British 20th Armoured Brigade
Encyclopedia
The British Army
's 20th Armoured Brigade (The Iron Fist) is an armoured formation currently based in Sennelager
, northern Germany, as part of the 1st (UK) Armoured Division.
, and 1st and 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry
. On 14 April 1940 it was re-titled the 20th Armoured Brigade; a title it has retained ever since.
The Brigade played a vital role in the defence of the United Kingdom during the first year of the Second World War, including guarding aerodromes and other vulnerable points. In May 1940, due to the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force from France and the increased threat of invasion, a Brigade force known as the Yeomanry Armoured Detachment was formed to defend the coast of East Anglia, concentrating at Moulton Paddocks, Newmarket as a counter-attack force to repel any potential Nazi offensive. The Detachment was commanded by Brigadier Evelyn Fanshawe
and consisted of a composite squadron from each regiment in the Brigade equipped with its best equipment, namely an assortment of Bren carriers, light tanks, Guy armoured cars and lorries. This was disbanded at the end of May as it began to receive more carriers and lorries.
The Brigade subsequently moved to Surrey in June where it was assigned to the 1st Armoured Division at the end of the month, which was being reorganised after it had returned depleted from Dunkirk. With the Battle of Britain
being fought overhead, brigade troops were tasked with conducting anti-invasion exercises and the reconnaissance of all roads leading to the coast, covering most of Kent, Surrey and Sussex. It finally began to receive modern tanks in September 1940 when the first Valentine tank
s began to arrive.
The Brigade was reorganised and acquired the 2nd Battalion The Rangers on 16 October 1940 when it came under the command of 6th Armoured Division, whose insignia was a white mailed fist with a black background. The mailed fist - a symbol of the hard punch that an armoured formation gives the enemy - was selected by General John Crocker
DSO MC as the Division's recognition flash from a design created by Lieutenant Colonel Broadhurst, an Australian serving on his staff as Assistant Director of Ordnance Services (Engineering).
On 12 September 1941, King George VI inspected 20th Armoured Brigade at Lakenheath
in Suffolk during a parade and march-past of all the fighting vehicles in the Division. It was the first time that an entire armoured division – at that time over 14,500 men and 4,500 vehicles – had been formed up complete in the same place. The logistical challenges of staging the parade and the scale of the air threat sealed the fate of the Brigade, contributing towards the decision in 1942 to halve the tank strength of an armoured division.
The Brigade continued to serve in Home Forces under various commands until 15 January 1943. At this time the Brigade became a training formation and its regiments, on conversion to the armoured reconnaissance role, were posted elsewhere. Many former brigade troops subsequently saw active service in North West Europe including operations in Normandy
and into Germany.
On the 30 April 1943 the 20th Armoured Brigade was disbanded.
, Germany in December 1951 to supplement the British contribution to NATO forces in Europe where it again came under the command of 6th Armoured Division, this time as part of the British Army of the Rhine
(BAOR).
The 1957 Defence White Paper announced the end of National Service
resulting in a number of reductions and changes across the Armed Forces. Part of this restructuring saw the disbandment of the 6th Armoured Division in April 1958. The Brigade survived as the new 20th Armoured Brigade Group, initially under the command of the 4th Infantry Division
, and moved to Hobart Barracks, Detmold
. It assumed the insignia of the old Division – the "Iron Fist
" symbol that it wears to this day.
The pattern of life was determined by the BAOR training cycle and the demands of higher formation exercises as politicians and military commanders considered how best to face the threat of a Soviet invasion. Brigade troops frequently found themselves supporting multi-national NATO exercises, often working alongside the fledgling Bundeswehr
(German Army). In October 1961, the Brigade participated in Exercise Spearpoint which was designed to demonstrate that the BAOR was able to conduct large-scale intensive operations under both conventional and nuclear conditions.
In September 1959, The Royal Corps of Signals
reorganised all of their independent squadrons into a single numbering system from 200 upwards. This meant that when the Brigade’s Signal Squadron adopted the title "200" in 1962 it automatically became the 'Senior Signal Squadron' in the British Army by precedence.
Two years later it amalgamated with the Brigade's Headquarters Squadron and took over responsibility for the administration and defence of the HQ. This combined role is still in place today and together the two separate units are designated as "20th Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200)".
On 22 June 1974, 20th Armoured Brigade and the German 21st Panzer Brigade, based in Augustdorf
, held a partnership parade to emphasise the confidence and understanding which exists between the allied forces of the NATO countries.
