WWII NORTH AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST COLLECTOR COIN

Following the conquest of France by Germany in June 1940, the Mandate for Syria and Lebanon came under the control of Vichy France, the puppet government set up by the Axis powers. The successful five-week-long Syria–Lebanon campaign, codenamed Operation Exporter, began on 8 June 1941. Australian troops, mostly from the recently established 7th Division, formed the bulk of the main advance. During the five-week battle, 416 men from the 7th Division were killed and 1,136 were badly wounded. From April 1941, up to 14,000 Australians defended the Libyan port of Tobruk against repeated German attacks.

For eight long months, surrounded by German and Italian forces, the men of the Tobruk garrison, mostly Australians, withstood tank attacks, artillery barrages, and daily bombings. The brave defenders quickly became known as the Rats of Tobruk. The garrison consisted of the 9th Division and the 18th Brigade of the 7th Division, along with some British artillery and Indian troops. Australian casualties from the 9th Division from 8 April to 25 October numbered 749 killed, 1,996 wounded and 604 prisoners.

The 43c stamp was issued in 1991 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Siege of Tobruk. The 70c stamp is from the A Century of Service: War Animals issue of 2015. The limited-edition 20c coin has been minted with the envelope privy mark.