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Medals of a Rat
31 August 2011 by David Gist.
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1941, Tobruk,Collection,Exhibitions,News,Personal Stories, Exhibition, Rats of Tobruk, Second World War
Visitors to the Memorial’s exhibition Rats of Tobruk 1941 will have noticed the unofficial Rats of Tobruk medal presented, according to its engraving, by Lord Haw Haw. Around twenty of these medals were made at Tobruk, which illustrates one of the earliest examples of the town’s defenders reclaiming the title ‘Rat’, bestowed on them by the propaganda radio program ‘Germany Calling’. Visitors may also notice the brasso caked around the small copper rat on this medal, the result of many years of cleaning. This perhaps gives an idea of the importance of this object in the life of its owner, John Joseph Murray, who commanded 20 Brigade at Tobruk. The care lavished on this object certainly accords with views expressed during Murray’s own lifetime about the pride he felt in having participated in this pivotal campaign. But this medal, while illustrating a highly significant period in Murray’s service career, does not give a full view of the breadth of his service. For a better appreciation of his distinguished career, we must turn to another set of objects, Murray’s medal group, which have recently gone on display in the Memorial’s Second World War gallery.
The medals of Major General J J Murray are impressive by anyone’s standards, and are the tangible result of a distinguished career which spanned thirty years and two wars. A native of Sydney, Murray had already served in the militia when he left Australia with the 5th Reinforcements to 1 Battalion in 1915. This unit had already participated in the first landings at ANZAC, and would remain at Gallipoli until the evacuation in December. Although his unit served at Gallipoli, his service record indicates that Murray did not. This anomaly may stem from the sectarian prejudices of his day, denying this Catholic officer the opportunity of frontline service.
With the doubling of the AIF in 1916, Murray was transferred to 53 Battalion and promoted to Temporary Captain. The battalion was subsequently sent to France, and its first major action on the Western Front was at the disastrous battle of Fromelles on 19 July. For his courage and leadership during this battle, Murray was awarded the Military Cross. In a similar vein to many award recommendations from that terrible day, Murray’s recommendation concludes, ‘[a]ll the other officers in his company were either killed or wounded.’
Murray’s unit participated in the advance that followed the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917, and defended gains made during the second battle of Bullecourt. Promoted to Major, his unit saw further service when the AIF’s focus shifted to the Ypres sector in Belgium, where he was Mentioned in Despatches toward the end of 1917.
The stalled German offensive in March 1918 prompted an allied counteroffensive, which saw 53 Battalion in action in the capture of Peronne, where Murray was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. His unit was withdrawn from the line at the start of October, and saw no further action in the First World War. After the armistice Murray was again Mentioned in Despatches for his leadership, and returned to Australia in 1919.
Murray resumed his duties in the militia, and after several command appointments and promotions, and the outbreak of a new war, joined the Second AIF in April 1940. He was appointed to command 20 Brigade, which embarked for the Middle East in October. In February 1941 the brigade transferred from 7 Division to 9 Division. Despite being poorly equipped, 9 Division were then sent to relieve 6 Division in Libya. At Er Regima, 20 Brigade were one of the first Australian formations to engage Rommel’s advancing Afrika Korps. The brigade successfully staged a fighting withdrawal to Tobruk, where they played an integral part in halting and eventually repelling the German advance on 14 April.
It was at Tobruk that Murray’s experience and leadership became wholly apparent. In his account of the campaign Tobruk 1941, Chester Wilmot described Murray as ‘…a big, genial Irishman who loves a fight. He is personally easy-going but brooks no slackness among his troops and even before Tobruk his brigade was marked out as one of the best-trained in the 2nd AIF. His dogged temperament made him well suited for the defensive tasks that lay ahead. He had shown himself a strong leader in the Great War when he won the DSO and MC and rose to be second-in-command of the 53rd Battalion.’
Overall command of Tobruk lay with Major General Leslie Morshead, whose defensive strategy was one of aggressive patrolling, summed up in his statement to Wilmot ‘I determined we should make no man’s land our land’. Murray’s First World War experience of static warfare in the trenches of the Western Front was readily adapted to Morshead’s philosophy. It was these tactics that prevented the German and Italian forces from observing the allied defences and kept Tobruk’s besiegers in a constant state of tension.
