The story of the 7th Armoured Division is a long one, for it covers the whole period of the war. The Division started to come together in 1938  when Headquarters, British Troops Egypt, assembled a "Mobile Force" at Mersa Matruh as the war clouds gathered over Europe. The purpose of the force was to counter the threat from the Italian Army, who as close allies of Germany, were, expected to attack the Suez Canal. This "Mobile Force" was the nucleus of the future 7th Armoured Division (and indeed the 8th Army) little could it be imagined at that time what a long hard road the men of the division were to tread on their way to Berlin some seven years later.

Following, a hard, but successfully North African campaign, and the invasion of Italy, the Division was withdrawn to England in January 1944 to prepare for the invasion of Europe and was stationed in Thetford Forest and the surrounding area. On the 8 May 1944 the armoured regiments moved to Orwell Park School, Ipswich, where in the extensive school grounds the men camped in tents, and the waterproofing of the vehicles completed before sailing from Felixstowe to Normandy landing on Gold Beach on the 6 June 1944. (The date of the landing is confirmed in the war diaries of the 4th County of London Yeomanry). The five months spent in the East Anglia area was the only time the Desert Rats were in the United Kingdom in the entire existence of the Division,

My service with the Desert Rats commenced when I joined the 4th County of London Yeomanry on the 16th February 1944 in High Ash Wood, Thetford Forest as a 17 year old, and I served with that Regiment until, with much sadness, it was disbanded on the 28th July 1944 following a major battle in Villers-Bocage on the 13th June 1944 while the regiment was leading the Division in a break through of the German lines. I was then transferred to the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and fought with that unit as a Cromwell Tank Gunner until the end of the war and was demobilised in 1947. The 4th CLY were replaced by the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards who remained with the Division until the Division was disbanded in 1948.

The Memorial is located about two miles north of Mundford, Norfolk, England on the west side of the A1065, at the entrance to the original camp sites occupied by the 4th County of London Yeomanry, and the 1st and 5th Royal Tank Regiments in 1944.

The quest to set up the Memorial to the Desert Rats began when following retirement in 1991 and a visit to Normandy in 1993, I commenced researching the history of the two regiments with which I had served as it affected me. During the research I found the original camp sites used by the 4th County of London Yeomanry and the two Royal Tank Regiments still existed in Thetford Forest, and is now part of Thetford Forest Park, an area of great natural beauty, used by many thousands of visitors for recreation purposes throughout the year under the control of The Forestry Commission

As I walking in High Ash Wood and reflected on the past, it occurred to me it was a pity that the majority of the visitors to the area probably knew nothing of its history and of its connection with what is arguably the most famous Armoured Division in the British Army. It was then I resolved to attempt to set up a permanent Memorial at the entrance to the original camp area showing the layout as it was in January 1944 with a summary of the history of the 7th Armoured Division.

On the 3 January 1996 I wrote to Her Majesty the Queen seeking her approval and support, and in a reply dated 8 February 1996, as Colonel in Chief of the Royal Tank Regiment, she graciously agreed to approve and support the project.

Following a meeting on the 17 July 1996, with Mr. Sandy Grieg, Forest District Manager, Forest Enterprise, the Forestry Commission kindly agreed to permit the construction of the Memorial in Thetford Forest, constructing a car park adjacent to the Memorial and a footpath connecting the camp sites used by the three Armoured Regiments to enable visitors to walk from the Memorial to the camp sites using directions shown on an area plan beside the Memorial following Desert Rat signs.

A successful funding campaign, aided by The British Legion, The Post Office, The Dulverton Trust, The Eastern Daily Press, and many generous donations from the general public enabled construction of the memorial to commence in July 1998.

The Memorial is a Cromwell Mark IV Tank set on a brick faced concrete plinth surrounded by a brick patio. The plinth and patio were constructed by the 39 Royal Engineer Regiment with the kind permission of the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel A D Macklin, RE.

The significance of the Cromwell Tank is that the armoured regiments of the 7th Armoured Division were equipped mainly with Cromwell Tanks while stationed in Thetford Forest, and I believe the Division was the first formation to take the then brand new British tank into action.

The final development of the Cromwell Tank was carried out by Rolls-Royce who fitted the tank with a Meteor engine (a modified Merlin Spitfire engine) which gave the tank phenomenal acceleration and a top speed of well over 50 mph. I am sure the acceleration and extraordinary speed of the Cromwell saved me and my fellow crew members on several occasions when the German gunners failed to appreciate the speed we were travelling, be it on the road or cross country. As for reliability, I can not recall a single mechanical breakdown of my tank due to engine failure.

All the tanks in the Division were named and my tank (5 Able "B" Squadron, 1 RTR) bore the inscription "Little Audrey Laughed and Laughed", although the tank was hit several times by anti tank weapons, it survived the war. In a Bazooka attack on the 26 September 1944 the Tank Commander, Sgt. A Davies, and Wireless Operator, Cpl. A (Taffy) Glenton were mortally wounded and are buried in Holland.

A short history of The Desert Rats since 1945

By the end of World War Two, the 7th Armoured Division was in and around Hamburg being occupation duties and soon moved to Berlin in July 1945, when it took part in the Allied Victory Parade. The 4th Armoured Brigade was in Northern German between Geesthacht and Hamburg and moved to other parts of Northern Germany while the 7th Armoured Brigade was in Northern Italy and parts of Austria.

Post war saw vast changes in the organisation of the three units as the British Army reduced in numbers of men and units, which included the disbanding of the 7th Armoured Brigade in 1946, with its name transferring to rename the 22nd Armoured Brigade within Division. In January 1948 the Division was disbanded, being perpetuated by 7th Armoured Brigade, but the Division was was reformed in March 1949 and served with the British Army On the Rhine (BAOR) until it was finally disbanded in January 1957 being formally removed from the British Army List in 1959. In its entire history it had only been in the United Kingdom for about six months. Following this date the name of the Desert Rats and the tradition of the original Division have been carried on by the 7th Armoured Brigade. Since then the 7th Armoured Brigade and served as part of British 1st Armoured Division as part of the BAOR and in other theatres and operations worldwide, such as Kuwait, Iraq, The Balkans and Afghanistan.

In March 1948 the 4th Armoured Brigade was also disbanded, but it was reformed in 1981 in Munster, West Germany, serving as part of British 1st Armoured Division as part of the BAOR, plus Kuwait and Iraq. In 2007 it was redesignated as the 4th Mechanized Brigade, with its men still wearing the Black Rat and is now part of British 3rd Mechanized Division based in the UK. Before this date like the 7th Armoured Division it had only been in the United Kingdom for about six months. 

Some of the regiments that served in the Division and Brigades have been disbanded or merged over the years and the organisation of each has changed many times over the years, but its is still good to know that the honours and traditions of the original Division and its two original Brigades are carried on by the men and women of today who still proudly wear the Desert Rat and the Black Rat emblems on their arms.

Donations to the Memorial Fund would be very much appreciated

Cheques should be payable to: The 7th Armoured Division Commemorative Fund and sent to :

Treasurer: Tina Scott, 8 Thurston Road, Beyton, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP30 9AE. Telephone 01359 270490.

Recommended Books about the 7th Armoured Division

Useful Websites related to 7th Armoured Division or the units that served in it

Video history of the Desert Rats on YouTube