DLI-Siege of Tobruk?

Regards to all. Can anyone tell me which Battalion(s) of the DLI was involved in the siege of Tobruk, and later went to Malta.This is another track in tracing where my uncle was taken as POW.

 

Much info on :
151 DLI Brigade N.Africa - DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY 1920-1946

I believe the 1sn Bn was at Tobruk

Cpl Billy Gibson did a poem about the siege :
Cpl J W S Gibson `OUR BILLY` - DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY 1920-1946

 

Thank you Jedburgh22. Thats something to go on. Cheers.

 

Regards to all. Can anyone tell me which Battalion(s) of the DLI was involved in the siege of Tobruk, and later went to Malta.This is another track in tracing where my uncle was taken as POW.


Jedburgh22 is Spot on 1st DLI together with 5th RNF were at The Siege of Tobruk.Cpl Gibson was my uncle.1st DLI were also on Malta before moving to Kos (Cos) where the majority of the battalion were taken PoW.

 

This was the Order of Battle for Tobruk April 1941 which repulsed Rommels first advance on Tobruk.

• HQ 9th Aust Div & Tobruk Fortress
  
  
• 9th Aust Div Intelligence Sec
  

HQ 3d Armored Bde (60 x tanks working; another 26 tanks in repair)

• 3d Hussars/5 the Royal Tanks (Det 4 x light tanks and 18 x cruisers)
  1st Royal Tank Regt (Det 15 x light tanks and 19 x cruisers)
  1st Kings Dragoon Guards (30 x armored cars)
  4th Royal Tank Regt (Troop of 4 x infantry tanks)

18th Cavalry Regt (Indian)
HQ Royal Horse Artillery

• 1st RHA Regt (16 x 25-pounders)
  3d RHA (minus one btry) (16 x 2-pounder antitank guns)
  104th RHA Regt (16 x 25-pounders)
  107th RHA Regt (16 x 25-pounders)
  51st Field Regt (12 x 18-pounders and 12 x 4.5 inch how)
  2-3d Aust Antitank Regt (Unk no., type, Bofors
  (minus one btry) 37-mm; Breda 47/32-mm; 2-pounders)

HQ Royal Australian Engineers

• 2-3d Aust Field Company
  2-7th Aust Field Company
  2-13th Aust Field Company
  2-4th Aust Field Company
  2-4th Aust Field Park Company
  2-1st Aust Pioneer Battalion

Signals 9th Aust Div
HQ 18th Aust Inf Bde

• Sig Sec
  16th Aust Antitank Company
  2-9th Aust Inf Bn
  2-10th Aust Inf Bn
  2-12th Aust Inf Bn

HQ 20th Aust Inf Bde

• Sig Sec
  20th Aust Antitank Company
  2-13th Aust Inf Bn
  2-15th Aust Inf Bn
  2-17th Aust Inf Bn

HQ 24th Aust Inf Bde (-) (2-25th Inf Bn still in Australia)

• Sig Sec
  24th Aust Antitank Co
  2-28th Aust Inf Bn
  2-43d Aust Inf Bn

HQ 26th Aust Inf Bde

• Sig Sec
  26th Aust Antitank Co
  2-23d Aust Inf Bn
  2-24th Aust Inf Bn
  2-48th Aust Inf Bn

1 Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (Machine Gun Bn)
HQ Aust Army Service Corps (AASC)

• 9th Aust Div Supply Column
  9th Aust Div Ammunition Co
  9th Aust Div Petroleum Co
  Composite Co AASC
  7th Aust Div Supply Column
  2-3d Aust Field Ambulance Co
  2-8th Aust Field Ambulance Co
  2-11th Aust Field Ambulance Co
  2-5th Aust Field Ambulance Co
  2-4th Field Hygiene Co
  9th Aust Div Provost Co
  9th Aust Div Protection Platoon
  9th Aust Div Empl Platoon
  9th Aust Div Postal Unit
  9th Aust Salvage Unit

Fortress Troops
Royal Artillery
HQ 4th Antiaircraft (AA) Bde

• 13th Light AA Regt
  14th Light AA Regt
  51st Heavy AA Regt
  3d Aust Light AA Regt

Notts Yeomanry (coast defense)
Royal Engineers (under chief royal engineer, 9th Aust Div)

• 295th Field Co Royal Engineers
  551st Tps Co Royal Engineers
  4th Field Sqd Royal Engineers
  143d Field Park Troops

Signals (under Cdr Signals, 9th Aust Div)