BAOR experimented with a major restructuring towards the end of the 1970s as it reorganised into 4 Divisions, each with 2 task force headquarters. These task forces could command any grouping of units from within their division and were designated sequentially Alpha through Hotel. As a result, on 1 December 1977, 20th Armoured Brigade was temporarily renamed "Task Force Hotel" under the command of the 4th Armoured Division. However Task Force Hotel reverted to its Brigade designation on 1 January 1980 and its units were realigned under the Brigade Headquarters.
Further unit rotations continued throughout this period with many famous regiments and battalions of the British Army converting to the armoured role to serve within the Brigade. Typical were The Life Guards
who served in Detmold during 1971-75 and again in 1980-84. As the Regiment moved to BAOR they became a Tank Regiment for the first time in their history, only to re-role as an Infantry Battalion in order to deploy on three separate operational tours of Northern Ireland
.
in November 1989 and the anticipated peace dividend at the end of the Cold War, the British government announced a series of cuts in defence spending under the 1990 "Options for Change
" programme. As a result of the restructuring, in December 1992, the Brigade merged with the 33rd Armoured Brigade and moved its headquarters to Barker Barracks, Paderborn
where it came under the command of the 1st (UK) Armoured Division
. By 1994 the overall troop strength in Germany had been halved and BAOR was replaced by British Forces Germany
(BFG).
Headquarters 20th Armoured Brigade, with some elements of the Brigade deployed to the former SFR Yugoslavia
in April 1995 to take command of Sector South West under the United Nations
mandate. Based at Gornji Vakuf in central Bosnia and Herzegovina
, the commander was responsible for a large multi-national UN force as well as having responsibility for all forces in FRY. The end of the tour coincided with a declaration of peace and a shift in emphasis to a larger NATO force.
In October 1996 the Brigade returned to FRY as part of IFOR
. It was initially based at Šipovo
, moving to Banja Luka
in December 1996, whilst overseeing the transition from IFOR to SFOR
and Operation RESOLUTE to Operation LODESTAR. The Brigade returned to Paderborn in April 1997.
In August 1999, the Brigade again deployed to Banja Luka on Operation PALATINE. It returned to Paderborn in December 1999, and moved to their current location in Antwerp Barracks, Sennelager
on 20 August 2001.
20th Armoured Brigade was awarded the Freedom of the City of Paderborn by the town council on 28 May 2005. The right to exercise the freedom was presented "as a contribution for consolidation of the Anglo-German friendship, the joint solidarity in NATO and a further element for the building of the joint house Europe".
3 where it was based at Basra Palace.
The Brigade returned to southern Iraq again in April 2006 during Operation TELIC 8, and was situated in Basra
, Al Amarah
and Al Muthanna Provinces. During the seven month summer tour the troops contributed to the successful handover of security in two of the four Iraqi Provinces within the Multinational Division (South East)
(MND(SE)).
The Iron Fist returned to Basra for a third time in 2008 for Operation TELIC 13. It became the last British brigade to serve in Iraq at the end of the UK's 6-year combat mission in the country on 30 April 2009.
in Afghanistan
from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines on 9 October 2011, officially marking the start of Operation HERRICK
15.
, a tank regiment equipped with the 62 tonne Challenger 2 main battle tank, and two armoured infantry battalions - 1st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
and 5th Battalion The Rifles
- both equipped with the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle
. 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
provide the reconnaissance role to the Brigade with their fast and agile Scimitar
Armoured Vehicles.
1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment
(Prince of Wales's Own) is a Light Role Infantry Battalion based in Oxford Barracks, Münster
. They have been part of 20th Armoured Brigade since returning from Operation TELIC 9 in Iraq in 2007.
Headquarters 20th Armoured Brigade is currently located in Sennelager, on the outskirts of the city of Paderborn
, north Germany. Since September 2009 it has been commanded by Brigadier Patrick Sanders DSO OBE.
Attached units:
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...
's 20th Armoured Brigade (The Iron Fist) is an armoured formation currently based in Sennelager
Sennelager
Sennelager is a village in Germany that forms part of the City of Paderborn. It is notable by the presence of a British army barracks, where the 20th Armoured Brigade are currently situated...
, northern Germany, as part of the 1st (UK) Armoured Division.
