room were essentially German's air force. Were they the elite
air Force or whether that was just the overall term
for their entire air force Ltwaff.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I think like how the Panzas were the tanks. I'm
pretty sure the Luftwaff.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Was just the air force the okay, right right.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Every section of the perimeter was designed to absorb and
then annihilate any frontal assault.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
But lynen Rome late last night announced that German and
Italian mechanical forces were now outside to Brook, which is
between Bardia and Benghazi, at about two hundred and fifty
miles from the later town which was recaptured by the
British last week. Immediately following this claim, it was announced
in the House of Lords, London that the Imperial Forces
would definitely make a stand at to Brook. A special
(12:47):
German communicy claims that prisoners captured in Libya number two thousand,
including six British generals, quite from Singleton, August Thursday, the
tenth of April nineteen forty one, page two, Nazi claim
to be outside to Brook. We all know that as bullshit,
of course, because the British generals were never close enough
to ever be captured.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
As soon as they as soon as they got within
eyesight of the fighting, they fucked off.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I mean that was always the joke amongst Australian troops,
wasn't it that the you know, whenever ship was going down,
the British were gone.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
I will be fresh, general.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
I will look to all of the people who are
in the armed forces that listened to this episode, because
I know there is a fair few, and a lot
of them are from different countries. I guarantee every single
one of them who were at a lower end of
the rank system believe that as soon as the real
fighting begins, the upper rank fuck off.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
What wasn't part of the problem with the British military
was that there was a combination of both real generals
with real experience.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
And then rich boys who bought the rank here.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Yeah, and that was part of the problem, was the
aristocracy who brought in for the honorifics as opposed to
actual generals that could help or that could organize.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
I believe that was part of the problem.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
It's always part of the problem.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Whereas Australian generals were soldiers.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
We don't have the aristocracy, so there was nowhere to
buy into a rank.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Yeah, so it would have been quite confusing I think
for Australian soldiers being put into that situation. I will
add an amendment to that, of course, that although royal
family were often given honorifics, it is a requirement of
the royal family that they all served in some capacity.
(14:47):
That's correct, isn't it. Because Prince Harry was a helicopter
pilot during the Iraq invasion.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
The Queen she served as a mechanician. She oil pool.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
She was quite a good mechanic and maintain those skills
way into her later life, I believe.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah, she'll still fucking around the cars until she was
in her seventies, I believe.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
And Prince Philip was a navyman, Oh, yeah, wasn't he?
And he was actually on board ships.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yeah, he was in the Navy before he became Prince Philip.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Yeah so as so I just wanted to add an AMENDMO.
But that being said, the British aristocracy had well and
truly infiltrated through essentially pay to play.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
The most honorable way to fight a war.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
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Speaker 3 (16:24):
Now back to the show.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
The siege began in Earnest on April tenth, nineteen forty one,
when Rommel's forces actually surrounded to Brook. His orders were simple,
take the port at any cost. The first probing attacks
came from the fifth Pans of Regiment, supported by Italian infantry.
To stop playing with it.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
You know they could have stopped the Italian infantry by
just snapping or threatening to snap spaghetti in front of them.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Well do it, I'll fucking do it.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
I'll do it. Man. I got fucking crazy.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Man, I got some spaghetti here, I've got some fuck
I got shit tons of fur to CHENI you are
seeing me snap that shit in half? What if I
fucking take these lasagna sheets and use them as pocket hankies?
Speaker 3 (17:09):
I'll do it.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
See this is a store board source. Do you want
me to use it?
Speaker 3 (17:14):
No human hands have touched this past us.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Nana would faint.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
It was all robots.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
On April eleven and twelve, they struck at the defenses
held by the twentieth Australian Brigade, hoping to find a weakness.
They met only artillery and rifle fire. Expecting to overrun
a demoralized garrison. The Germans instead found disciplined, well dug
in defenders who refused to yield.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Well, this is the problem.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
So I'm currently listening to a series on Henry Kimler,
who is one of the architects of the Nazi regime.
If you are a fascist country with a fascist ideology,
your belief is that everyone else is fucking inferior to you.
(18:02):
If you don't respect your enemy, you will be defeated
by your enemy. Right, The British didn't believe that the
Japanese could ever mount any sort of effective attack and
got their asses kicked in Singapore. The Americans didn't believe
that the Japanese could mount any sort of successful attack
(18:23):
and were not a threat until.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Pearl Harbor in the Philippines.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Right, the Nazis believe that if you were not pure
blood Arian and I look go like I would highly
recommend you check out the last podcast on the Left
series if you're interested. There's also Dan Carlin's Horrible Histories,
which a lot of his Nazi stuff now is behind
the paywall because the way Carlander he gives you like
(18:49):
a series for free then and goes behind the paywall,
so you got stay current.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Matthew also sprooks that particular series when we're doing the
Pacific Theater.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Yeah, well it helped me so much because I listen.
I think he did like twelve hours on it, and
without that context, I wouldn't have been able to do
that series as well as I think we did. So Yeah,
I would recommend going and checking those out if you
want to understand about the Nazi regime, authoritarianism and fascism.
(19:17):
It makes you overconfident and unadaptable, right if you need
to look to someone else constantly, For like Australians, you
take seven Australian soldiers, you isolate them. They're going to
dig in, or they're going to find a way to win,
or they're going to fight as long as they can.
Like you look at what the Australian troops did in
(19:40):
Papua New Guinea. Those were our reservers and the reason
for that is because they had ingenuity. They're able to innovate. Right,
we don't have all the resources, so we need to
use our fucking brains. When you're stuck under an authoritative regime,
Number one, you're not inclined to point out the problems
with your warming right, you're not inclined to do that,
(20:02):
because the answer that's going to come back to you
is why would you point that out. Everything that we
do is perfect. We're perfect Aryan super soldiers. There are
no weaknesses here, right. It's that arrogance that will always
mean you will lose.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
You know.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
You go all the way back to Sun Zou's Art
of War, you know, one of the one of history's
most famous strategists. And you look through that book. We've
got one on the shelf, most pretentious middle aged white
men do.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Myself included.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Uh, you know throughout that book it's no thy enemy,
you know, no THI enemy. And when my enemy is
making a mistake, let them make a mistake.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
No, no, no, never interrupt an enemy when he is making
a mistake.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Thank you, Holly. Yeah, that's the that's what I was
thinking of.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
And you know that's why the Nazis were like, well,
we're perfect. We can easily take on Europe. We're perfect.
