4th Light Brigade Combat Team, is a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

formation of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

, currently based in Catterick, North Yorkshire as part of

1st (United Kingdom) Division The 1st (United Kingdom) Division is an active division of the British Army that has been formed and disestablished numerous times between 1809 and the present. In its original incarnation as the 1st Division, it took part in the Peninsular ...

. It was previously known as 4th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North East, and before that as 4th Mechanized Brigade and before that 4th Armoured Brigade. The brigade, now known as the 'Black Rats', was formed in 1939 and fought in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, in the

Western Desert Campaign The Western Desert campaign (Desert War) took place in the Sahara Desert, deserts of Egypt and Libya and was the main Theater (warfare), theatre in the North African campaign of the Second World War. Military operations began in June 1940 with ...

and in

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

. The Black Rats were subsequently involved in the invasion of Sicily and fighting in Italy before taking part in the

Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the N ...

and the advance through Belgium, Holland and into Germany. More recently, the brigade took part in the First Gulf War and completed a number of tours to the Balkans during the 1990s. The Black Rats have also since deployed twice to

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

and twice to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

as the lead formation.

History

Second World War

In September 1939, at the start of the

this brigade changed its title from Heavy Armoured Brigade (Egypt) to 4th Armoured Brigade.Brief History Of The British 4th Armoured Brigade
On 27 July 1941, it handed over its units to the 1st Army Tank Brigade and received new units based in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. It was reformed again when the HQ arrived in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

and it took control of new units there. The 4th Armoured Brigade saw service in the

North African Campaign The North African campaign of World War II took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943, fought between the Allies and the Axis Powers. It included campaigns in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts (Western Desert campaign, Desert Wa ...

, the

Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as the Battle of Sicily and Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allies of World War II, Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis p ...

, the Italian Campaign and in North-western Europe. Although it served under many different formations it was most famous as part of the 7th Armoured Division, the "Desert Rats". The 4th Armoured Brigade left the 7th Armoured Division in North Africa in 1943, to return to join the Allied invasion force for Normandy. In June 1944, the brigade landed in Normandy as an independent brigade and fought during the

during the Battle for Caen. The 4th Armoured Brigade then advanced into Belgium and Holland, and was the first to cross the Rhine into Germany. The brigade was disestablished in 1948. Former BBC motorsports commentator

Murray Walker Graeme Murray Walker (10 October 1923 – 13 March 2021) was an English motorsport Sportscaster, commentator and journalist. He provided television commentary of live Formula One coverage for the BBC between 1976 and 1996, and for ITV (TV netw ...

served with 4th Armoured Brigade during the Second World War as a member of The

Royal Scots Greys The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the Army of Scotland that became a regiment of the British Army in 1707 upon the Union of Scotland and England, continuing until 1971 when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of ...

. After the war he started a motorcycle club, organising trials and scrambles for the soldiers within the Brigade.

Cold War era

The brigade spent many years in Germany as part of the

British Army of the Rhine British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was the name given to British Army occupation forces in the Rhineland, West Germany, after the First and Second World Wars, and during the Cold War, becoming part of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) tasked ...

. The brigade was one of two "square" brigades assigned to 2nd Division when it converted into an armoured formation in 1976. After being briefly converted to "Task Force Charlie" in the late 1970s, the brigade was reinstated in 1981, assigned to 3rd Armoured Division and was based at York Barracks in

Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...

. The Brigade deployed to the First Gulf War on Operation Granby in 1990/91 and was involved in the liberation of Kuwait. It moved to Quebec Barracks at

Osnabrück Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...

in 1993 to replace 12th Armoured Brigade as part of 1st (UK) Armoured Division.

Post-Cold War

4th Armoured Brigade deployed to Bosnia in October 1995 as UNPROFOR HQ Sector South-West and subsequently as the leading UK element of the

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

Implementation Force (IFOR). The Black Rats have since deployed twice to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan, first on Operation Herrick 12 in 2010; and again in October 2012 for Operation Herrick 17, during which it was working in support of the Afghan Army's 3/215 Brigade and elements of the Afghan National Police.

4th Infantry Brigade

Under

Army 2020 Army 2020 is the restructuring of the British Army in the early and mid-2010s, in light of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010. The plan, as its name suggested, was intended to be completed by 2020, though most of its reorganisations ...

