British 4th Armoured Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 4th Mechanized Brigade is a British Army
brigade.
The 4th Armoured Brigade was formed during the Second World War, as an armoured brigade of the 7th Armoured Division.
The brigade was reclassified as a mechanized brigade in December 2006, and is currently based in Catterick Garrison
, England, forming part of the 3rd Mechanised Division.
. It was reformed again when the HQ arrived in Sicily
and it took control of new units there.
The 4th Armoured Brigade saw service in North Africa
, Sicily and Italy
and in the North West Europe Campaign
. Although it served under many different formations it was most famous as part of the 7th Armoured Division, the Desert Rats.
The brigade spent many years in Germany as part of the British Army of the Rhine
. On its return to the United Kingdom
it was transferred from 1st Armoured Division to 3rd Mechanised Division.
Recent Commanders
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
brigade.
The 4th Armoured Brigade was formed during the Second World War, as an armoured brigade of the 7th Armoured Division.
The brigade was reclassified as a mechanized brigade in December 2006, and is currently based in Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
, England, forming part of the 3rd Mechanised Division.
History
In 1939, at the start of the Second World War this brigade changed its title from Heavy Armoured Brigade (Egypt) to 4th Armoured Brigade. On 27 July 1941 it handed over its units to the 1st Army Tank Brigade and received new units from EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. It was reformed again when the HQ arrived in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and it took control of new units there.
The 4th Armoured Brigade saw service in North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, Sicily and Italy
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
and in the North West Europe Campaign
North West Europe Campaign
The North West Europe Campaign was the name given by the British and Commonwealth armed forces to the two land campaigns they fought on the Western Front during World War II....
. Although it served under many different formations it was most famous as part of the 7th Armoured Division, the Desert Rats.
The brigade spent many years in Germany as part of the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
. On its return to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
it was transferred from 1st Armoured Division to 3rd Mechanised Division.
Second World War
Current Formation
- 4 Mechanized Brigade Units 2011
- 204 Signal Squadron (Signals and Brigade HQ)
- The Queen's Royal Lancers (Formation Reconnaissance)
- The Royal Dragoon GuardsRoyal Dragoon GuardsThe Royal Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments: The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards...
(Armoured) - 1st Battalion, Scots GuardsScots GuardsThe Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
(Armoured Infantry) - 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border) (Mechanized Infantry)
- 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire)Mercian RegimentThe Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of three existing regiments on 1 September 2007.The regiment has three regular army battalion's and one Territorial Army or reserve battalion...
(Light Role) - 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, Royal Scots BorderersRoyal Scots BorderersThe Royal Scots Borderers is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.Two infantry regiments ; the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers merged on the 28 March 2006, and with the other Scottish infantry regiments amalgamated into the single seven battalion strong Royal...
(Light Role Infantry) - 4th Regiment Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
(Self Propelled Artillery) - 21 Engineer Regiment Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- 1 Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersThe Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
Commanders
During World War II- 3 September 1939 - 1 November 1939 Lieutenant-Colonel HRB Watkins
- 1 November 1939 - 16 November 1939 Brigadier JAL Caunter
- 16 November 1939 - 5 December 1939 Lieutenant-Colonel HRB Watkins
- 5 December 1939 - 8 May 1941 Brigadier JAL Caunter
- 8 May 1941 - 26 June 1942 Brigadier AH GatehouseAlexander GatehouseMajor-General Alexander Hugh Gatehouse DSO & bar MC was a British Army officer who commanded 10th Armoured Division during World War II.-Military career:...
- 26 June 1942 - 7 July 1942 Brigadier AF Fisher
- 7 July 1942 - 4 October 1942 Brigadier WG Carr
- 4 October 1942 - 18 November 1942 Brigadier MG Roddick
- 18 November 1942 - 10 December 1942 Colonel RCG Joy
- 10 December 1942 - 24 January 1943 Brigadier CBC Harvey
- 24 January 1943 - 27 February 1943 Brigadier DS Newton-King
- 27 February 1943 - 30 December 1943 Brigadier JC CurrieJohn Cecil CurrieBrigadier John Cecil Currie DSO & two Bars, MC was an officer in the British Army during World War II.As part of Iraqforce , Brigadier Currie commanded the 9th Armoured Brigade during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia. His brigade was part of Hazelforce commanded by Brigadier J.A...
- 30 December 1943 - 16 March 1944 Brigadier HJB Cracroft
- 16 March 1944 - 26 June 1944 Brigadier JC CurrieJohn Cecil CurrieBrigadier John Cecil Currie DSO & two Bars, MC was an officer in the British Army during World War II.As part of Iraqforce , Brigadier Currie commanded the 9th Armoured Brigade during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia. His brigade was part of Hazelforce commanded by Brigadier J.A...
- 26 June 1944 - 27 June 1944 Colonel JL Young
- 27 June 1944 - 25 January 1945 Brigadier RMP CarverMichael Carver, Baron CarverField Marshal Richard Michael Power Carver, Baron Carver GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC was a British soldier. He served as the Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces.-Army career:Educated at Winchester College, Michael Carver was...
- 25 January 1945 - 22 February 1945 Lieutenant-Colonel GC HopkinsonGerald HopkinsonMajor-General Gerald Charles Hopkinson CB DSO OBE MC was a British Army officer who commanded 4th Division.-Military career:Educated at Haileybury, Hopkinson was commissioned in to the Royal Tank Corps in 1930. He served in World War II as Commanding Officer of 44th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment...
- 22 February 1945 - 31 August 1945 Brigadier RMP CarverMichael Carver, Baron CarverField Marshal Richard Michael Power Carver, Baron Carver GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC was a British soldier. He served as the Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces.-Army career:Educated at Winchester College, Michael Carver was...
Recent Commanders
- 1976-1978 Brigadier HDA LangleyDesmond LangleyMajor-General Sir Henry Desmond Allen Langley KCVO MBE was Major-General Commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District.-Military career:...
- 1981-1984 Brigadier CRL GuthrieCharles Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of CraigiebankGeneral Charles Ronald Llewelyn Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank, was Chief of the Defence Staff between 1997 and 2001 and Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, between 1994 and 1997.-Army career:...
- 1994-1996 Brigadier FR Dannatt
- 1996-1998 Brigadier DJ Richards
- 1998-2000 Brigadier WR RolloBill RolloLieutenant General Sir William Raoul Rollo KCB CBE is a British Army officer.-Military career:Rollo was commissioned into the Blues and Royals as a Second Lieutenant , 4 September 1977. His commission was confirmed and he was promoted to Lieutenant on 4 September 1977. He was promoted to Captain...
- 2005-2007 Brigadier CM Deverell
- 2007-2009 Brigadier J Free
- 2009-2011 Brigadier R Felton
- 2011-Present Brigadier R B Bruce
See also
- British Armoured formations of the Second World WarBritish Armoured formations of the Second World WarThe British Armoured formations of the Second World War refers to the Armoured Divisions and Independent Armoured and Tank Brigades deployed by the British Army during the Second World War. They had two types of armoured vehicle. The Infantry tank which was heavily armoured and slow, designed to...
External links
- 4th Mechanized Brigade - Official MOD Homepage
- British Army Locations from 1945 British Army Locations from 1945