We can easily march into Russia. We're perfect. So when
we're fighting this African front, we are the elite of
the world. We're the elite arians. This rabble of Australians
are not going to put up any sort of to fight,
(21:17):
you know, then they're not disciplined by this stage. During
World War two you had Australian military comprised of veterans
from World War One, a more formalized training regime because
World War One, you know, again our baptism of fire.
World War II, things have started to formalize and technology
(21:38):
has moved forward, so that the Australian soldiers that they're
facing during World War Two were not the same that
were faced during World War One. And even in World
War One we would often, you know, pull a bit
of like I mean, we talked about this wholly during
I think it's Gallipoli, but we talked about the soldier
who rigged up a gun.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
The self firing rifle, the self firing rifle.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
You know, that's what Australians are going to do.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
So in some days we'll steal across the enemy lines
and fuck off with one of their tanks. You know,
we don't take war seriously.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Yeah, if you want to be adaptable, you need to
accept the fact that you are not perfect and take
this philosophy take it into everything you do, because it
always opens up room for innovation and improvement.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Right.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
That's why America is so fucked at the moment because
they've been raised.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
You're the greatest in the world.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Everything you do is perfect, everything you do is great,
and it leads you down the road of failure, where.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Especially when all the roles are specialized instead of being
treated as every man.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Like in Australia, we may have tall Poppy syndrome, and
I think we need to do a little bit more
to uplift each other. I think that is a cultural
problem that we have. That being said, I'd rather have
that than being told that I'm fucking perfect and I
can never make a mistake. And so when the Germans
walk in and they expect to see a garrison of
idiots who were demoralized, they're fucking shocked when they actually
(23:04):
see organized people who understand their terrain and are able
to use that terrain rather effectively.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
As we continue the series.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
When night fell, Rommel's tanks attempted to breach the anti
tank ditches west of the l Adam Road.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
What is all of this?
Speaker 1 (23:21):
What we are the Nazis? We are the most powerful reasons?
How are they defeating? Are perfect arian tanks? They dug
a hole, they dug wat of holes. They dug wide holes.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Who did the whole digging?
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Those Australians over there sitting on a shovel, mate.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Leaving it a shovel of smoking the own Fuck your mate,
So are your tanks needed flat terrain to move?
Speaker 3 (23:50):
So we dug some holes.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
You seem to be having a little bit of a
problem there, mate.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Now, obviously in this fictitious scenario, my Australians are very Alaricans.
But that look again, you can have the best tanks
in the world. How are they going to navigate holes?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
If you get a hole that's just wide enough and
just deep enough, their nose dive and they can't get
back up.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
You know, tanks are great, You got to know that
you're going to be able to get them from point
A to point B. So already, already Kraus is getting
a bit upset.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
The tanks were repelled by the two seventeenth Battalion by dawn.
The desert was littered with the wreckage of panzas and
the bodies of German and Italian soldiers. On April thirteen,
Easter Sunday, Rommell launched what he called the Easter Battle.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
We Will launced the Easter Battle.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
It was intended to be a swift and decisive strike
that would break the siege before British reinforcements could arrive.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
It will be swift and decisive.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
His plan was to send tanks forward in a wedge formation.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Center the tags forward and on which formation. Sorry, I'll
stop doing that good. I just hate Nazis.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Breaking open the defensive line so that the infantry could
pour through. It was attactive that had succeeded previously in Poland,
France and Belgium. But to Brook was different because the
fucking Aussies was there.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Well, the Australians were in France, Australians were in Belgium.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
I don't think about Poland though, but I mean to
Brook was different. And this quote probably explains why the
Germans had confidently expected a walkover. Instead it had ended
in their in their being completely routed. The spirit of cooperation,
trust and comradmanship between the men of the garrison, consisting
of two thirds Australian and one third British was the
(25:42):
real strength of to Brook. No other Middle East in
front or undertaking between the men of these countries so complete.
Quote from Debrook AWM File of Research number five eight
one day to twenty fourth of April nineteen fifty eight
Australian War Memorial, third of January twenty twenty also worth
mentioning that there were other local forces that were assisting
(26:03):
as well.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah, the people are like, this is my fucking home
pizza pretty much.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
I mean they still to this day talk about, you know,
the Sikh fighting forces, how those men refused to wear
helmets because obviously it contravened their religious beliefs about their hair.
But they were fantastic fighters. You know, there were lots
of locals that also assisted, and I think that's just again,
(26:31):
it's why the Allies won because no resources was considered
a poor resource, was it. You're in Papua New Guinea.
The locals though, you know, we have to be careful
when talking about this because there are questions now about
whether the locals were helping by choice or whether they
were being forced. But you know, the utilization of the
Papua New Guinea people during the you know, during the
(26:53):
problems on the Kokoda track over of course in Africa,
it's the same thing. It's u to line the populations
around them. And if I've got that wrong. Please let
me know, but I'm pretty sure that this is where
Australia's relationship with the Sea community also started.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
The Australians let the tanks through, then ambush the inventory
that followed. Without their supporting troops, the panzers found themselves
surrounded and pummeled by artillery from all sides.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
But Holly, they're the perfect Airyan race, with the perfect
soldiers and the perfect tanks. How could they possibly have
been routed by a couple of Australians with shovels.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
The more they advanced, the worse the cross fire became.
As they retreated, they were struck again by mortars, machine
guns and rifles. When the smoke cleared, Ronald had lost
much of his attacking force. The Easter Battle was over,
and with it the illusion that to Brook would be
easily taken. The Germans, as one could imagine, we're not happy.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
I'm not all happy.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
But with their anger came a wonderful, shiny new nickname
for the defenders, courtesy of a British asshole.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
A former British citizen, William Joyce, better known as Lord.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Hawhor What really that was his DJ name?
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Okay was a notorious broadcaster of Nazi propaganda to the
UK during World War Two. His announcement Germany Calling, Germany
Calling was a familiar sound across the airwaves, introducing threats
and misinformation, which he broadcasts from his Hamburg base. Remember
there are always traders, ladies and gentlemen, They are always traders.