• K Base Section
  27th Line Maintenance Section

Royal Army Service Corps (RASC)

• 309th Reserve Motor Co
  345th Reserve Motor Co
  550th Co
  RASC 4th Lt AA Bde
  RASC Sec 13th Lt AA Regt
  No. 1 Water Tank Co

Medical

• 16th MAC

Ordnance (Royal Army Ordnance Corps [RAOC])

• 2d Armored Div Workshops RAOC
  Y Army Tank Receiving Section, RAOC 2d Spt Gp Ord Field Park Sec, RAOC
  A Sec Ord Field Park AAOC
  2-1st AFW AAOC
  
  
• Det 2-2d AFW AAOC

Tobruk Subarea

HQ Tobruk Subarea

• 1st Libyan Refugee Bn
  2d Libyan Refugee Bn
  4th Libyan Refugee Bn
  HQ 45th Group
  1205th Indian Pioneer Co
  1206th Indian Pioneer Co
  1207th Indian Pioneer Co
  Libyan Work Bn
  Army Post Office
  H Adv Stationary Depot
  Transit Camp

Misc Detachments:
Greek Civilians
POW Cage
[/LIST]

 

Many thanks for the info. You would'nt perhaps know where the POWs were likely to have been taken?Cheers

 

Many thanks for the info. You would'nt perhaps know where the POWs were likely to have been taken?Cheers

1st DLI Kos - DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY 1920-1946

 

Thanks for the OrBat spidge. Though it did change regularly.

As for the 24th AIF brigade the 2/25th Battalion which was at that time still in Australia or on the high seas moving to the war zone. It did not arrive in time to join the 9th AIF Div at Tobruk so the 2/32nd a 7th Division Btn was sent into the fortress as a replacement for the 2/25th. The 2/32nd stayed with the 9th Division 24th Bgd for remainder of war and 2/25th went to the 7th AIF Div.
Each Australian Brigade including the General HQ had a platoon of the Australian Guards Battalion attached for protection of Brigade HQs.
Also each Brigade had a Anti Tank Ptn and a LAD.

The OrBat's for Tobruk change pretty often what units were their one month may have not been their a month or two later.

Jedburgh 22 the final verse of that poem goes,


........................................................................................................................
.....................................................................
But the truth will out one day for it always does they say.
And I think we'll read in every history book that the Aussies bold and gay went to Tel-Aviv to play
Whilst the Tommy's done the scrapping in Tobruk.

What absoulte crap. I find this part of your post offensive.
How would you lot like it if i started posting about British troops and I would not have to lie like the flake who wrote this poem has.

 

Thanks for the OrBat spidge. Though it did change regularly.

As for the 24th AIF brigade the 2/25th Battalion which was at that time still in Australia or on the high seas moving to the war zone. It did not arrive in time to join the 9th AIF Div at Tobruk so the 2/32nd a 7th Division Btn was sent into the fortress as a replacement for the 2/25th. The 2/32nd stayed with the 9th Division 24th Bgd for remainder of war and 2/25th went to the 7th AIF Div.
Each Australian Brigade including the General HQ had a platoon of the Australian Guards Battalion attached for protection of Brigade HQs.
Also each Brigade had a Anti Tank Ptn and a LAD.

The OrBat's for Tobruk change pretty often what units were their one month may have not been their a month or two later.



Thanks for that Cobber. I will add the 2/32 and other units.

The original post does state 2-25th still in Australia.

The orbit was emphasised "Rommels first attack"


Cheers

Geoff

 

Yes thanks spidge I shopuld have written it better to say that it changed with time i meant no harm about your Or bat posting as it is the original OrBat for April+ 1941,
As you know, as the months went on the OrBat changed.

 

Jedburgh 22 the final verse of that poem goes,


........................................................................................................................
.....................................................................
But the truth will out one day for it always does they say.
And I think we'll read in every history book that the Aussies bold and gay went to Tel-Aviv to play
Whilst the Tommy's done the scrapping in Tobruk.