World War II
The 20th Light Armoured Brigade was formed on 3 September 1939 as part of the Territorial Army. The Brigade initially served under the Southern Command and its original regiments were the 1st Royal Gloucestershire HussarsRoyal Gloucestershire Hussars
The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was a unit of the British Army.Raised in 1795 following William Pitt's 1794 order to raise volunteer bodies of men to defend Great Britain, through various re-organisations, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars remain today on the establishment of the Territorial...
, and 1st and 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry
Northamptonshire Yeomanry
The Northamptonshire Yeomanry was a unit of the British Army formed in 1794 as volunteer cavalry, it later served in an armoured role before being reduced to squadron level in 1956...
. On 14 April 1940 it was re-titled the 20th Armoured Brigade; a title it has retained ever since.
The Brigade played a vital role in the defence of the United Kingdom during the first year of the Second World War, including guarding aerodromes and other vulnerable points. In May 1940, due to the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force from France and the increased threat of invasion, a Brigade force known as the Yeomanry Armoured Detachment was formed to defend the coast of East Anglia, concentrating at Moulton Paddocks, Newmarket as a counter-attack force to repel any potential Nazi offensive. The Detachment was commanded by Brigadier Evelyn Fanshawe
Evelyn Fanshawe
Sir Evelyn Dalrymple Fanshawe CB, CBE was a British Major General and the Director of the International Refugee Organisation in the British Zone of Germany from 1948-1952....
and consisted of a composite squadron from each regiment in the Brigade equipped with its best equipment, namely an assortment of Bren carriers, light tanks, Guy armoured cars and lorries. This was disbanded at the end of May as it began to receive more carriers and lorries.
The Brigade subsequently moved to Surrey in June where it was assigned to the 1st Armoured Division at the end of the month, which was being reorganised after it had returned depleted from Dunkirk. With the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
being fought overhead, brigade troops were tasked with conducting anti-invasion exercises and the reconnaissance of all roads leading to the coast, covering most of Kent, Surrey and Sussex. It finally began to receive modern tanks in September 1940 when the first Valentine tank
Valentine tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. More than 8,000 of the type were produced in 11 different marks plus various purpose-built variants, accounting for approximately a quarter of wartime British tank production...
s began to arrive.
The Brigade was reorganised and acquired the 2nd Battalion The Rangers on 16 October 1940 when it came under the command of 6th Armoured Division, whose insignia was a white mailed fist with a black background. The mailed fist - a symbol of the hard punch that an armoured formation gives the enemy - was selected by General John Crocker
John Crocker
General Sir John Tredinnick Crocker GCB, KBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer and corps commander during the Second World War.- First World War :...
DSO MC as the Division's recognition flash from a design created by Lieutenant Colonel Broadhurst, an Australian serving on his staff as Assistant Director of Ordnance Services (Engineering).
On 12 September 1941, King George VI inspected 20th Armoured Brigade at Lakenheath
Lakenheath
Lakenheath is a village in Suffolk, England. It has around 8,200 residents, and is situated in the Forest Heath district of Suffolk, close to the county boundaries of both Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, and at the meeting point of the The Fens and the Breckland natural environments.Lakenheath is host...
in Suffolk during a parade and march-past of all the fighting vehicles in the Division. It was the first time that an entire armoured division – at that time over 14,500 men and 4,500 vehicles – had been formed up complete in the same place. The logistical challenges of staging the parade and the scale of the air threat sealed the fate of the Brigade, contributing towards the decision in 1942 to halve the tank strength of an armoured division.
The Brigade continued to serve in Home Forces under various commands until 15 January 1943. At this time the Brigade became a training formation and its regiments, on conversion to the armoured reconnaissance role, were posted elsewhere. Many former brigade troops subsequently saw active service in North West Europe including operations in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and into Germany.
On the 30 April 1943 the 20th Armoured Brigade was disbanded.
Cold War Era
On 15 September 1950 the 20th Armoured Brigade was reformed in the UK for a strategic reserve role. However the Brigade was moved to MünsterMünster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Germany in December 1951 to supplement the British contribution to NATO forces in Europe where it again came under the command of 6th Armoured Division, this time 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:...
(BAOR).
The 1957 Defence White Paper announced the end of National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
resulting in a number of reductions and changes across the Armed Forces. Part of this restructuring saw the disbandment of the 6th Armoured Division in April 1958. The Brigade survived as the new 20th Armoured Brigade Group, initially under the command of the 4th Infantry Division
4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
, and moved to Hobart Barracks, Detmold
Detmold
Detmold is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of about 74,000. It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947...
