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"Rats of Tobruk" is a term as familiar to Australians as the "Anzacs of Gallipoli" and the "heroes of the Kokoda Trail". In recent years many Australians, young and old, are making the pilgrimage to Gallipoli to visit the sites where our Anzacs fought, and many Australians are also retracing the difficult Kokoda Trail. However, very few Australians have been able to visit the sites and cemeteries from 1941 and 1942 when Australian troops fought in north Africa.
Made Easy Tours - the Brisbane based specialists in battlefield tours - is offering a tour to the Australian battle sites and cemeteries of Libya and Egypt this September. So, after Anzac Day at Gallipoli this year, two of our team travelled from Turkey to Tripoli to explore in depth the ancient cities, rolling desert dunes, and the World War II battlefields and cemeteries.
The trip was a surprise from the very beginning. The population of Libya is very small (only 5 million), and Tripoli was quiet and ordered after the bustle of Old Istanbul.
Our small friendly hotel in Tripoli
Generally the people seem to be employed and comfortable, and the cars on the
roads and the roads themselves reflect a reasonable standard of living.
Typical mens wear store in Tripoli
Tourism is not a high priority as in Egypt and Greece, so we Australians are greeted by big smiles and tentative "english" wherever we go.
Buying a pizza in Tripoli.
Over 2 thousand years ago, the ancient Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans built grand cities on the coastline overlooking the blue Mediterranean, and now the modern day Libyans follow suit.
 Some of the ancient buildings in Leptis Magna |
 Young local girl at Leptis Magna |
The amazing colour and cool breezes from the Mediterranean are part of the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi, La Bayda, Tobruk and Bardia. There are still some Berber and Tuareg people who are traditionally the desert people of the Sahara. Most women dress in western styles, with more traditional ladies wearing scarves over their hair - as in Turkey. Of course, large posters of Col. Gadaffi proclaim the success of the country from most street intersections, but in exploring even the most narrow alley in the old city, the welcoming smiles, cleanliness, and lack of beggars make this an easy city to enjoy.
The coastal cities of Libya are well known to most Australians, as most of us know someone who had a relative or friend who fought there in World War II, so we were keen to visit as many of the Australian cemeteries and battle sites as possible.
The theatre in Leptis Magna
But Libya has a rich ancient history, so we spent a couple of days exploring the vast marble restored cities of Leptis Magna and Sabratha near Tripoli.
 Statue and ruins at Sabratha |
 Janice with some locals at Sabratha |
The Commonwealth War Cemetery in Tripoli is hidden behind high walls and it is the back section of an old Christian Italian cemetery. The caretaker opened for us, and we could see from the register there that we were the only Australians to visit this April since someone in November 1999. There are 19 Australians buried here.
Tripoli War Cemetery with Australian graves.
Distances are large in Libya, so we flew to Benghazi. Here we found the large
cemetery, where 55 Australians from World War II are buried. The lush green
lawns and rich floral displays so much part of the Commonwealth War Cemeteries
in France, Belgium, Gallipoli and South East Asia are replaced here by red sand
and sparse desert plants.
After leaving Benghazi, we have plenty of time to visit the ancient cities of
Cyrene and Apollonia. Cyrene is high above the plains with magnificent ruins and
views as far as the Mediterranean.
 Temple in ancient Cyrene. |
 Pillars of the remains of Apollonia |
Tobruk is a small harbour town, where goats, sheep and shy shepherds are the only signs of life on the wide flat battlefields of 1941 and 1942. Clumps of barbed wire, spent shells, rusted cans, and collapsing trenches are all that you will find here now. The tank ditches and outposts are in various states of decay, and the cave below the famous figtree, where there was once a field hospital, is filled with rain water. Still, it is easy to sense the atmosphere that has been part of Tobruk for over 60 years, as so little has changed since then. A drive by 4WD along the road marked out by boulders to keep the unwary safe from old mines brings you to an important ridge, Ras el Medauuar, where the remains of the old Turkish Fort can still be seen.
Australians at Knightsbridge Cemetery (Acroma), Tobruk.
Knightsbridge Cemetery (Acroma) is again a sparse, desert cemetery, with a friendly caretaker who welcomes visitors. His wife spends each day keeping the desert plants alive with buckets of water from the nearby well.
Terry and the Knightsbridge Cemetery caretaker signing the
visitors' book.
Tobruk Cemetery is on the other side of town. There are over five hundred Australian men buried here, including our first Victoria Cross from World War II, John Edmundson. This is a sad and lonely place, with so many Australian names, and so few Australian visitors.
Australian graves at Tobruk War Cemetery
Our local driver is a gentle friendly man who also shows us Rommell's bunker and the wreck of the US bomber, Lady be Good.
After leaving Tobruk, we visited the small town of Bardia, where the heat of the day and the stunningly blue Mediterranean make it hard to believe this was the scene of horrific battles in such cold conditions that the Australians faced in the winter of 1940/41.
Janice and guide at Bardia.
Crossing the border was the usual repetitive formalities, and the first stop in Egypt is the Sollum War Cemetery with 177 Australian graves. Here there are palm trees as well as the desert succulents, all well-tended and catching the sea breeze.
The Cross of Sacrifice at Sallom Cemetery, inside the Egyptian
border.
The town itself has very little to offer, so the next stop is Marsa Matruh, where now the evidence of the war is taken over by the Egyptians' claim on these beautiful coastlines for luxury resorts. The long drive from the border to El Alamein is always with sparkling blue sea (and encroaching "resorts") on the left, and barren flat desert on the right.
The beach at our El Alamein hotel.
Many more Australians have been able to visit El Alamien Cemetery as tours into Egypt are so easy now, and the register shows this. The large Cross of Sacrifice overlooks the vast, sandy windswept cemetery, with the large Australian contingent (over 1,200 graves) taking up the lower right hand corner. Here the occasional mimosa tree brings the appearance of Australian wattle blossoms to the rows of Australian headstones.
The cemetery at El Alamein
The drive onward to Alexandria was a time for reflection. Of course, the men who went on from North Africa to the jungles and humidity of New Guinea and Borneo went from one climatic extreme to another. We visited another two cemeteries in Alexandria where the men who were casualties at Gallipoli were brought. These were once again hidden in the bustle and noise of a busy large city, but, once again, beautiful, quiet, green havens, all guarded by the tall Cross of Sacrifice.
Chatby WWI Cemetery in Alexandria
Cairo also has cemeteries where we can visit Australians from the Gallipoli campaign.