| Accession Number | P10988.004 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Digital file TIFF |
| Maker |
Slater, Henry Binns |
| Place made | North Africa: Libya, Cyrenaica, Tobruk Area, Tobruk |
| Date made | c 1941 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
A dugout in the desert near Tobruk. The siege of Tobruk lasted from April to December 1941 and ...
Description
A dugout in the desert near Tobruk. The siege of Tobruk lasted from April to December 1941 and involved over 14000 Australian soldiers. Tobruk was vital for the Allies' defence of Egypt and the Suez Canal, as Allied occupation forced the enemy to bring most of their supplies overland, across 1500 km of desert. Total Australian losses during the siege, from 1st March to 15th December, amounted to 832 killed, 2177 wounded and 941 prisoners.