k . ▁During ▁the ▁retre at ▁about ▁ 1 8 0 ▁men , ▁including ▁the ▁batt alion ' s ▁command ing ▁officer , ▁Mar lan , ▁were ▁taken ▁prisoner ▁when ▁their ▁headquarters ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁a ▁force ▁of ▁ 1 8 ▁t anks ▁and ▁un success fully ▁attempted ▁to ▁fight ▁their ▁way ▁out . ▁These ▁men ▁spent ▁several ▁years ▁in ▁capt ivity , ▁being ▁held ▁initially ▁in ▁cam ps ▁in ▁North ▁Africa ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁Italy ▁and ▁later ▁Germany ; ▁some ▁managed ▁to ▁escape ▁either ▁in ▁North ▁Africa , ▁or ▁from ▁Italy ; ▁several ▁eventually ▁rejo ined ▁the ▁batt alion , ▁while ▁others ▁linked ▁up ▁with ▁Italian ▁or ▁Y ug oslav ian ▁part is ans ▁with ▁whom ▁they ▁fought ▁against ▁German ▁forces ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel ▁Robert ▁O gle ▁took ▁over ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁batt alion ▁following ▁Mar lan ' s ▁capture . ▁It ▁subsequently ▁joined ▁the ▁defence ▁of ▁Tob ru k , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁def ensive ▁g arrison ▁that ▁held ▁the ▁strateg ically ▁important ▁port ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁placed ▁under ▁sie ge ▁by ▁the ▁adv ancing ▁German ▁and ▁Italian ▁forces . ▁The ▁batt alion ▁remained ▁there ▁for ▁over ▁six ▁months ▁conduct ing ▁pat rol s ▁and ▁ra ids , ▁and ▁holding ▁positions ▁around ▁the ▁per imeter ▁until ▁late ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁when ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁Division , ▁less ▁the ▁ 2 / 1 3 th ▁Battalion ▁and ▁two ▁companies ▁from ▁the ▁ 2 / 1 5 th ,