A good example is the ‘V For Victory’ campaign of psychological warfare that was adopted by Murray’s 20 Brigade in the southern sector during July and August. Murray ordered leaflets stencilled with ‘V Per Vittorio’ and ordered that they be attached ‘by the use of clips, string, nails, pins, etc., to enemy bodies, posts wire, sandbags, sangars, etc., by patrols’. With monotonous regularity, the Italian forces in this sector found Murray’s leaflets in their own defences, left by Australian patrols that they had never heard.
For his leadership during this period, Murray was awarded a Bar to his DSO. He left Tobruk in November with most of his brigade, and was Mentioned in Despatches for the performance of his duties. He returned to Australia in January 1942 and was promoted to Major General. This period of Murray’s career saw several commands at Division level, and the command of Northern Territory Force from March 1945 until the expiration of his appointment with the Second AIF in January 1946 when he was placed on the Reserve of Officers.
In peacetime, Murray worked as Australian trade commissioner to New Zealand from 1946 to 1949, and then to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from 1949, where health considerations saw him return to Australia. He died in Sydney in 1951.
The Australian War Memorial is proud to be able to display the medals of a soldier to the public whom he served with such distinction. They can be viewed as part of the Tobruk display in the Memorial’s Second World War gallery.
Further reading
For a detailed account of the entire Tobruk campaign, see Chester Wilmot’s Tobruk 1941.
For an insight into Murray’s own thoughts on this campaign, see his recently published account I Confess – A Memoir of the Siege of Tobruk.
Tobruk Diaries: Getting hotter…
30 May 2011 by Carlie Walker.
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1941, Tobruk,Tobruk diaries, Exhibition, Rats of Tobruk, stretcher bearer, Tobruk, wounded
Bryant’s Diary: Friday 30th May 1941
More digging today and it was through solid rock. The weather is getting hotter. We came home by another route – past Fort Palestrino – and it was the roughest ride I’ve ever had. We were pulled out of the water in a hurry and were made to stand to in expectation of an attack which did not eventuate. read on
Tobruk Diaries: Questions, ‘furphies’ and rumours
02 May 2011 by Carlie Walker.
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1941, Tobruk,Tobruk diaries, 2/4 AGH, Exhibition, Second World War, Tobruk
Bryant’s Diary: Friday 2nd May 1941
Artillery could be heard all day as the battle continues. It appears as if the [G]ermans have captured 14 outer perimeter posts, but have not penetrated beyond them. Some big German planes came extremely low today bombing and machine gunning, but three and possibly four were brought down by S.A.A fire. Fred Legge of “C” Coy was killed accidentally today by an Italian hand grenade. read on
Tobruk Diaries: Evacuating Benghazi
28 March 2011 by Carlie Walker.
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1941, Tobruk,Tobruk diaries, Battles, Benghazi, Exhibition, Rats of Tobruk, Tobruk
Bryant’s Diary: Friday 28th March 1941
We took up our position and we caught a couple of donkeys to carry most of our heavy gear up. It is definitely impossible to dig in so we just cut out the middle of bushes to sleep in. We do our own cooking and there are plenty of rations. Away to the left are Bengasi and Benina and can only just be seen. Our only problem is the carriage of water. The Senoussi here seems friendly and offer us eggs and milk.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Saturday 29th March 1941
Two Masses. Washed altar linen Tom shot the pet pig. Had orders to do. Howell’s AOL this weekend. Howell – herpes. Confessions through hospital this arvo. Then to Barce for confessions. Benediction – Beautiful with magnificent singing. Tour of hospital at night. Had radio working for news. Have to rise at 6 without clock tomorrow. Plane… of wounded leaving tomorrow. Wish we were staying at Barce.
