Desert Rats
Formation badge of 7th Armoured Brigade, c1991. NAM 1990-11-10
Gulf War Rat Race
This ‘desert rat’ badge belonged to a member of 7th Armoured Brigade when they took part in Operation Desert Storm during 1991. That year a United Nations mandated coalition force liberated Kuwait after Iraq had invaded its neighbour.
Vehicles of 7th Armoured Brigade advancing, Iraq, 1991. NAM 1997-07-10
During the Second World War (1939-45) the Brigade was part of the 7th Armoured Division. According to legend, the wife of the divisional commander visited Cairo Zoo where she came across the Jerboa, a tiny jumping rodent. On her return, she produced a sketch she had made of the animal that was then was redrawn and adopted by the unit. As the Jerboa looked a bit like a rat, and the division was then serving in the Western Desert, they soon got the nickname ‘The Desert Rats.’ When the 7th Armoured Division was disbanded in 1953 the 7th Brigade carried on their tradition and famous title.
