E&OE.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
I want to thank the Prime Minister for his fitting tribute to Tom Pritchard.
The last Rat of Tobruk is at rest.
On behalf of the Coalition, I too acknowledge the life and legacy of Tom Pritchard.
Tom Pritchard was a truly great Australian – part of the Greatest Generation.
Tom was among those Anzacs who prevented German Field Marshal Rommel from recapturing the Libyan port of Tobruk in 1941.
He was among those Australians who served eight months of daily bombings and tank attacks from German and Italian forces.
German propaganda mocked the Allied soldiers, comparing them to trapped rats.
But those brave men embraced that slur with pride.
‘The Rats of Tobruk’ became a nickname which exemplified their fortitude in the face of extremis.
Like other Australians who enlisted, Tom lied about his age – such was his determination to serve.
In addition to serving in Africa, Tom went on to serve in New Guinea and Borneo.
For a man who knew the horrors of war – especially as an ambulance attendant – Tom was not one to talk about his experiences when he returned from the front.
As Tom’s daughter, Judy, said, ‘My father, the soldier, and my Dad are separate people entirely’.
But as Tom’s friend, Lachlan Gaylord, acknowledged, ‘He would have seen horrible things. He wasn’t so much contributing to the fighting as picking up the pieces… soldiers who were already dead, soldiers who were seriously injured’.
Mr Speaker, we must never forget what Tom and those like him did.
Our country today is neither the result of luck nor natural occurrence.
It has been forged, fought for, and defended by those before us.
We are the beneficiaries of that service, of that suffering, and sacrifice of soldiers like Tom Pritchard.
We commit Tom to our memory, so that we do not forget our duty as custodians of their legacy.
To quote a verse of poetry written by another Rat of Tobruk:
“… his name will go down in history
On the scroll of honour at home
And his soul will live forever
In a hero’s sacred dome.”
We extend our deepest condolences to Tom Pritchard’s friends and family.
May Tom Pritchard rest in peace.
Lest we forget.
[ends]