Lecky’s letters: Sunday 30th March 1941
Well here I am still in the same place as I was last letter but this time I can tell you its somewhere in Libya near the sea which is as much as I know myself…Libya consists of very little else other than desert, which is inhabited chiefly by fleas, flies, mosquitoes and dust storms. The site of the camp is very pretty indeed but the desert gives the impression of a hard cruel type of beauty emphathised by the numerous animal skeletons and I suspect a few human bones here and there. After leaving the school where… I got 90% and was issued with a pretty little blue certificate marked “Distinguished”, I travelled for Palestine – Egyptian State Railways to Alexandria…At Alexandria I was fortunate enough to have a nice spot of leave. Here began what I consider to be an epic journey, which would certainly have made headlines in peacetime but is all in the days work now. We travelled entirely at the expense if Benito Musso for about four days and nights to our present location, in huge diesel fiat and lancia trucks run on captured road, only we lived on extremely Australian “Bully” and biscuits. I rode in absolute comfort in the roomy lab of a fiat truck. Finally the darn thing broke down and had to be towed but unfortunately we hit an almighty bump…I suddenly discovered that the tow rope had broken and the foster truck (towing us) was disappearing over the horizon with half a broken tow rope dangling merrily behind, leaving us stranded in the middle of the Libyan desert. Were we downhearted? No not us…Finally we reached port and found the unit, but sheer accident and settled down again…My section was waiting for me with open arms…News is scarce here but I just heard of the 72 hr raid on Berlin by the RAF – Winston’s reply to Germany…also of Yugoslavia’s rejection of the tri-perte pact all at once. Don’t know yet if its all true but if so – three loud cheers…
Cosgriff’s Diary: Monday 31st March 1941
Two masses. C.C.S. all arrived today and take over tomorrow. Letters from Bert and Jas McGlynn. Daly said impossible to retain my car. Buried unknown soldier in evening. Lost at solo… Jas Peters a DMS to Harry Furnell. Sent tapestry to Patricia. Put all letters on file. Soldiers shot by Germans arrived in hospital – armoured car victims.
Bryant’s Diary: Tuesday 1st April 1941
The steak was a bit tough and i think we ate it too fresh. Snakes are plentiful here and every day somebody sees at least one. Lieut. Trebeck looked over our area this morning and it was decided that we should shift right to Wadi Anoinat itself. This is better place all round and it did not take much to shift as a truck was made available. It is closer to water and at last we should have a little time to ourselves.
Bryant’s Diary: Wednesday 2nd April 1941
We spent a quiet day, but late in the afternoon orders came out that German mechanised units were advancing on Bengasi and that we were to prepare our positions. Extra ammunition was to be made available.
Bryant’s Diary: Thursday 3rd April 1941
The evacuation of Bengasi began today and the explosions of ammunition and food dump demolition could be heard all day. Some big fires could be seen even from our position. Early in the night an artillery barrage could be heard. Just on dark Lt Trebeck came up with information that Bengasi was evacuated and Germans were expected to occupy the town tonight. It was also expected that the escarpment may be attacked at dawn. The section had to supply two patrols; one at midnight and one at 6am. Jack Wilson and Wimmo went with me on the first patrol, but we saw nothing. Monty took the second but he saw nothing. We all thought we were certainties for action.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Thursday 3rd April 1941
Two Masses. Owen has flu. Wrote to Mrs. Tooze. Went to Engineers to have car fired and found broken spring. Watched engineers blowing up country. Got car all OK for trip tomorrow. Packed after tea. Started solo. First score 10pm, second 11pm, third midnight – Be ready to flit with kitbags only. C.C.S. evacuating patients. Benghasi evacuated and Germans through flank. Packed Mass-kit in Len’s kit bag and mine. Left suit case full and mass case and crammed into utility. Departed 2 am. Crowd of refugees on Barce escarpment. Fear of air attack. Lack of comfort. Remorse at leaving Steele but gave him my car. Horrible night trip – with more losses. Barce deserted except for combatant units.
Tobruk Diaries: Just ‘ordinary’ days
21 March 2011 by Carlie Walker.
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1941, Tobruk,Tobruk diaries, Battles, Commemoration, Exhibition, Northern Africa, Rats of Tobruk, Research material, Siege, Tobruk
Bryant’s Diary: Friday 21st March 1941
Today was one of the lousiest days I’ve put in anywhere. The weather was terrible. The old Sahara Desert can be very nasty when it likes. Sand is everywhere. A warning order has arrived ready to move by night. It might be tomorrow night. Information has been received that some Wogs* are signalling to aircraft by placing their camels near objectives. We’ll have to watch them.