(28:28):
During broadcasts about the Brook's siege, Joyce scoffed that the
men defending the garrison were caught like little rats in
a trap, and often referred to them as poor desert
rats of to Brook, who lived like rats and will
die like rats. The Australian soldiers loved the term rats
of to Brook and defiantly adopted the term as a
badge of honor, calling themselves the rats of to Brook.
(28:50):
They turned their derogatory comments back against the Germans. They
were very proud of their new name. Quote from why
the name rats of to Brook? Rats of to Brook associate.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
In the weeks that followed, the siege settled into a
brutal rhythm. Every day the defenders endured relentless shelling and
air raids. Dive bombers screamed overhead blasting the perimeter, while
German and attain artillery pounded the harbor. The men lived
in dugouts and bunkers, emerging only at night to repair
fortifications or scavenge supplies.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
I mean again, like, I understand why they were called
the rats of to Brook. Right, you go to ground,
your shelter, you come out at night, you grab what
you need to, you repair what you need to, you go.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Back to shelter.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Right, you scurry through the dark.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
It's very rodent yep, Right, But rodents are excellent survivors. Right,
there is a reason that rodents have infested the world,
just like cats, just like dogs. Rats are very very
good survivalists. So I like that the Australians adopted it
as a badge of honor. And honestly, under those circumstances,
(29:58):
being rat like is going to get you a victory,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Food was scarce, water was rationed, and the desert heat
was merciless, yet morale remained remarkably high. The Australian soldiers
adopted a grim humor to cope with conditions, which is
what we always do, including by taking their Nazi label
and turning it into a badge of honor. The rats
of Tbrook began showing up as an unofficial mascot to
(30:24):
the Australian battalions. In the Victorian Archives, one can find
a drawn image of a crest with two rats in
helmets saluting the viewer. They both stand unbarbed wire while
the one on the left smokes a cigarette and Matthew,
I have included an image for you to look at.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Yes, it is a fantastic, very proud looking rat wearing
his hat giving them a salute with his durry yeah,
with his cigarette hanging out at the side of his mouth.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy maintained the town's lifeline
to the outside world through what became known as the
Tabrook Ferry Service. Destroyers, sloops and small a vessels braved
constant air attacks to deliver ammunition, food, and reinforcements to
the city and to evacuate the wounded. The cost was high.
Twenty six ships were lost during the siege, but without them,
(31:12):
the garrison would have been doomed.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
The Royal Australian Navy ran and the Royal Navy provided
the garrisons final link to the outside world. They received
its support from units that came from India and South Africa. See,
that's why I'm pretty sure that the Seks come into it.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Yeah, the Indian garrison had a lot of Seaks.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
In Yep and obviously in Indian fighters as well. Yes,
you know, because India is still.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Indian Muslim, all those you know, that's Christian, all of it.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
It must have.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
It's sort of like somewhat heartbreaking, isn't it to think
that World War II happens, like the unification of a
lot of countries dissolves rather quickly due to British and
American imperialism over the.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Next Well, the India Pakistan split came in nineteen forty
seven after World War II, So all the Pakistani people,
all the Indian people that were all one person, which
was the Indian people at that point in history.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, which was due to the British essentially being kicked
out of India rightfully, so they decided that they were
going to.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Stick the shovel in one more time.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Yeah, they were basically going to launch a propaganda war
and split up the country, you know, split it into half.
We're not going to talk about that, but you know
that's for someone doing a weird crap in India podcast,
not us.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
We crap in the British Empire.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Yeah, that's a Brook Ferry Service was run by the
Royal Navy's Inshaw Squadron under the command of Captain Albert
Poland r And. It operated between Alexandra and Mersa Matruth
in Egypt and to Brook. Services provided were gunfire support supplies, troops,
evacuations for the wounded. Nine Australian ships contributed to the service.
The five destroyers that the Scrap Iron Flotilla Astroyas Hma
(33:01):
ships Nepier and the Zam and the sloops Hma ships
Paramatta two and the Yarra two. They were based in Alexandra,
some three hundred and fifty nautical miles from Tabrook. The
run became known as bomb Alley. Australian vessels made a
total of one hundred and thirty nine trips in and
out of Tobrook. HMAS Vendetta held the record with thirty
(33:21):
nine individual passages the Toabrook Ferry Service, Royal Australian Navy.
Sorry quote from the Tabrooks Ferry Service, Royal Australian Navy.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
The Scrap Iron Flotilla which we mentioned in our episodes
on the Voyager disaster was also derisively named by the
Germans and turned into a badge of honor by the Australians.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
And ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
We are about to jump forward into the conflict, but
before we do, we're gonna wrap up this episode.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Oh it's going to be a three part er.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
It's going to be a three part So this was
my little taster to get you in the mood of
course floor for this new series.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
I sure, Holly.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
I mean, I'm sure there are some military men who
get a little bit excited when they hear about it.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
The rats are to brook Yep, definitely some ferries. Well,
we will leave you with that before we do, don't forget.
If you'd like to reach out to the week crap
In Australia podcast, you can do so. Find us via
our email address weekrap In Australia at gmail dot com.
No doubt, Frank, you will let us know how we're
doing and we appreciate your feedback, buddy, so keep it coming.
(34:29):
You can also find us on your social media of choice.
Just hoping weir crap in Australia into the search engine
if it belongs to a fascist we're most lightly not
going to be on that particular social media, in which
case just fall back to the email address. You can
also support the shows through a couple of different avenues,
first and foremost being our Patreon friendly five dollars us
(34:50):
a month. You get access to bonus episodes and minisodes, interviews,
all sorts of fun stuff that's all over on Patreon
friendly five dollars usd a month. You can also check
we had our book series which recaps our podcast year
by year. Volume one two six are available now from
our great mates at Impact Comics dot com dot au.
They make fantastic Christmas presents. Keep an eye out as well.
