NEWS & EVENTS LETTER
Desert Rats Association
______________________________________________________________________
2015
Minutes of desert rats
meeting on Tuesday 27th January 2015
Chairman’s report was given by Rod Scott
Trip to Germany was very productive; we were able to obtain
new T-shirts, stickers and many items, many items were purchased as a result of
the Army moving from Germany
The new Nissan hut has now be obtained for the museum, and
awaiting permission to erect it, donations for the project has been very
fruitful
The new Museum will be in need of a separate committee and
trustees
A trustees meeting was held by General Sir Adrian Bradshaw,
attending were Brigadier Paul Nanson, Brigadier James Woodham Major Simon
Copley-Smith Rod and Tina Scott,
The General mentioned that all regiments would have their
own association secretary, who will be in charge of getting the young Desert
Rats to join us,
Treasures report
Donations have been coming in at a pace and the Bank
Balance is £11,259.81
Mostly donations for the up-start of the new museum
Next AGM is being held at the school at on Tuesday 14th April starting at 10 am, numbers are needed for food.
Although the meeting was low in numbers it was a good meeting
Meeting closed at 11-00
Tina Scott
Secretary
Please find below a letter to a from Brigadier P A E Nanson CBE
The Desert Rats Association Newsletter 2015-16
Where have we come from?
In 1938, Maj Gen Percy Hobart flew to Egypt to “Create an Armoured Division” from the Cairo Cavalry Brigade. The Brigade deployed to Western Egypt to conduct training and became known as the “Mobile Division.” Its order of battle was a Light Armoured Brigade, a Heavy Armoured Brigade and a Pivot Group (Artillery and Motorised Infantry).
In Feb 1940 the Mobile Division was officially re-designated the 7th Armoured Division with the Heavy Armoured Brigade re-designated as 4th Armoured and the Light as 7th Armoured Brigades. Its emblem was the famous ‘Red Rat,’ designed by the then GOC, Maj Gen Creigh, and sewn by his wife who was a nurse in Cairo. The first ‘Rat’ was worn by the General’s Command Vehicle Commander, Len
Burritt, who remains a member of the Association to this day.
When war came to the desert theatre of operations in Jun 1940, the Division was involved initially with border raids against the Italian Army, then mobile battles against the Deutsches Afrika Korps and the Italians. In Nov 1941, it took part in Operation CRUSADER, culminating in the bloody battles around Sidi Rezegh where the Division was virtually destroyed defending the airfield.
In Jan 1942, 7th Armoured Brigade deployed to the Far East to fight the Japanese Imperial Army in Burma. With great skill the Brigade covered the general retreat from Rangoon, the defence of the oil fields at Mandalay and then conducted operations on the Indian border. In 1943 it returned to the Middle East, serving in Iraq, Syria and then Egypt before deploying to Italy in May 1944, as an Independent Armoured Brigade. There it took part in helping break the GOTHIC and the HITLER Lines, before pushing up the Adriatic coast, crossing the Senio River and advancing on towards Venice and Trieste. At the end of the Second World War the brigade remained based in Northern Italy until early 1946 when it was disbanded.
Meanwhile 4th Armoured Brigade remained with the Division and fought in all the major desert battles, including El Alamein. It was during the final push on Tripoli that it too became an Independent Armoured Brigade and adopted the 'Black Rat' emblem. After the completion of the North African campaign, the Brigade landed in
Sicily, then mainland Italy before returning to England in Jan 1944 to prepare for Operation OVERLORD. From Normandy, 4 Brigade, as part of 21st Army Group, fought its way in to Germany, over the Rhine and up into Hamburg. In Mar 1948 it was disbanded, but was reformed in 1981 in Munster, West Germany.
The 7th Armoured Division's long and
illustrious history finally came to an end in April 1958, when it was converted
into 5th Division. 22nd Armoured Brigade was re-designated
7th Armoured Brigade in 1948 where it remained stationed in Soltau,
throughout the Cold War, and then moved to Bergen-Hohne on 1st April
1993.
Since
the end of the Cold War both Brigades deployed on Operation GRANBY in 1991 to
liberate
Where are we now?
The
past few years have been extremely busy for the 4th Mechanized
Brigade, “The Black Rats.” The
Brigade moved to its new home in Catterick in 2009.
Since then the Brigade has deployed to
7th
Armoured Brigade’s recent history has been dominated by operations in
Where
are we going?
The aim of this first Newsletter is to raise
awareness of the Association and to encourage the current generation of Desert
Rats to join. Membership is £10 and you can join by signing up on the website: desertrats.org.uk
The Association’s Annual Reunion takes place on Sunday 21 June on the original D-Day training site. The day includes a service, parade and a host of displays and stands – including WWII military equipment. Timings and location can be obtained from the website. Please come and show your support.
A pdf copy of this Newsletter can be found here.
Minutes
from meeting on Tuesday 14th April 2015
Chairman
Rod Scott
Alan
Kempsom
Secretary
Tina Scott
Bill Wells
Treasurer
Ian Paterson
No
Apologies
Rod and Tina Scott will be standing down on January 31st
2016 when Rod turns 70,
Army will be taking over Secretary's position and Major
Simon Copley-Smith to take over from Rod as Chairman,
Membership secretary will also change to Bill Wells from
Ken Harris.
Hopefully Ken Harris will take on the trustee of the new
Nissan Hut, and help keep the flags at the front near the tank looking good also
input to help design it, it will show short films and many forms of information,
there will be a place to make tea/coffee, electric water and toilets will be
installed, it will possibly be open on certain days rather than all week, school
trips and army visits would need to contribute for their visit and have times
arranged.
Heather Mead-Smith and Alan Kempson have agreed to help run
the museum.
The Party road will need the potholes filling so contacting
the farmer might be a good idea.
An Audit is being set up for the finances, which stand at
£12,085.20
We will do the BBQ again this year, also the biker boys van
will be present, anyone willing to help in anyway please contact Rod, we will
need donation of cakes etc for the tea tent, also any unwanted Christmas and
birthday gifts you may have for the tombola,
Mickie Driver and his boys will be singing the 1940’s
tunes
We have the offer of Cromwell tank for the day at a price
of £600, which is what it would cost to get it here,
The Event is on the website with regular updates by Ian
Paterson
Meeting closed at 10:50 am
Tina Scott
Secretary