Bryant’s Diary: Saturday 22nd March 1941
I was told last night to go on the advance party to our new destination. We left about 6:30 in the morning back towards Bengasi. The convoy stopped at El Magrum when three bombers came over. We thought they were certain to drop bombs on the convoy, but three bombs were dropped at El Magrum. We arrived at our destination about 15 miles inland from Bengasi. The country here is a great improvement on the desert. Except for the lack of trees the place looks very fertile. The soil is very red and a thin layer of grass covers most of the ground. We can get plenty of eggs and they are some of the best eggs I’ve ever eaten.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Saturday 22nd March 1941
Mass in our perfect chapel under ship’s crucifix. Fr. O. Steele arrived here today – Senior to 9th Div. Went with Steele and Tom to Momma’s to buy eggs and arrange for washing. Steele not bad on Italian. To Barce Presbytery in afternoon. Met two Friars who speak Latin well. Church beautiful. Harry Furnell here A.L.M.S. to 9th Div. Word to start packing – too bad as we all like Barce. Steele missed transport and had to stay the night.
Bryant’s Diary: Sunday 23rd March 1941
This place is called Regima and is a few miles from Benina where there is an R.A.A.F. station. Some Wogs* came around this morning with some eggs and Jack Deering fired a shot over their heads and they went for their lives, leaving their eggs behind. We now found out that this place is only a bivouac area and that the battalion was due in the morning. As far as food is concerned, we have been living like lords. The 2/13th Battalion arrived today 8 hours late, having been lost.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Monday 24th March 1941
Two Masses today. Steele and Tyrer and Zac to Benghazi yesterday in my car – used my petrol and punctured a tyre. Worried about ability to retain flat. Chas and Eric left for Tobruk. Buried Eyetie – in a blanket. Wrote to Marie. Met Cliff Howell – live wire and hard worker. Trying to get car for Owen. Great friends with Eyetie family now. Nurses – 8 coming to Tobruk on hospital ship. Decided to change from A.G.H. with Daly but met too much opposition. Steele fell into solo school and lost. Still reading letters.
Bryant’s Diary: Tuesday 25th March 1941
We spent all day straightening up our gear and cleaning our precious bodies. Someone hit on the brilliant idea of making a bath out of a groundsheet and everybody had a first-class bath. The meals today were fit to serve in Hotel Australia. There are rumours that we may go to Greece, but who knows? I bought a ton of supplies at the canteen and we should never starve now.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Wednesday 26th March 1941
Two Masses. Poor J. McCusher R.I.P. Tim Hartnett R.I.P. Advance party loaded and left. Spring saved me and I do not want to leave here. Worked new spring through Eyetie. Maurice Hudson and Frank McDermott here in hospital. Mail again and all up to date now. One from A.J. no telling of approaching marriage – too bad. Meet Fr. Lynch and had good dinner – 4 priests. Equi gale started today and plenty of dust. Reading letters to all hours. Elsa’s and Sheila’s. Sheila finished with Month and signing for Val.
Bryant’s Diary: Thursday 27th March 1941
We marched farther today and the section leaders made a reconnaissance of our new position. My section is to occupy a position between Wadi el-Avoinat and Wadi Dabaa…The sections are scattered and now each one is responsible for cooking. It appears that we are just being kept out of the way. I don’t think anyone could find us and we certainly won’t be bothered.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Thursday 27th March 1941
Two Masses as Steele waits here for H.Q. of Div. Dusty day. Had Hudson returned to Base for knee operation. Wrote home Elsa and Bert Tooze. Plenty of censoring to do now. Trying to get some way to learn Italian. Momma returned washing, setting some remedy for their few. Small mess left but a good one… Marsh and nurses at Tobruk. Hospital on new site so there will be plenty of tent pitching. Won 17 accas at solo, Steele lost 47.
* A slang term used during the Second World War to describe any person of European descent.