, the brigade lost its armour and converted to an infantry brigade. The structure of the brigade in 2020 was as follows: * 4th Infantry Brigade, at Peronne Lines,

Catterick Garrison Catterick Garrison is a major garrison and List of modern military towns, military town south of Richmond, North Yorkshire, Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world, with a population of around 14 ...

The Light Dragoons The Light Dragoons (LD) is a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment has a light cavalry role and specialises in mounted and dismounted reconnaissance. The Light Dragoons recruit mainly in Northe ...

, at Gaza Barracks, Catterick Garrison (Light Cavalry, 66x Jackal armoured reconnaissance vehicles) ** The Queen's Own Yeomanry (Army Reserve), at Fenham Barracks,

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

(Light Cavalry, 66x Jackal armoured reconnaissance vehicles) ** The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, at Glencorse Barracks,

Penicuik Penicuik ( ; ; ) is a town and former Police burgh, burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River Esk, Lothian, River North Esk. It lies on the A701 road, A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hil ...

(Light Infantry) ** 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, at Dale Barracks,

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

(Light Infantry) ** 2nd Battalion,

Mercian Regiment The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, which is recruited from five of the counties that formed the ancient kingdom of Mercia. Known as 'The Heart of England's Infant ...

, at Weeton Barracks,

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

(Light Infantry) – arriving back from Cyprus in November 2020 ** 1st Battalion,

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

, at Lille Barracks, Aldershot Garrison (Light Infantry) ** 52nd Lowland Volunteers, 6th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Army Reserve), at Walcheren Barracks,

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

(Light Infantry) – paired with 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS) ** 4th Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (Army Reserve), at Kimberley Barracks, Preston (Light Infantry) – paired with 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (1 LANCS) ** 4th Battalion,

Yorkshire Regiment The Royal Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (abbreviated R YORKS) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, created by the amalgamation of three historic regiments in 2006. It lost one battalion as part of the Future of ...

(Army Reserve), at Worsley Barracks,

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

(Light Infantry) – paired with 2 YORKS until November, then paired with 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment (2 MERCIAN) ** 154 (Scottish) Regiment RLC, (Army Reserve), at Bothwell House, Dunfermline. ** 75 Regiment Royal Engineers

Second World War commanders

The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 BU2486

During the Second World War: * January 1940 to April 1941 Brigadier J.A.L. Caunter * April 1941 to April 1942 Brigadier A.H. Gatehouse * April 1942 to July 1942 Brigadier G.W. Richards * July 1942 to September 1942 Brigadier W.G. Carr * September 1942 to November 1942 Brigadier M.G. Roddick * November 1942 to January 1943 Brigadier C.B.C. Harvey * January 1943 to February 1943 Brigadier D.S. Newton-King * February 1943 to December 1943 Brigadier J.C. Currie * December 1943 to March 1944 Brigadier H. J. B. Cracroft * March 1944 to June 1944 Brigadier J. C. Currie * June 1944 to August 1945 Brigadier R.M.P. Carver

Brigade commanders

Recent commanders have included: * 1976–1978 Brigadier Desmond Langley * 1981–1984 Brigadier Charles Guthrie * 1994–1996 Brigadier

Richard Dannatt General (United Kingdom), General Francis Richard Dannatt, Baron Dannatt, (born 23 December 1950) is a retired senior British Army officer and member of the House of Lords. He was Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom), Chief of the Gener ...

* 1996–1998 Brigadier David Richards * 1998–2000 Brigadier Bill Rollo * 2000-2002 Brigadier Nicholas Smith * 2002–2004 Brigadier Paul Gibson * 2005–2007 Brigadier Chris Deverell * 2007–2009 Brigadier Julian Free * 2009–2011 Brigadier Richard Felton * 2011–2013 Brigadier Bob Bruce * 2013–2015 Brigadier Charlie HerbertNew man takes over the Black Rats
Northern Echo, 12 June 2013 * 2015–2016 Brigadier Gerald Strickland * 2016–2019 Brigadier Oliver Stokes * 2019–2022 Brigadier Oliver Brown * 2022-2023 Brigadier M Mudd * 2023-2024 Brigadier R J Singleton * 2024- Present Brigadier O P B Dobson

Notes

References

External links

4th Infantry Brigade

British Army Locations from 1945
{{British mobile brigades of the Second World War 4 Mechanised Military units and formations established in 1939 Organisations based in North Yorkshire Military units and formations established in 1976