What absoulte crap. I find this part of your post offensive.
How would you lot like it if i started posting about British troops and I would not have to lie like the flake who wrote this poem has


Cobber Jedburgh22 was simply pointing someone in the right direction he has no control over what is on that site and was simply trying to help someone....on the other hand I do have control over it as it is my site and that `flake` as you so eloquently put it was my uncle! Who if you had bothered to read the Home Page was Killed in Action! It was his tongue in cheek view of his battle,and the Durhams and Northumberland Fusiliers continuously being overlooked by the media ,before this enquiry was made were you even aware that they were there? I very much doubt it but check the casualty lists and the grave registers they confirm that they were at Tobruk.You state you found the post offensive I find your remarks most offensive as well as misinformed.I have bundles of similar stuff from different men who served within the regiment at this time it echoes their feelings at the time,emmotions expressed in real time history wrote by the men who were there just accept the fact that despite their gallantry the Australians were not alone!
Totally Pi*%ed off
Jim

 

Hear - Hear JIm
Cheers

 

Cobber

I have not previously posted on this thread simply because my experience of war in the desert was limited to arriving a few weeks before the North African campaign ended and waiting to be posted to my unit.

This doesn't mean that I have to sit idly by and watch other forum members being grossly insulted after having offered help by passing on links.

As a member who also lost a much loved brother, in Bomber Command , I would have felt as strongly insulted as Jim and I would urgently suggest that you apologise for your unmerited response.

Ron Goldstein

 

again - hear - hear - Ron !

Cheers

 

Ok first the apology, I am sorry to the DLI soldier and all of his decendants for calling him a flake
Secondly; I have been seriously misinterpreted as what I wrote in the post was entirely about the last verse in the posted poem not the member who posted it.
So how I grossly offended the poster or any others is a wild card to me, as i did not mention anything but the last verse of the poem posted by the member.

QUOTE{
But the truth will out one day for it always does they say.
And I think we'll read in every history book that the Aussies bold and gay went to Tel-Aviv to play
Whilst the Tommy's done the scrapping in Tobruk.}
End Quote

Quote{
What absoulte crap. I find this part of your post offensive.
How would you lot like it if i started posting about British troops and I would not have to lie like the flake who wrote this poem has.
End Quote}}


Where are the insults to the member, the only insult's are if you take it as one regarding the original author of the poem.


Cobber Jedburgh22 was simply pointing someone in the right direction he has no control over what is on that site and was simply trying to help someone....on the other hand I do have control over it as it is my site and that `flake` as you so eloquently put it was my uncle! .

I was commenting on one verse in one poem that was posted, not on the member.



Who if you had bothered to read the Home Page was Killed in Action! It was his tongue in cheek view of his battle,and the Durhams and Northumberland Fusiliers continuously being overlooked by the media ,before this enquiry was made were you even aware that they were there?
Their are many tongue in cheek views but that does not mean that

I did not know the Btns numbers as in 1, 2 or 3 Btns, however I have allways been aware that troops from many Division's and Nations who fought in Tobruk during and after the time the Aust were their.

If the men had a problem with the media then why take it out on Australians.




I very much doubt it but check the casualty lists and the grave registers they confirm that they were at Tobruk.You state you found the post offensive

No I did not state that i found the post offensive I stated that I found that one part, that being the last verse of the poem offensive.


I find your remarks most offensive as well as misinformed.I have bundles of similar stuff from different men who served within the regiment at this time it echoes their feelings at the time,emmotions expressed in real time history wrote by the men who were there just accept the fact that despite their gallantry the Australians were not alone!
Totally Pi*%ed off
Jim

Where did you get the idea that i said the DLI were not in Tobruk or that there were only Aussies in Tobruk, there is zero written by me about such things.
As i have repeatably said I only commented on the last verse of the poem that was posted.

I only had a problem with the last verse of the poem.

 

The reference to the DLI was to emphasise the feelings of the men at the time and the context the verse was written the problem I have was the term you used to describe the author a serviceman who was expressing a view at the time,no one doubts the contribution of the Australians at all I certainly have no issues no one has! but to use the term `FLAKE` is unaceptable! disagree with him by all means but do not dare insult a brave man who was there and cannot answer back!

 

Apologies to the DLI soldier concerned, he was not a flake he was a soldier who died for his country just like two (2) of my own family. Another three (3) survived the war

I was wrong to call him this; However IMHO the poem he wrote was not a good poem as it was not the Australian infantry's fault that the British media did not mention the DLI. However as said this is not the place to call him a flake or other names which can be interpreted as offensive.
.

As I have written so many times my post was towards the poem and the last verse of said poem. Not the poster
How anyone can find what I wrote as offensive towards the member who posted it amazes me to the absolute extreme.

 

I do hope that Cobbers apology has been accepted by all, as the term used, I am sure, was not meant by him to lessen any soldiers critical contribution.

 

Many thanks for all your help. I'm amazed how quickly you lay hands to this info.Cheers.