Tobruk Diaries: Planes, ships and automobiles
07 March 2011 by Carlie Walker.
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1941, Tobruk,Tobruk diaries, Battles, Commemoration, Exhibition, Rats of Tobruk, Second World War, Tobruk
Bryant’s Diary: Friday 7th March 1941
The convoy spread out more today and there were only six trucks to the mile. As a result our truck didn’t leave until about 1 o’clock. We had a bit of a shock when a large plane flew towards the convoy. The truck pulled up and we dived out and took cover. The plane turned out to be British and I bet the pilot laughed. We passed through Barce, the ex-Italian aerodome and finally camped at Tocra. During the night we heard an air raid on Bengasi. We could hear the roar of the exploding bombs and then could see the tracers and the anti-aircraft shells in the sky. We learnt later that 18 bombs were dropped. I was sung to sleep by a million mosquitoes.
Bryant’s Diary: Saturday 8th March 1941
We left today at the head of the convoy and travelled through Bengasi to a point somewhere 60 miles along the main road. We had to change trucks just before our destination and 16 Platoon had to go further ahead to relieve a Platoon from the 2/5th Bn. Bengasi is one of the most beautiful towns I’ve seen. It is situated on the sea shore and there are dozens of avenues of Australian gum trees. The country around this district seems to be the best in Libya, but even this is very poor.
Lecky’s Letters: Sunday 9 March
…Well, I landed back [from Palestine], chez-moi [my home] and found I had half an hour in which to pack and come down here – to the 1 Aust Corps School of Signals for a refresher course…Equipment from Aust is very short at the school but they manage splendidly on captured Italian stuff – in fact Dame Rumour has it that big Australian advances are held up pending fresh supplies of material from Italy! I rejoin my unit next week, where Cliff’s brother (Ron) is now adjutant … Fear a drought in the near future as this is too good to last. Cliff wrote several times – last from Bathurst, poor kid, also Nan and the sweet young things of my acquaintance…I had a stroll through Gaza War cemetery with a cobber the other day, and was very impressed with the order and dignity of the place…Close by is the famous Gaza Ridge, still deeply pock marked by the 16” shells of the Queen Elizabeth in the last war… I have twice fallen into smaller ones in the dark but luckily landed on sand…
Bryant’s Diary: Monday 10th March 1941
We spent most of the day digging in and camouflaging our position. At 9:30 this morning there was an air raid and the plane flew fair over our trenches. The bombs fairly shook the ground and shrapnel could be heard whistling over our head. Nobody was hurt around our area, but I think Brigade HQ copped the bulk of the attack. This afternoon a flaming sand flea bit me fair on the penis. I caught the blighter, but he gave me a hot half hour. Just before sundown we could hear a bombing attack going on close to our position, but they didn’t come near us. It is as cold as hell tonight.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Monday 10th March 1941
No news yet of departing. Spent day scrounging for water – bottles and haversacks. Boys got rifles to work and we exploded plenty of land mines. C.C.S. full of importance of their going. No electric light in tent tonight. To bed early with everybody disgusted with lack of hospitality. At 10:30 news that we are to go tomorrow.
Bryant’s Diary: Tuesday 11th March 1941
We spent all day erecting an anti-aircraft gun pit and it wasn’t too soon. Late this afternoon two German bombers dropped their eggs on the hill feature behind us. You could see them go into a dive and then would follow the roar of the exploding bomb and the subsequent column of smoke. The Bophas opened up and both planes hedge-hopped right over our position. One plane machine-gunned an ambulance without success. We opened up with the Bren, but without success.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Tuesday 11th March 1941
Last Mass at Bardia. Everybody packed early and ready to go. Clark and Polson of Petrol Park arrived with bottles of ’sky which disappeared quickly. Loaded on trucks – in back with men. Meal on road – hard ration. Arrived at Tobruk at 4:30 and driven to C.C.S. Dormitory to sleep in. Meet Chas Daly in his dugout with car sword and revolver. Party in Casey and comfortable quarters. John left gastroscope with me.
