'Rat of Tobruk' memorabilia on display
Tuesday - 4 September 2007 - news.com.au


AFTER enduring ferocious fighting and horrific conditions as a prisoner of war during World War II, Alfred Spooner could be forgiven wanting to forget the horrors he saw.

But the Australian soldier was a meticulous collector and brought home a treasure trove of memorabilia from his time as one of the famous Rats of Tobruk in Libya and prisoner of the Nazis in Europe.

After more than six decades of being carefully stored away, Mr Spooner's rare collection of medals, letters, army kit and photographs has been put on display at Australia's High Commission in London.

Mr Spooner died 25 years ago, but his 85-year-old widow Joan was determined that his collection be preserved and find a good home.

"My husband would be so pleased," Mrs Spooner said.

"I think it will be a symbol for the Australians that pass by and come and see it.

"It will will represent all the Australian forces and remind people of what those men endured."

On display at Australia House are Mr Spooner's khaki slouch hat, brown leather army belt and a wooden crib board he carved with a penknife while a prisoner of war in Austria.

There are also his five war medals, his dog tags, a tie he made out of an army-issue shirt and photographs of him with his fellow Aussie soldiers from the 2nd/13th Battalion AIF.

After completing his army training in the western NSW town of Bathurst and then Ingleburn in Sydney, Mr Spooner boarded the Queen Mary with his fellow troops and sailed to Bombay, the Middle East and then Tobruk.

When Nazi troops overran his battalion's position in Libya in 1941, they found themselves trapped behind enemy lines and Mr Spooner set off to travel 300 miles (480km) across the desert to get to safety.

Desperate to survive, Mr Spooner shot three German soldiers who found him hiding in a foxhole.

He was later captured by the Nazis and spent four years as a prisoner of war and underwent numerous medical experiments before escaping.

After being demobilised he went to Britain, where he met his wife.