. It assumed the insignia of the old Division – the "Iron Fist
Iron Fist
Iron Fist is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the , and a practitioner of martial arts. Created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, he first appeared in Marvel Premiere #15...
" symbol that it wears to this day.
The pattern of life was determined by the BAOR training cycle and the demands of higher formation exercises as politicians and military commanders considered how best to face the threat of a Soviet invasion. Brigade troops frequently found themselves supporting multi-national NATO exercises, often working alongside the fledgling Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
(German Army). In October 1961, the Brigade participated in Exercise Spearpoint which was designed to demonstrate that the BAOR was able to conduct large-scale intensive operations under both conventional and nuclear conditions.
In September 1959, The Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
reorganised all of their independent squadrons into a single numbering system from 200 upwards. This meant that when the Brigade’s Signal Squadron adopted the title "200" in 1962 it automatically became the 'Senior Signal Squadron' in the British Army by precedence.
Two years later it amalgamated with the Brigade's Headquarters Squadron and took over responsibility for the administration and defence of the HQ. This combined role is still in place today and together the two separate units are designated as "20th Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200)".
On 22 June 1974, 20th Armoured Brigade and the German 21st Panzer Brigade, based in Augustdorf
Augustdorf
Augustdorf is a municipality in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It has an area of 42.21 km² and c. 10,000 inhabitants.-External links:*...
, held a partnership parade to emphasise the confidence and understanding which exists between the allied forces of the NATO countries.
BAOR experimented with a major restructuring towards the end of the 1970s as it reorganised into 4 Divisions, each with 2 task force headquarters. These task forces could command any grouping of units from within their division and were designated sequentially Alpha through Hotel. As a result, on 1 December 1977, 20th Armoured Brigade was temporarily renamed "Task Force Hotel" under the command of the 4th Armoured Division. However Task Force Hotel reverted to its Brigade designation on 1 January 1980 and its units were realigned under the Brigade Headquarters.
Further unit rotations continued throughout this period with many famous regiments and battalions of the British Army converting to the armoured role to serve within the Brigade. Typical were The Life Guards
Life Guards (British Army)
The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some...
who served in Detmold during 1971-75 and again in 1980-84. As the Regiment moved to BAOR they became a Tank Regiment for the first time in their history, only to re-role as an Infantry Battalion in order to deploy on three separate operational tours of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Post-Cold War
Following the fall of the Berlin WallBerlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
in November 1989 and the anticipated peace dividend at the end of the Cold War, the British government announced a series of cuts in defence spending under the 1990 "Options for Change
Options for Change
Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in 1990, aimed at cutting defence spending following the end of the Cold War....
" programme. As a result of the restructuring, in December 1992, the Brigade merged with the 33rd Armoured Brigade and moved its headquarters to Barker Barracks, Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
where it came under the command of the 1st (UK) Armoured Division
British 1st Armoured Division
The 1st Armoured Division is an armoured division of the British Army. Originally formed in November 1937 as the Mobile Division, it saw extensive service during the Second World War, was disbanded afterward, was reconstituted in 1976, and remains in service today...
. By 1994 the overall troop strength in Germany had been halved and BAOR was replaced by British Forces Germany
British Forces Germany
British Forces Germany , is the name for British Armed Forces service personnel and civilians based in Germany. It was first established following the Second World War as the British Army of the Rhine ....
(BFG).
Headquarters 20th Armoured Brigade, with some elements of the Brigade deployed to the former SFR Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
in April 1995 to take command of Sector South West under the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
mandate. Based at Gornji Vakuf in central Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, the commander was responsible for a large multi-national UN force as well as having responsibility for all forces in FRY. The end of the tour coincided with a declaration of peace and a shift in emphasis to a larger NATO force.
In October 1996 the Brigade returned to FRY as part of IFOR
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
. It was initially based at Šipovo
Šipovo
Šipovo is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity and the southern part of the Bosanska Krajina region. The municipality covers an area of , much of which is forested. The Glogovac monastery of the Serb Orthodox...
, moving to Banja Luka
Banja Luka
-History:The name "Banja Luka" was first mentioned in a document dated February 6, 1494, but Banja Luka's history dates back to ancient times. There is a substantial evidence of the Roman presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including an old fort "Kastel" in the centre of...
in December 1996, whilst overseeing the transition from IFOR to SFOR
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
and Operation RESOLUTE to Operation LODESTAR. The Brigade returned to Paderborn in April 1997.