Bryant’s Diary: Wednesday 12th March 1941
I tested the Bren gun this morning and the bloody thing wouldn’t fire. It took nearly two hours to fix it up. It was quiet nearly all day until just before dusk when three German bombers came across. Two followed the road fairly high up and the Bophas kept them busy, but the third came low over our right and machine-gunned our position. I got a good bead on his with the Bren, but the gun didn’t fire. However, I fixed up the stoppage and let him have a full magazine as he was going away. Nobody was hit.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Thursday 13th March 1941
Mass in Casey’s room. Terrible air-raid at 2:40 am and every hour after. Took car in and had it registered in my name. Runs very well but plugs and battery faulty. O’Callaghan took Chas back and gave him his car. Dust started in earnest this evening. Row most interesting bloke in this show – genuine at anything. No raids tonight in this dust. Last night’s raid on El Adam ’drome – ruined two bombers. Crowd starting to hitch-hike to Barce.
Tobruk Diaries: They’re off: Moving on
21 February 2011 by Carlie Walker.
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1941, Tobruk,Tobruk diaries, Battles, Commemoration, Exhibition, Second World War
Bryant’s Diary: Friday 21st February 1941
Retired back to Wadi Chariar and took up positions in old Turkish trenches.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Friday 21st February 1941
Pino Defunctis [For the Dead]. Slept in to 7:15. Used private fruit knife at breakfast. Found Byrne Nolee a Catholic. Photos turned out…O.K. Sent parcel to Elsa. Letters to her and Jas Carragher. Tom Steele back from Nile Boat. John and Len on getting “stinkin” on peace night. Bought lime-juice for water-bottle. No news of active warfare and nothing to do. Dr. Steele here today. Mail day but no letter for John or I. Len threatening to write Mary a stinker.
Bryant’s Diary: Saturday 22nd February 1941
Marched back to camp and arrived a little after one o’clock. Copped road guard to cap everything. Coy off to range tomorrow to fire the Bren.
Bryant’s Diary: Sunday 23rd February 1941
Left by transport for Jaffa range to fire the Bren. Palestine improves as you move north along the coast and Richon and surroundings are very beautiful. Richon is very close to the range and the majority of the population are Jewish. The orchards there are first-class and where we camped oranges, lemons and grapefruit can be had for nothing. The range itself is very extensive and facilities are available for Small Arms, grenades, Anti-Aircraft practices. Gum trees are plentiful and improves the place immensely. The Bren guns fired all right through day, but the shooting was very mediocre. I got 62 out of 115. Went to Richon on the Sunday night and saw “Wuthering Heights”, but it is a lousy show.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Monday 24th February 1941
Alex with Len. Mass at S. Catherina. Kids singing at Exporition of SS. Bath at Tim’s room – then tour to Moustapha barracks, Pompey’s pillar, catacombs lunch with Tim then car tour of seafront etc. Home early by Len. Zac’s scene with Dick over waiting for Mass – horrible dipler of Jew’s childish temper – went in to dinner alone. Fr. Phillips on leave to Alex. No letter today.
Lecky’s Letters: 25 February 1941: Red Shield Huts – Hostels for Australian troops, to Mum and Dad,
As you can see by the above address I have moved in and have begun a refresher course, so far I have only done 2 days but the methods and ideas are all the latest and seem to be very good. I came down with a cobber and a batman between us so we lost no time in making ourselves as comfortable as possible – especially since we have a huge Indian Pattern tent with all mod cons. H & C showers, pictures and canteen handy, an excellent mess and best of all we are within 100 yds of some very nice nurses whom we met on the way over…Routine starts at 6:30 am (when its quite dark) and finishes at 4 with a game of football or basketball, with lectures in between so I hope to be very fit in mind and body when I return.
