[Image] A Rat in a Hole Vol 2.

September, 1941. Tobruk, Libya.

A very creative doover.

This soldier of the 2/23rd Infantry Battalion takes shelter from the blistering sun of the Libyan desert in his doover improvised by hanging a hammock between the rocks of a sangar built on the side of a small rise.

In the shade, yet open to the breeze on one side the hammock would allow the air to circulate around the Digger and keep him as cool as possible in the situation.

image 020493 Australian War Memorial.

[Image] A Rat in a Hole

August, 1941. Tobruk, Libya.

A Rat in a Red Line hole.

Pvt. J. Collins escapes from German shelling in his doover. Pvt. Collins has been able to scrounge wood and metal to brace the walls and roof of his hole in the ground. Men spent incredible lengths of time laying about in holes just like these. It was not uncommon to have to lie in your slit trench all day in blistering heat with little water, having to relieve yourself in a old fruit tin, any movement above the surface would draw the fire of the Germans.

Pvt. Collins has letters from home in the rafters of his shelter. This is obviously a more long term doover, as one would construct during an extended period in the front lines. This photo was taken during a German artillery attack on Red Line positions. This would keep the Diggers underground for extended periods in cramped, hot and dusty conditions. Depending on the time of the shelling men in the Red Line ran the risk of missing out on their one hot meal a day if the rations trucks were attacked.

image 009513 Australian War Memorial.

I have been unable to positively identify Pvt. J Collins as there were 217 men with that name that served in the Army during WW2. If time permits in the future I will attempt to make a positive identification.

[Image] 9th Division troops skylark at Alamein

4 Section, D Company, 2/17th Battalion

El Alamein, Egypt, 1942.

This is another of the great images that I received yesterday taken by my Grandfather at Alamein. The men shown are members of 4 section, D Company of the 2/17th Battalion.

If you look closely in the sand you can see the dugouts, or doovers, that the men lived in. Effectively they were a hole in the ground where you could supposedly be safe from enemy fire. Australians would go to great lengths to make their doovers comfortable earning a reputation as amazing scroungers.

The soldier skylarking in the German M35 steel helmet is NX60184 Cpl. Mervyn R. Lee.

image from author's personal collection.