(35:12):
Black Friday sales are going to be coming up towards
the end of November, and then there is of course
the Boxing Day sales in December, so both of those
will be a great opportunity to snag yourself all six
of our books for a good price from our mates
at impactomics dot com dot au.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
If you're living overseas.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
You can grab the paperback from Lulu dot com and
if you are a digital person you can grab that
from the Amazon Kindles store. And last but not least,
if you want something we crap in Australian merchandise. You
can go and pick that up from our red Bubble
nt public stores. Just like type in weed Craping Australia
into the search bar and you'll see all of our
(35:50):
wonderful designs that you can put on a ton of
different bits and pieces on both of those sites, from
T shirts to mugs and as our custom we get
of Holly the final words.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
As of today, we've released the second episode off We're
crap An Australia onto YouTube. So if everyone could go
over there and hit subscribe for me, even if you
don't have to listen to it, that would be great
because that would help boost our visibility.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
That would be wonderful.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
That you should also listen to the episodes again because
we've remasted them a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Yes, so we now have tools that we didn't have before,
which means that episodes that we recorded this is how
we used to do it.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
Like seriously, this is how we used to do it.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
We would record locally to two laptops and we would
skype each other in the same house.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
I'd go in the bedroom, he'd do it in the landrum.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Right using pretty piss poor us BEM microphones. Now, obviously
we use soundboards, we use road equipment.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
We have cat as well. That does not help.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
And she's the YouTube advisor, so this is her job.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Yeah, we use a lot of new technology and new
technology has come out that allows us to go back
to those episodes and restore them. There's some fun animations
as well that are attached. So if you can subscribe,
or if your friend is like I don't like podcasts,
but I do like YouTube, send them to our YouTube channel.
We would really appreciate it. So Holly great bringing that
(37:20):
one up. Otherwise, ladies and gentlemen, please stay time, be
safe and we'll see you next week for more Weird
Crap in Australia. Till then, Live for now by. The
(37:43):
Weird Crap In Australia podcast is produced by Holly and
Matthew Soul for the Modern Meltdown. If you've enjoyed this podcast,
please rate and review on your favorite podcatching app
A strange, spiraling white light was spotted in the early
morning sky over Sydney, with even skeptical witnesses wondering if
it was a UFO.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
They were last seen on the beach with the tall
Man and that's the best description police have ever had
of it. More than seventeen years after Harold Holt disappeared
into raging surf at Chevy A Beach, his widow has
finally revealed his last romantic words.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Docky, terrifying, mesmerizing.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
That's the way a number of Australians have described the
alleged encounter with the YOWI.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
It's time the Weird Crap in Australia podcast. Welcome to
the Weird Craft in Australia Podcast. I'm your host, Matthew Soul,
joining me of course, this Holy Soul Hell Ye the
researcher extraordinaire herself. This is episode at three hundred and
(00:52):
eighty five. I hope you're all doing well. I'm recording
from the past past, being days before Monday before this
release is We're we're sort of in the midst of
a really good Halloween week. I know a lot of
Australians get upset when I say that word, and it's
an American.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
It's American.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yeah, well, enjoy your Coca Cola designed fucking Santa Claus.
You know that's saying that most people don't know, Holly,
is it? Traditionally Santa Claus was dressed in all green
and white.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I don't know how they'd not know that, considering you
bring it up every time that's mentioned.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I don't like Christmas. No, it's it is funny like
there was. You know, you sort of expect a lot
of articles around this time of the year, sort of
denouncing Halloween. And interestingly enough, I don't think a lot
of media companies bothered this year to go down that road. Occasionally,
when they did, you know, the comments sections were often
filled with, well, you know, look, Christmas is just as commercialized.
(01:50):
If you're celebrating Christmas in Australia and you're setting up
snowmen and reindeer and Santa Claus produced by Coca Cola,
aren't you just doing the same thing? And so I
like to celebrate this this month as my sort of
anti Christmas. We're covering a story that has been requested
many many times. Frank, come looking at you, buddy, Not
(02:12):
that you've requested it, but this is kind of your thing,
being military history. No, you really enjoy these episodes, so
you do have a special shout out. Today we are
covering Australian legends, the Rats of to Brook. We say
to Brook because we're Australians and we don't know how
to pronounce anything. But Hollywood, you're pretty clear that the
pronunciation is to Brook.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Tb ukb are uk. That's how you spell it.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
To Brook, to Brook.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
It's to Brook.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
It's just to Brook.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
We're Australian, so instead of saying Tobrook, we say to Brook.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
To Brook, to Brook, mate.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah, so we're going to be talking about the legends
of the Rats of to Brook, a fighting force that
was so well liked in Australia, that were so renowned
in Australia that any member of the army who served
as a Rat of Tabrook was given free drinks for
the rest of their life in most pubs that had
(03:09):
any class. Take it away, Holly.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
In the early months of nineteen forty one, the war
in North Africa entered one of its most brutal in
defining chapters. To Brook, a small Libyan port town perched
on the southern edge of the Mediterranean along the Libyan
coast became the stage for one of the most remarkable
sieges of the Second World War. The port of Tabrook
(03:34):
was little more than a sun blasted expanse of stone,
sand and concrete, a crescent shaped harbor hemmed in by
barren desert and low escarpments. To the south stretched endless
miles of dunes and scrub, and beyond them were the
long supply lines that connected Axis forces to their bases
in Tripoli. To the north, the Mediterranean shimmered like a mirage,
(03:57):
its blue waters, promising salvation or death depending on who
held the shore.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Now we're in World War two.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So our Axis of evil as it were, was Germany, Japan,
and interestingly enough, I believe Mexico.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
No, it was Italy.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Well, Italy, of course, but Mexico was aligned with Germany
during World War Two.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I believe they're not the main Axis powers. The main
Axis powers are Italy. When they were on that side,
it was Italy. They flip flopped Italy, Germany and Japan.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Well, I believe to this day. The granddaughter of Mussolini
is currently the leader of the alt right element with
they never learned the Italians.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Do they?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I mean they do because she's not in charge.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Yeah, obviously we have no love for fascists here at
weird crap in Australia.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
If you're.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Currently livering under one, we're sorry.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
If you're a fascist apologist, I don't know. Maybe skip
to the next couple of episodes. I go back and
read and mystic s Google.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
In the waters of the Mediterranean were the dreaded U
boats as well as the more conventionable ships from both sides.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And the U boats they're like your proto submarine, aren't they.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
By January nineteen forty one, Australian and British forces had
pushed through the Italians westward through Saraenaga.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
And to be fair, the Italians didn't often put up
much resistance to Australian forces. There is a reason that
a lot of Italians ended up in Australia as migrants,
because well, they were brought across as POWs, and in
a lot of circumstances, the Italians would surrender en mass
to Australian or British forces because they didn't particularly like Mussolini.
(05:46):
If you're feeling particularly brave or you have a strong stomach.