In August 1999, the Brigade again deployed to Banja Luka on Operation PALATINE. It returned to Paderborn in December 1999, and moved to their current location in Antwerp Barracks, Sennelager
Sennelager
Sennelager is a village in Germany that forms part of the City of Paderborn. It is notable by the presence of a British army barracks, where the 20th Armoured Brigade are currently situated...
on 20 August 2001.
20th Armoured Brigade was awarded the Freedom of the City of Paderborn by the town council on 28 May 2005. The right to exercise the freedom was presented "as a contribution for consolidation of the Anglo-German friendship, the joint solidarity in NATO and a further element for the building of the joint house Europe".
Operation TELIC (Iraq)
In October 2003, the Brigade first deployed to southern Iraq on Operation TELICOperation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
3 where it was based at Basra Palace.
The Brigade returned to southern Iraq again in April 2006 during Operation TELIC 8, and was situated in Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, Al Amarah
Amarah
Amarah , is a city in southeastern Iraq, located on a low ridge next to the Tigris River waterway south of Baghdad about 50 km from the border with Iran. It lies at the northern tip of the marshlands between the Tigris and Euphrates....
and Al Muthanna Provinces. During the seven month summer tour the troops contributed to the successful handover of security in two of the four Iraqi Provinces within the Multinational Division (South East)
Multi-National Division (South-East) (Iraq)
Multi-National Division was a British commanded division responsible for security in the south east of Iraq from 2003 to 2009. It was responsible for the large city of Basra and its headquarters were located at Basra Airport. The division was initially responsible for the governorates of Al...
(MND(SE)).
The Iron Fist returned to Basra for a third time in 2008 for Operation TELIC 13. It became the last British brigade to serve in Iraq at the end of the UK's 6-year combat mission in the country on 30 April 2009.
Operation HERRICK (Afghanistan)
20th Armoured Brigade took over command of Task Force HelmandTask Force Helmand
Task Force Helmand is the name given to a military unit of the International Security Assistance Force in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Task Force Helmand is currently part of Regional Command Southwest and consists of military forces from countries such as Estonia and the U.K....
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines on 9 October 2011, officially marking the start of Operation HERRICK
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom...
15.
Today
The Brigade today includes The Queen's Royal HussarsThe Queen's Royal Hussars
The Queen's Royal Hussars is the senior United Kingdom light cavalry regiment. It was formed on 1 September 1993 from the amalgamation of The Queen's Own Hussars and The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars...
, a tank regiment equipped with the 62 tonne Challenger 2 main battle tank, and two armoured infantry battalions - 1st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
and 5th Battalion The Rifles
The Rifles
The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
- both equipped with the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle
Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicle
The Warrior tracked vehicle family is a series of British armoured vehicles, originally developed to replace the older FV430 series of armoured vehicles. The Warrior started life as the MCV-80 project that was first broached in the 1970s, GKN Sankey/Defence winning the production contract in 1980....
. 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the regiment recruits from Wales, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and is the senior cavalry regiment, and therefore senior regiment, of the line of the British Army...
provide the reconnaissance role to the Brigade with their fast and agile Scimitar
FV107 Scimitar
FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the British Army. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm gun. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps, Armoured Regiments in the Reconnaissance role...
Armoured Vehicles.
1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment
Yorkshire Regiment
The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas...
(Prince of Wales's Own) is a Light Role Infantry Battalion based in Oxford Barracks, Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
. They have been part of 20th Armoured Brigade since returning from Operation TELIC 9 in Iraq in 2007.
Headquarters 20th Armoured Brigade is currently located in Sennelager, on the outskirts of the city of Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
, north Germany. Since September 2009 it has been commanded by Brigadier Patrick Sanders DSO OBE.
Structure
20th Armoured Brigade Units 2010- 20th Armoured Brigade HQ and Signal Squadron (200) (Brigade Headquarters)
-
1 The Queen's Dragoon Guards1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the regiment recruits from Wales, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and is the senior cavalry regiment, and therefore senior regiment, of the line of the British Army...
(Formation Reconnaissance) -
The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish) (Armoured) -
1 Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal RegimentPrincess of Wales's Royal Regiment"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
(Queen's and Royal Hampshires) (Armoured Infantry) -
5 Battalion The RiflesThe RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
(Armoured Infantry) -
1 Battalion The Yorkshire RegimentYorkshire RegimentThe Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas...
(Light Role Infantry)
Attached units:
-
26 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) -
35 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....
(Armoured Engineers) -
3 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...