Still no mail from you – last was dated 23 Jan 41… please write as often as you possibly can as you have no idea how much mail from home means… I must tell you about my leave to Jerusalem…We stayed at the Hotel Fast which was originally owned by a German, but he had to leave hurridly (sic) on a certain September morn in 1939 so the pub was taken over by the Comforts Fund…I was given 2 nights lodging, meals, bus fare there and back and a free sightseeing tour…so three cheers for the Comforts Fund…After an excellent meal I retired feeling very lonely and to the lounge where I found myself invited to join a party consisting of two New Zealand Nurses, an M.O. from the same place and an Aussie officer (whose language was shocking) who was just up from the scene of actions where he had spent some months and been mentioned in despatches. We did the rounds of the city night clubs…and they invited me to accompany them on a trip next day which I very gladly accepted… [I] boarded a 7 seater Plymouth sedan with the others. The trip meant missing the principal sights of Jerusalem but was well worth it as we saw nearly all of Palestine…
Bryant’s Diary: Wednesday 26th February 1941
Rumours and indications are pretty strong today that our Brigade will move very soon, possibly to Egypt. It has come. We are moving all right. We have received our orders to pack up and tonight we have to sleep without blankets and stand by.
Bryant’s Diary: Thursday 27th February 1941
We got our gear ready to move and should leave sometime tonight. I received a big batch of letters today, the first Air Mail lot in a fortnight. It must have been held up for some reason. Received advice of Geoff’s marriage. Good luck to him. We left Gaza Ridge about 9:30 in the night by train for Egypt.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Thursday 27th February 1941
Pino defunctis. Len waiting hour and half for pay conveyance. While we were at Alex returning pay, C.O. made his famous announcement “there off armoured boys”. That it all the news we got of departure. Chas Littlejohn apologises for Zoe and resigns chair. Marsh and Morton home for departure…
Tobruk Diaries: Preparing to move – Reprimands, Promotions and Confessions
14 February 2011 by Carlie Walker.
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1941, Tobruk,Tobruk diaries, Battles, Exhibition, Research material, Second World War
Cosgriff’s Diary: Friday 14th February 1941
Pro pace [For peace]. Only Horan and Carroll at Mass. Lecture on Arabic – too hard for me. Tim and Owen here for lunch. Visited McCormack and Ronald. Hours too long at evening meets. Arthur Amies the only one working. Horan filling his torch.
Bryant’s Diary: Saturday 15th February 1941
Finished the instruction at the 2/15th Bn.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Saturday 15th February 1941
Pino Defunctis [For the dead]. Walked 24 miles arranging Mass for Hampshires, Cheshires, and regs – hot and rag bath after. Lost my identity discs. Tried shorts today but pretty cold. No mail for a week…Alex tonight…
Bryant’s Diary: Sunday 16th February 1941
Received a reprimand from Capt Balfe through Bob Proud. He can go to hell. So can the Sgt-Major.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Sunday 16th February 1941
Mass at staging and A.G.H. Had to wait for transport. Good crowd at Communion there and plenty of Hampshires here. After Mass to Alex with Tim and Owen Steele. Meet two English priests. Tour in afternoon of water front – 10 miles and environs. Sports Club – Sir P. Sarcoon’s home. – Greek hospital. Tim without a penny in his pay-book. Confession today.
Bryant’s Diary: Monday 17th February 1941
Mick Hill was promoted to Cpl. He deserves it. We did a 19 mile route march today and it was hard going because of the pace. I received a chafed crutch. I put some metho on it and nearly jumped through the roof of the tent.
Bryant’s Diary: Tuesday 18th February 1941
Spent most of the day preparing for the four-day bivouac which commences tomorrow.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Tuesday 18th February 1941
Pro pace [For peace]. Experimenting with Tim’s camera today – photos in bed. Moving to Berd when gear arrives. Rang Jack McCormack – cold still bad gave him invitation from Rowlands. Hampshires went today. Our transport arrived truck and utility. Another mess call this week – 2 pounds pretty hot. Sleep until all hours these mornings.
Bryant’s Diary: Wednesday 19th February 1941
Bn marched to Wadi Chariar Gaza and Beersheeba. The weather was pretty hot and our water went just after mid-day meal. When we got there we had to dig in and we were beggared.
Cosgriff’s Diary: Wednesday 19th February 1941
Dr Williams. Completed two spools of film – Horan wasting half of it. Harry Furnell here for lunch – interesting on news of battle-front. He – won officer’s Cup… Looks like no more fighting past Benghazi. 8th Div landed in Malaya – probably 7 A.G.H too. Bish. Riley here today.