You can see exactly what the Italians did to Mussolini
at the end of the war. It did not go
well for him and his partner.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
The Italian swap sides in nineteen forty three, almost exactly
in the middle of.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
The war, and MURCELINI paid Beyle for his bullshit.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
The port was strategically vital. Whoever controlled it controlled the
key to Egypt, the sue Canal, and the supply routes
of the Middle East.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
So for the Germans and Holly, is this just like
obviously it's a it's an important part of supply. But
I'm just trying to square this up in my head
because the front that they're most pushing obviously is you know, Europe,
and then eventually they'll be pushing towards Russia. Why is
Africa so strategically important for them?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
There are British allies all across the top of Africa,
very specifically Egypt. So the British were getting supplies and
troops in through Egypt, the sou Canal, sus Canal, I
don't remember how everyone else pronounce it. Up through there,
you also have Germany is on the northern part of
Europe in order to supply soldiers in that on the
southern part without going overland and getting into seid did
(07:00):
you have to go around into the Mediterraneans. So having
a port in there you can pull in and refuel
or drop supplies off. That's important as well.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So it's very strategically important for the Germans to have
a presence in Africa due to England Lady having a
huge military presence there and the fact that it allows
for more secure transportation for their forces, their weapons, etc.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
It's the same reason why America has bases in northern Australia.
It's the same reason why the British were keeping hold
over a couple of the islands. Why I think it
was the Dutch had. Yeah, the Dutch had the East
Indies back in colonial times because they needed a base
nearby that they could use to spread their shit out.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
So strategically important yep.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
But the victory came with the cost. The British and
Australian forces had extended their supply lines dangerously, leaving themselves exposed.
When General Irwin Rommel, the newly arrived commander of the
German Africa Corps, launched his counter attack, in March, the
Allied forces found themselves retreating in disarray. Only one bastion
(08:03):
remained in their hands to brook.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Ban Ghazi, the capital of Saranaika in eastern Libya, which
surrendered to the British on February sixth following a swift
encirclement and assault, has been evacuated by our forces. A
special community announcing the evacuation was issued in Cairo last night.
Quote from the Geraldon Gharian and Express, Saturday, fifth of
(08:28):
April nineteen forty one, page one the Wire in Africa.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
In early March nineteen forty one, command of Tobrook was
given to Lieutenant General Leslie Moore's Head, a career soldier
known for his discipline and meticulous planning. Under his command
were the men of Australia's ninth Division, comprising the twentieth,
twenty fourth, and twenty six brigades, supported by elements of
the British Artillery, Indian units, and a scattering of engineers
(08:55):
and service troops. In total, about fourteen thousand Australians and
a five A few thousand British, Indian and Polish soldiers
were left to defend the port against Rommel's seasoned veterans.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Bill Adams, they say won the Battle of Waterloo and
Lance Sergeant Wall Hunt of Bathist, New South Wales and
fellow members of the aif Field Cash Office might go
down in history as the men who very nearly captured Tobrook.
In a letter home, Hunt says that the morning after
the attack started, he and others got permission to take
(09:28):
a car and go on a scrounging expedition. They thought
the town was already captured, and so set out along
the main road. Italian soldiers and sailors were passed at
an outpost on the side of the road. But half
a mile further on, just outside the town, the Australians
realized there were only Italians in front. Some were running
(09:52):
into the town, others towards the car, which started on
the return journey. The diggers had their pistols ready and
as they repassed the outpost they expected a hail of
machine gun bullets, instead of which the Italians appeared very
friendly and crowded onto the road. Speed was clapped on
and after about a mile or so, two British officers
(10:13):
were met with The officers had seen the party go
towards to Brook earlier and had fully expected to find
a stationary car with some dead men in it. Just
as the officers were saying this, a line of tanks
came along with the Australians were ordered off the road
to enable the official advance party to proceed towards de Brook. Later,
(10:35):
in happier circumstances, the scraunging expedition was resumed, this time
with marked success. The souvenirs included field glasses, binoculars, cameras,
hair clippers and even a shot gun. Quote from Joanne
LIFTERO New South Wales, Smith Weekley, Saturday, the first of
March nineteen forty one, page sixteen, Unofficial History, aif.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
The Australians weren't paying enough attention and just drove across
the line, went oh shit, and then drove back.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Oh well, you know what do your Australians do in
over here? Gotta go o smoke, spy, skate and pick
up a durry mate.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Molli'shead immediately set about fortifying the perimeter. The defenses formed
a rough semicircle around the harbor, stretching roughly eight kilometers
east to nine kilometers west. Italian built bunkers and trenches
captured during the earlier campaign were reinforced with bilbed wire,
anti tank ditches and minefields. Artillery batteries were positioned along
(11:44):
the ridges, including four regiments of twenty five pounder guns
and three anti tank regiments. Anti aircraft guns were mounted
to protecting against the Luftwaffer's inevitable raids.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
The Luftwaffle.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Waffle someone just threw the dessert across the.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Room were essentially German's air force. Were they the elite
air Force or whether that was just the overall term
for their entire air force Ltwaff.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I think like how the Panzas were the tanks. I'm
pretty sure the Luftwaff.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Was just the air force the okay, right right.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Every section of the perimeter was designed to absorb and
then annihilate any frontal assault.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
But lynen Rome late last night announced that German and
Italian mechanical forces were now outside to Brook, which is
between Bardia and Benghazi, at about two hundred and fifty
miles from the later town which was recaptured by the
British last week. Immediately following this claim, it was announced
in the House of Lords, London that the Imperial Forces
would definitely make a stand at to Brook. A special
(12:47):
German communicy claims that prisoners captured in Libya number two thousand,
including six British generals, quite from Singleton, August Thursday, the
tenth of April nineteen forty one, page two, Nazi claim
to be outside to Brook. We all know that as bullshit,
of course, because the British generals were never close enough
to ever be captured.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
As soon as they as soon as they got within
eyesight of the fighting, they fucked off.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I mean that was always the joke amongst Australian troops,
wasn't it that the you know, whenever ship was going down,
the British were gone.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
I will be fresh, general.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
I will look to all of the people who are
in the armed forces that listened to this episode, because
I know there is a fair few, and a lot
of them are from different countries. I guarantee every single
one of them who were at a lower end of
the rank system believe that as soon as the real
fighting begins, the upper rank fuck off.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
What wasn't part of the problem with the British military
was that there was a combination of both real generals
with real experience.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
And then rich boys who bought the rank here.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Yeah, and that was part of the problem, was the
aristocracy who brought in for the honorifics as opposed to
actual generals that could help or that could organize.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
I believe that was part of the problem.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
It's always part of the problem.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Whereas Australian generals were soldiers.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
We don't have the aristocracy, so there was nowhere to
buy into a rank.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Yeah, so it would have been quite confusing I think
for Australian soldiers being put into that situation. I will
add an amendment to that, of course, that although royal
family were often given honorifics, it is a requirement of
the royal family that they all served in some capacity.
