Rats like Arn Hannaford endured searing heat, bitter cold and hellish dust storms

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Tobruk but for Roslyn Owen - daughter of Arn Hannaford one of the legendary rats - his service will be remembered as it always is on Anzac Day.

Paul and Roslyn Owens with Arn inset.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Tobruk but for Roslyn Owen - daughter of Arn Hannaford, one of the legendary ‘rats’ - his service will be remembered as it always is on Anzac Day.

Roslyn and her husband Paul Owens from Coffs Harbour say Anzac Day is always significant, sombre and somewhat “low key”.

They were touched by the scenes of people gathering with candles in their driveways last year due to COVID-19.

They live on Mackays Road and hope to do the same this year.

“People had lanterns and flags. It was very very moving and what we were so impressed with were the young people. The atmosphere was just wonderful,” Paul said.

Arn was well known in the region serving on local council for more than ten years as both a Councillor and what was then known as Shire President (similar to the Mayoral position).

Arn Hannaford

He and his brothers, who had also served in war, formed the Hannaford Brothers to take up banana farming in the Coffs Harbour region.

Paul Owens tells the story of three days of back bending labour on the banana farm- coming from a desk job in Sydney with his “lily white” hands - to win Arn’s favour and marry Roslyn.

The Rats of Tobruk were soldiers who held the strategic Libyan port of Tobruk during the Siege of Tobruk in 1941 during WWII. The siege lasted for eight months and the port continued to be held by the Allies until its surrender in June 1942.

Arn and son Phil Hannaford on Anzac Day 1993.

Soldiers took to Tobruk’s network of below-ground defensive positions which had been built pre-war by the Italian Army. German propagandist, William Joyce, better known as Lord Haw-Haw, began describing the besieged men as living like rats underground.

The Australians soldiers reclaimed the name as a badge of pride, even going so far as to strike their own unofficial medal bearing the likeness of a rat.

Soldiers endured the desert’s searing heat, the bitterly cold nights, and hellish dust storms.

Arn Hannaford.

Roslyn says her father recalled mostly the lighthearted stories from the war.

“Just the funny little things really.”

She says Arn’s community spirit was legendary in Coffs Harbour.

“He was on every committee you could think of - you name it, he was on it.”

Arn passed away on May 8, 1998 aged 82.

An exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the battle is on now at Coffs Central.

See photos from the Clarence Anzac Day Dawn Services.

While COVID-19 impacted services last year crowds will this year be able to return to commemorations - albeit in a more restricted fashion.

Here is your guide to Anzac Day commemorations across the Coffs Coast.