Brigade Commanders
Recent commanders have included:- 1939-1942 Brigadier Evelyn FanshaweEvelyn FanshaweSir Evelyn Dalrymple Fanshawe CB, CBE was a British Major General and the Director of the International Refugee Organisation in the British Zone of Germany from 1948-1952....
- 1954-1956 Brigadier John Hackett
- 1958-1961 Brigadier James d'Avigdor-GoldsmidJames d'Avigdor-GoldsmidMajor-General Sir James Arthur d'Avigdor-Goldsmid, 3rd Baronet CB OBE MC was a British Army officer and British Conservative politician...
- 1963-1965 Brigadier Richard WardRichard Ward (British Army officer)General Sir Richard Erskine Ward GBE KCB DSO MC was Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong.-Military career:Ward was commissioned into the Royal Tank Corps in 1937. He served in World War II with 5th Royal Tank Regiment 1939 in the Western Desert and North Africa taking part in the Battle of El...
- 1965-1968 Brigadier Patrick Howard-DobsonPatrick Howard-DobsonGeneral Sir Patrick John Howard-Dobson GCB is a former Quartermaster-General to the Forces.-Military career:...
- 1969-1970 Brigadier John Stanier
- 1972-1973 Brigadier Richard LawsonRichard Lawson (British Army officer)General Sir Richard George Lawson KCB, DSO, OBE, KCSS is a former British Army officer, who served as General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and later as Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe....
- 1978-1979 Brigadier Bernard Gordon-Lennox
- 1979-1981 Brigadier John StibbonJohn StibbonGeneral Sir John James Stibbon KCB OBE is a former Master-General of the Ordnance.-Military career:Educated at Portsmouth Southern Grammar School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Stibbon was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1954.He was appointed Commanding Officer of 28th...
- 1973-1975 Brigadier Maurice JohnstonMaurice Robert JohnstonLieutenant-General Sir Maurice Robert Johnston KCB CVO OBE is the former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, 1981–1982, and Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire from 5 July 1996 to 10 November 2004.-Early life and army career:...
- 1987-1989 Brigadier Michael Walker
- 1994-1996 Brigadier Andrew PringleAndrew PringleMajor General Andrew Robert Douglas Pringle, CB, CBE is a retired British Army officer and currently president of KBR's International Government and Defence business.-Military career:...
- 1996-1997 Brigadier David LeakeyDavid LeakeyLieutenant-General Arundell David Leakey CMG, CBE is a former British military commander. He was Director General of the European Union Military Staff in the Council of the European Union, Brussels...
- 1997-1999 Brigadier Nick Parker
- 2001-2004 Brigadier David Rutherford-JonesDavid Rutherford-JonesMajor-General David John Rutherford-Jones CB is a British Army officer and former Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst....
- 2004-2005 Brigadier Nick CarterNick Carter (British Army officer)Major General Nicholas Patrick "Nick" Carter CBE DSO is a senior British Army officer and formerly Commander of combined forces, including British Forces, in Southern Afghanistan.-Military career:...
- 2005-2007 Brigadier James Everard
- 2007-2009 Brigadier Tom Beckett
- 2009-date Brigadier Patrick Sanders
See also
- Sennelager Training AreaSennelager Training AreaThe Sennelager Training Area is a military training area in Germany under the control of British Forces based in Paderborn Garrison. It covers an area of and belongs to the German Government which discharges its responsibility through the Federal Real Estate Office...
- British anti-invasion preparations of World War IIBritish anti-invasion preparations of World War IIBritish anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War entailed a large-scale division of military and civilian mobilisation in response to the threat of invasion by German armed forces in 1940 and 1941. The British army needed to recover from the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force in...
- British Army Order of Battle - September 1939
- NATO intervention in BosniaNATO intervention in BosniaThe NATO intervention in Bosnia consisted of a series of actions undertaken by NATO to establish and then preserve peace during and after the Bosnian War...
- List of British gallantry awards for the Iraq War
- Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–present
- Provincial Iraqi ControlProvincial Iraqi ControlThe objective of the Iraqi Government and Multi-National Forces in Iraq is to achieve the transition of responsibility for each of the 18 provinces in Iraq from the Coalition to the Iraqi civil authorities, both national and local...
External links
- Official British Army website of 20th Armoured Brigade (The Iron Fist) www.army.mod.uk/20brigade
- History of BAOR BAOR locations
- British Army Locations from 1945 British Army Locations from 1945