Bryant’s Diary: Thursday 20th February 1941
Went farther on to Wadi Karkur and dug in. Didn’t feel the march so much this time. Just forward of our position is the commencement of some sort if excavation of what appears to be an old hidden city.
Love Letter Update for Valentine’s Day
13 February 2010 by Nicholas Schmidt.
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Collection,From the collection,News,Of love and war,Personal Stories, Exhibition, Of Love and War, People, Private Records
It has been a year since the first blog entry went up about Marthe Gylbert and her letter. In this time, with the help of some very generous people, I have been able to discover much about Marthe and her wonderful love letter. If you have not seen the previous blog entries, they can be found here and here.
Marthe‘s nephew Jean Marc Gylbert has been very helpful and interested. He has provided much information about his family and his aunt although some part of the story remains a mystery even to him. This blog is based on information Jean Marc Gylbert has provided.
Marthe was born on the 24th April 1901 to Louis and Marie Louise Gylbert. She was the fourth child in the family of six children, two of whom died while very young. The family came originally from Nieppe, a village about 3 km from Armentières, on the left bank of the Lys River. Jean Marc Gylbert describes the family as ‘very poor’ with Marthe’s father working as a farm labourer and her mother employed as a servant.
Marthe met her Australian sweetheart in Armentières not Saint-Sulpice-les-Feuilles as I said before in my previous update. Armentières had been briefly occupied by the Germans, in October 1914, but was taken back by the British, who occupied the village until the 10th April 1918. Amongst the troops in Armentières were Australians and this is when Marthe appears to met her ‘Darling Little Sweetheart’.
Conservation Cleaning of a Wedding Dress
14 December 2009 by Jessie Firth.
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Collection,Conservation,From the collection,Of love and war, Conservation, Dry-cleaning, Exhibition, From the collection, Of Love and War, Textile, wedding dress
Emma Jones previously mentioned in 60 year old sweat on a wedding dress – a conservation challenge the preparation of Miss Platt-Hepworth’s wedding dress for the exhibition Of Love and War. The decision was made by the curator Rebecca Britt to keep the staining as evidence of use. While the staining is important to keep, the fabric was not as lustrous as it once was. The dress has a pattern of pretty daises made from cream silk woven with numerous silver threads. A lot of the silver plating on the metal threads had tarnished and been damaged; this has exposed the copper substrate of the thread and gives the dress a more golden appearance than it originally had.
Due to the presence of the metal threads, I discounted the use of many of the cleaning methods that a textile conservator might normally use such as washing. As any treatment with water could damage the silk or cause further corrosion of the metal I decided to use a solvent to ‘dry-clean’ the dress. Petroleum spirits was my chosen solvent as it is less toxic than a lot of the other dry-cleaning solvents. My tests also indicated that the lustre and handle of the silk would be improved, while leaving the historical staining intact.
Petroleum Sprits is an unpleasant chemical to use, so to ensure our safety we used gloves and respirators. The bath was set up in a large fume extractor in the Large Technology Conservation Workshop, which is usually used to paint tanks!
When historical textiles are being treated it is important to be very gentle so as not to damage the fabric. So for this wedding dress a large bath was used to prevent creases and folds. During ‘dry-cleaning’ the dress was very gently sponged by hand to move the solvent through the fabric without moving the fabric too much. Once rinsed with more of the solvent, the dress was lifted out of the bath on a nylon netting supporting sling and placed on a hammock (made of more netting) to dry.
The following photographs show Sarah Clayton, Senior Textile Conservator, and myself, ‘dry-cleaning’ Miss Platt-Hepworth’s wedding dress in Petroleum Spirits and the dress drying.
Sarah Clayton and Jessie Firth ‘dry-cleaning’ Miss Platt-Hepworth’s wedding dress 
Miss Platt-Hepworth’s wedding dress drying after 'dry-cleaning' This was a successful treatment; the fabric is fresher and more lustrous after cleaning, whilst the historical stains remain intact. It is now very important that we use gloves when handling this dress, to prevent the natural oils and acids from our skin tarnishing the silver threads again.