(14:47):
That's correct, isn't it. Because Prince Harry was a helicopter
pilot during the Iraq invasion.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
The Queen she served as a mechanician. She oil pool.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
She was quite a good mechanic and maintain those skills
way into her later life, I believe.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah, she'll still fucking around the cars until she was
in her seventies, I believe.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
And Prince Philip was a navyman, Oh, yeah, wasn't he?
And he was actually on board ships.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yeah, he was in the Navy before he became Prince Philip.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Yeah so as so I just wanted to add an AMENDMO.
But that being said, the British aristocracy had well and
truly infiltrated through essentially pay to play.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
The most honorable way to fight a war.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
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Speaker 3 (16:24):
Now back to the show.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
The siege began in Earnest on April tenth, nineteen forty one,
when Rommel's forces actually surrounded to Brook. His orders were simple,
take the port at any cost. The first probing attacks
came from the fifth Pans of Regiment, supported by Italian infantry.
To stop playing with it.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
You know they could have stopped the Italian infantry by
just snapping or threatening to snap spaghetti in front of them.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Well do it, I'll fucking do it.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
I'll do it. Man. I got fucking crazy.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Man, I got some spaghetti here, I've got some fuck
I got shit tons of fur to CHENI you are
seeing me snap that shit in half? What if I
fucking take these lasagna sheets and use them as pocket hankies?
Speaker 3 (17:09):
I'll do it.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
See this is a store board source. Do you want
me to use it?
Speaker 3 (17:14):
No human hands have touched this past us.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Nana would faint.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
It was all robots.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
On April eleven and twelve, they struck at the defenses
held by the twentieth Australian Brigade, hoping to find a weakness.
They met only artillery and rifle fire. Expecting to overrun
a demoralized garrison. The Germans instead found disciplined, well dug
in defenders who refused to yield.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Well, this is the problem.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
So I'm currently listening to a series on Henry Kimler,
who is one of the architects of the Nazi regime.
If you are a fascist country with a fascist ideology,
your belief is that everyone else is fucking inferior to you.
(18:02):
If you don't respect your enemy, you will be defeated
by your enemy. Right, The British didn't believe that the
Japanese could ever mount any sort of effective attack and
got their asses kicked in Singapore. The Americans didn't believe
that the Japanese could mount any sort of successful attack
(18:23):
and were not a threat until.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Pearl Harbor in the Philippines.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Right, the Nazis believe that if you were not pure
blood Arian and I look go like I would highly
recommend you check out the last podcast on the Left
series if you're interested. There's also Dan Carlin's Horrible Histories,
which a lot of his Nazi stuff now is behind
the paywall because the way Carlander he gives you like
(18:49):
a series for free then and goes behind the paywall,
so you got stay current.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Matthew also sprooks that particular series when we're doing the
Pacific Theater.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Yeah, well it helped me so much because I listen.
I think he did like twelve hours on it, and
without that context, I wouldn't have been able to do
that series as well as I think we did. So Yeah,
I would recommend going and checking those out if you
want to understand about the Nazi regime, authoritarianism and fascism.
(19:17):
It makes you overconfident and unadaptable, right if you need
to look to someone else constantly, For like Australians, you
take seven Australian soldiers, you isolate them. They're going to
dig in, or they're going to find a way to win,
or they're going to fight as long as they can.
Like you look at what the Australian troops did in
(19:40):
Papua New Guinea. Those were our reservers and the reason
for that is because they had ingenuity. They're able to innovate. Right,
we don't have all the resources, so we need to
use our fucking brains. When you're stuck under an authoritative regime,
Number one, you're not inclined to point out the problems
with your warming right, you're not inclined to do that,
(20:02):
because the answer that's going to come back to you
is why would you point that out. Everything that we
do is perfect. We're perfect Aryan super soldiers. There are
no weaknesses here, right. It's that arrogance that will always
mean you will lose.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
You know.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
You go all the way back to Sun Zou's Art
of War, you know, one of the one of history's
most famous strategists. And you look through that book. We've
got one on the shelf, most pretentious middle aged white
men do.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Myself included.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Uh, you know throughout that book it's no thy enemy,
you know, no THI enemy. And when my enemy is
making a mistake, let them make a mistake.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
No, no, no, never interrupt an enemy when he is making
a mistake.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Thank you, Holly. Yeah, that's the that's what I was
thinking of.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
And you know that's why the Nazis were like, well,
we're perfect. We can easily take on Europe. We're perfect.
We can easily march into Russia. We're perfect. So when
we're fighting this African front, we are the elite of
the world. We're the elite arians. This rabble of Australians
are not going to put up any sort of to fight,
(21:17):
you know, then they're not disciplined by this stage. During
World War two you had Australian military comprised of veterans
from World War One, a more formalized training regime because
World War One, you know, again our baptism of fire.
World War II, things have started to formalize and technology
(21:38):
has moved forward, so that the Australian soldiers that they're
facing during World War Two were not the same that
were faced during World War One. And even in World
War One we would often, you know, pull a bit
of like I mean, we talked about this wholly during
I think it's Gallipoli, but we talked about the soldier
who rigged up a gun.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
The self firing rifle, the self firing rifle.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
You know, that's what Australians are going to do.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
So in some days we'll steal across the enemy lines
and fuck off with one of their tanks. You know,
we don't take war seriously.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Yeah, if you want to be adaptable, you need to
accept the fact that you are not perfect and take
this philosophy take it into everything you do, because it
always opens up room for innovation and improvement.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Right.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
That's why America is so fucked at the moment because
they've been raised.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
You're the greatest in the world.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Everything you do is perfect, everything you do is great,
and it leads you down the road of failure, where.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Especially when all the roles are specialized instead of being
treated as every man.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Like in Australia, we may have tall Poppy syndrome, and
I think we need to do a little bit more
to uplift each other. I think that is a cultural
problem that we have. That being said, I'd rather have
that than being told that I'm fucking perfect and I
can never make a mistake. And so when the Germans
walk in and they expect to see a garrison of
idiots who were demoralized, they're fucking shocked when they actually
(23:04):
see organized people who understand their terrain and are able
to use that terrain rather effectively.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
As we continue the series.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
When night fell, Rommel's tanks attempted to breach the anti
tank ditches west of the l Adam Road.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
What is all of this?
