Tom Pritchard’s wish: remember all Rats of Tobruk, not just me

Last man standing Tom Pritchard will have his dying wish honoured after he is laid to rest on Thursday: a send-off for all the Australian Rats of Tobruk, not just him.

Tom Pritchard in World War II.

Last man standing Tom Pritchard will have his dying wish honoured after he is laid to rest on Thursday: a send-off for all the Australian Rats of Tobruk, not just him.

His death at 102 severed the last living link to a chapter of the Anzac story that gained lustre as the legend of the Rats grew.

Mr Pritchard was the last known survivor of the 14,000 Australian troops who defied the Nazi-led war machine for 242 bloody days during the siege of Tobruk in 1941.

Leading the tributes, Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said: “Those who knew Tom describe him as having all the characteristics for which the Rats of Tobruk were known.

“He was a larrikin, self-­resourceful and he had a wicked sense of humour. At 102, it’s a great age, and we salute his service to the nation. As Prime Minister, I salute him personally.

“I also take today the opportunity to salute every single Rat of Tobruk, a great group of Australians of whom we can all be proud.”

Peter Dutton said Australians must never forget the World War II generation that defended the nation in its hour of extreme peril. “The last Rat of Tobruk is at rest,” the Opposition Leader said.

Pritchard.

Former governor-general Quentin Bryce at Tobruk House in Melbourne in 2011. Picture: Jason Sammon

“On behalf of the federal Coalition, we acknowledge the life and legacy of Tom Pritchard – a truly great Australian who was part of the Greatest Generation.”

Humble to the end, Mr Pritchard insisted on a private funeral. If there had to be a fuss, it should be made of all the Rats, he said, because he didn’t want to be singled out among his mates.

He told his friend Lachlan Gaylard, the secretary of the Rats of Tobruk Association in Melbourne, that he liked the idea of a memorial service at the Shrine of Remembrance, something to recognise everyone who had been in Tobruk.

There were the navy men who risked their lives to keep the Rats supplied with food and ammunition, the soldiers with whom they fought alongside – the Poms, of course, Poles too.

Remembering the Rats was born.

“He just said ‘Don’t make a martyr of me,’ ” Mr Gaylard recounted. “He wanted the focus to be on all the others who had gone before him. It was very Tommy.”

Planning is now well advanced for the event, hopefully to be held in December. The Rats of Tobruk Association will invite dignitaries headed by Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton, as well as Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

Former governor-general Quentin Bryce, a favourite of the Rats thanks to her frequent visits to Tobruk House in Melbourne, is also on the guest list.

But it will be the people’s day, geared to the Rats’ families, a chance for the public to pay respects. Such has been the reaction to Mr Pritchard’s death that Tobruk House will be open on Sunday for people to sign a condolence book.

Dame Quentin, who was there earlier this year in a private capacity, said the passing of the last Rat had touched her heart.