Speaker 1 (23:21):
What we are the Nazis? We are the most powerful reasons?
How are they defeating? Are perfect arian tanks? They dug
a hole, they dug wat of holes. They dug wide holes.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Who did the whole digging?
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Those Australians over there sitting on a shovel, mate.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Leaving it a shovel of smoking the own Fuck your mate,
So are your tanks needed flat terrain to move?
Speaker 3 (23:50):
So we dug some holes.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
You seem to be having a little bit of a
problem there, mate.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Now, obviously in this fictitious scenario, my Australians are very Alaricans.
But that look again, you can have the best tanks
in the world. How are they going to navigate holes?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
If you get a hole that's just wide enough and
just deep enough, their nose dive and they can't get
back up.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
You know, tanks are great, You got to know that
you're going to be able to get them from point
A to point B. So already, already Kraus is getting
a bit upset.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
The tanks were repelled by the two seventeenth Battalion by dawn.
The desert was littered with the wreckage of panzas and
the bodies of German and Italian soldiers. On April thirteen,
Easter Sunday, Rommell launched what he called the Easter Battle.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
We Will launced the Easter Battle.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
It was intended to be a swift and decisive strike
that would break the siege before British reinforcements could arrive.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
It will be swift and decisive.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
His plan was to send tanks forward in a wedge formation.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Center the tags forward and on which formation. Sorry, I'll
stop doing that good. I just hate Nazis.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Breaking open the defensive line so that the infantry could
pour through. It was attactive that had succeeded previously in Poland,
France and Belgium. But to Brook was different because the
fucking Aussies was there.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Well, the Australians were in France, Australians were in Belgium.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
I don't think about Poland though, but I mean to
Brook was different. And this quote probably explains why the
Germans had confidently expected a walkover. Instead it had ended
in their in their being completely routed. The spirit of cooperation,
trust and comradmanship between the men of the garrison, consisting
of two thirds Australian and one third British was the
(25:42):
real strength of to Brook. No other Middle East in
front or undertaking between the men of these countries so complete.
Quote from Debrook AWM File of Research number five eight
one day to twenty fourth of April nineteen fifty eight
Australian War Memorial, third of January twenty twenty also worth
mentioning that there were other local forces that were assisting
(26:03):
as well.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah, the people are like, this is my fucking home
pizza pretty much.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
I mean they still to this day talk about, you know,
the Sikh fighting forces, how those men refused to wear
helmets because obviously it contravened their religious beliefs about their hair.
But they were fantastic fighters. You know, there were lots
of locals that also assisted, and I think that's just again,
(26:31):
it's why the Allies won because no resources was considered
a poor resource, was it. You're in Papua New Guinea.
The locals though, you know, we have to be careful
when talking about this because there are questions now about
whether the locals were helping by choice or whether they
were being forced. But you know, the utilization of the
Papua New Guinea people during the you know, during the
(26:53):
problems on the Kokoda track over of course in Africa,
it's the same thing. It's u to line the populations
around them. And if I've got that wrong. Please let
me know, but I'm pretty sure that this is where
Australia's relationship with the Sea community also started.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
The Australians let the tanks through, then ambush the inventory
that followed. Without their supporting troops, the panzers found themselves
surrounded and pummeled by artillery from all sides.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
But Holly, they're the perfect Airyan race, with the perfect
soldiers and the perfect tanks. How could they possibly have
been routed by a couple of Australians with shovels.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
The more they advanced, the worse the cross fire became.
As they retreated, they were struck again by mortars, machine
guns and rifles. When the smoke cleared, Ronald had lost
much of his attacking force. The Easter Battle was over,
and with it the illusion that to Brook would be
easily taken. The Germans, as one could imagine, we're not happy.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
I'm not all happy.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
But with their anger came a wonderful, shiny new nickname
for the defenders, courtesy of a British asshole.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
A former British citizen, William Joyce, better known as Lord.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Hawhor What really that was his DJ name?
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Okay was a notorious broadcaster of Nazi propaganda to the
UK during World War Two. His announcement Germany Calling, Germany
Calling was a familiar sound across the airwaves, introducing threats
and misinformation, which he broadcasts from his Hamburg base. Remember
there are always traders, ladies and gentlemen, They are always traders.
(28:28):
During broadcasts about the Brook's siege, Joyce scoffed that the
men defending the garrison were caught like little rats in
a trap, and often referred to them as poor desert
rats of to Brook, who lived like rats and will
die like rats. The Australian soldiers loved the term rats
of to Brook and defiantly adopted the term as a
badge of honor, calling themselves the rats of to Brook.
(28:50):
They turned their derogatory comments back against the Germans. They
were very proud of their new name. Quote from why
the name rats of to Brook? Rats of to Brook associate.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
In the weeks that followed, the siege settled into a
brutal rhythm. Every day the defenders endured relentless shelling and
air raids. Dive bombers screamed overhead blasting the perimeter, while
German and attain artillery pounded the harbor. The men lived
in dugouts and bunkers, emerging only at night to repair
fortifications or scavenge supplies.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
I mean again, like, I understand why they were called
the rats of to Brook. Right, you go to ground,
your shelter, you come out at night, you grab what
you need to, you repair what you need to, you go.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Back to shelter.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Right, you scurry through the dark.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
It's very rodent yep, Right, But rodents are excellent survivors. Right,
there is a reason that rodents have infested the world,
just like cats, just like dogs. Rats are very very
good survivalists. So I like that the Australians adopted it
as a badge of honor. And honestly, under those circumstances,
(29:58):
being rat like is going to get you a victory,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Food was scarce, water was rationed, and the desert heat
was merciless, yet morale remained remarkably high. The Australian soldiers
adopted a grim humor to cope with conditions, which is
what we always do, including by taking their Nazi label
and turning it into a badge of honor. The rats
of Tbrook began showing up as an unofficial mascot to
(30:24):
the Australian battalions. In the Victorian Archives, one can find
a drawn image of a crest with two rats in
helmets saluting the viewer. They both stand unbarbed wire while
the one on the left smokes a cigarette and Matthew,
I have included an image for you to look at.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Yes, it is a fantastic, very proud looking rat wearing
his hat giving them a salute with his durry yeah,
with his cigarette hanging out at the side of his mouth.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy maintained the town's lifeline
to the outside world through what became known as the
Tabrook Ferry Service. Destroyers, sloops and small a vessels braved
constant air attacks to deliver ammunition, food, and reinforcements to
the city and to evacuate the wounded. The cost was high.
Twenty six ships were lost during the siege, but without them,
(31:12):
the garrison would have been doomed.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
The Royal Australian Navy ran and the Royal Navy provided
the garrisons final link to the outside world. They received
its support from units that came from India and South Africa. See,
that's why I'm pretty sure that the Seks come into it.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Yeah, the Indian garrison had a lot of Seaks.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
In Yep and obviously in Indian fighters as well. Yes,
you know, because India is still.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Indian Muslim, all those you know, that's Christian, all of it.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
It must have.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
It's sort of like somewhat heartbreaking, isn't it to think
that World War II happens, like the unification of a
lot of countries dissolves rather quickly due to British and
American imperialism over the.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Next Well, the India Pakistan split came in nineteen forty
seven after World War II, So all the Pakistani people,
all the Indian people that were all one person, which
was the Indian people at that point in history.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, which was due to the British essentially being kicked
out of India rightfully, so they decided that they were
going to.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Stick the shovel in one more time.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Yeah, they were basically going to launch a propaganda war
and split up the country, you know, split it into half.
We're not going to talk about that, but you know
that's for someone doing a weird crap in India podcast,
not us.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
We crap in the British Empire.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Yeah, that's a Brook Ferry Service was run by the
Royal Navy's Inshaw Squadron under the command of Captain Albert
Poland r And. It operated between Alexandra and Mersa Matruth
in Egypt and to Brook. Services provided were gunfire support supplies, troops,
evacuations for the wounded. Nine Australian ships contributed to the service.
The five destroyers that the Scrap Iron Flotilla Astroyas Hma
(33:01):
ships Nepier and the Zam and the sloops Hma ships
Paramatta two and the Yarra two. They were based in Alexandra,
some three hundred and fifty nautical miles from Tabrook. The
run became known as bomb Alley. Australian vessels made a
total of one hundred and thirty nine trips in and
out of Tobrook. HMAS Vendetta held the record with thirty
(33:21):
nine individual passages the Toabrook Ferry Service, Royal Australian Navy.
Sorry quote from the Tabrooks Ferry Service, Royal Australian Navy.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
The Scrap Iron Flotilla which we mentioned in our episodes
on the Voyager disaster was also derisively named by the
Germans and turned into a badge of honor by the Australians.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
And ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
We are about to jump forward into the conflict, but
before we do, we're gonna wrap up this episode.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Oh it's going to be a three part er.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
It's going to be a three part So this was
my little taster to get you in the mood of
course floor for this new series.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
I sure, Holly.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
I mean, I'm sure there are some military men who
get a little bit excited when they hear about it.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
The rats are to brook Yep, definitely some ferries. Well,
we will leave you with that before we do, don't forget.
If you'd like to reach out to the week crap
In Australia podcast, you can do so. Find us via
our email address weekrap In Australia at gmail dot com.
No doubt, Frank, you will let us know how we're
doing and we appreciate your feedback, buddy, so keep it coming.
(34:29):
You can also find us on your social media of choice.
Just hoping weir crap in Australia into the search engine
if it belongs to a fascist we're most lightly not
going to be on that particular social media, in which
case just fall back to the email address. You can
also support the shows through a couple of different avenues,
first and foremost being our Patreon friendly five dollars us
(34:50):
a month. You get access to bonus episodes and minisodes, interviews,
all sorts of fun stuff that's all over on Patreon
friendly five dollars usd a month. You can also check
we had our book series which recaps our podcast year
by year. Volume one two six are available now from
our great mates at Impact Comics dot com dot au.
They make fantastic Christmas presents. Keep an eye out as well.
(35:12):
Black Friday sales are going to be coming up towards
the end of November, and then there is of course
the Boxing Day sales in December, so both of those
will be a great opportunity to snag yourself all six
of our books for a good price from our mates
at impactomics dot com dot au.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
If you're living overseas.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
You can grab the paperback from Lulu dot com and
if you are a digital person you can grab that
from the Amazon Kindles store. And last but not least,
if you want something we crap in Australian merchandise. You
can go and pick that up from our red Bubble
nt public stores. Just like type in weed Craping Australia
into the search bar and you'll see all of our
(35:50):
wonderful designs that you can put on a ton of
different bits and pieces on both of those sites, from
T shirts to mugs and as our custom we get
of Holly the final words.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
As of today, we've released the second episode off We're
crap An Australia onto YouTube. So if everyone could go
over there and hit subscribe for me, even if you
don't have to listen to it, that would be great
because that would help boost our visibility.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
That would be wonderful.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
That you should also listen to the episodes again because
we've remasted them a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Yes, so we now have tools that we didn't have before,
which means that episodes that we recorded this is how
we used to do it.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
Like seriously, this is how we used to do it.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
We would record locally to two laptops and we would
skype each other in the same house.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
I'd go in the bedroom, he'd do it in the landrum.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Right using pretty piss poor us BEM microphones. Now, obviously
we use soundboards, we use road equipment.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
We have cat as well. That does not help.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
And she's the YouTube advisor, so this is her job.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Yeah, we use a lot of new technology and new
technology has come out that allows us to go back
to those episodes and restore them. There's some fun animations
as well that are attached. So if you can subscribe,
or if your friend is like I don't like podcasts,
but I do like YouTube, send them to our YouTube channel.
We would really appreciate it. So Holly great bringing that
(37:20):
one up. Otherwise, ladies and gentlemen, please stay time, be
safe and we'll see you next week for more Weird
Crap in Australia. Till then, Live for now by. The
(37:43):
Weird Crap In Australia podcast is produced by Holly and
Matthew Soul for the Modern Meltdown. If you've enjoyed this podcast,
please rate and review on your favorite podcatching app
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