20th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)

Cold War On 15 September 1950, the 20th Armoured Brigade was reformed in the UK for a strategic reserve role. However, the brigade was moved to Münster, 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. 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 and together the two separate units are designated as "20th Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200)". Unit rotations continued throughout this period, as part of the continual Arms Plot. Many famous regiments and battalions of the British Army converted to the armoured role to serve within the brigade. Typical were the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, who served on a four-year rotational plan. As the Life Guards moved to BAOR, it became a Tank Regiment for the first time in its history, only to re-role as an infantry battalion in order to deploy on three separate operational tours of Northern Ireland. 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". 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 six-year combat mission in the country on 30 April 2009. Operation Herrick (Afghanistan) 20th Armoured Brigade took over command of Task Force Helmand in Afghanistan from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines on 9 October 2011, officially marking the start of Operation Herrick 15. ==Future==

Under the Army's new 2020 structure, in January 2015 the Brigade was retitled to 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade incorporating three armoured infantry battle groups. In 2016 the Brigade began its high readiness training in preparation for becoming NATO's lead for the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force Land [VJTF(L)] in 2017. The Brigade Headquarters moved to Wing Barracks, Bulford, in 2019. Under the 2021 Future Soldier plans, the brigade has been redesignated as the 20th Armoured Brigade, and is planned to include a reconnaissance regiment equipped with the General Dynamics Ajax. The current armoured regiment (QRH) will be re-equipped with the Challenger 3 tank and the armoured infantry battalions with the Warrior IFV re-equipped with the Boxer AFV. ==Structure==

The brigade is based at Bulford Camp. It will form as part of the Reaction Force. The current organisation of the brigade under the Defence in a Competitive Age is: • 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade Headquarters, at Wing Barracks, Bulford Camp • Royal Dragoon Guards, in Warminster (Armoured Cavalry) • Queen's Royal Hussars, at Assaye Barracks, Tidworth Camp (Armoured) • 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, at Mooltan Barrack, Tidworth Camp (Armoured Infantry) • 3rd Battalion, The Princess of Wales' s Royal Regiment at Leros Barracks, Canterbury (Army Reserve – Light Role Infantry) • 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, in Newcastle upon Tyne (Army Reserve – Armoured Infantry, paired with 1 R Fusiliers) • 5th Battalion, The Rifles, at Ward Barracks, Bulford Garrison (Armoured Infantry) • 7th Battalion, The Rifles, in Reading (Army Reserve – Armoured Infantry, paired with 5 Rifles) • 3 Armoured Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, in Tidworth (Armoured Close Support) Alliances • Germany - Panzerbrigade 21 (21st Panzer Brigade) ==Brigade commanders==

Recent commanders have included: • 1954–1956 Brigadier John Hackett • 1958–1961 Brigadier James d'Avigdor-Goldsmid • 1963–1965 Brigadier Richard Ward • 1965–1968 Brigadier Patrick Howard-Dobson • 1969–1970 Brigadier John Stanier • 1972–1973 Brigadier Richard Lawson • 1973–1975 Brigadier Maurice Johnston • 1978–1979 Brigadier Bernard Gordon Lennox • 1979–1981 Brigadier John Stibbon • 1985-1987 Brigadier Michael Regan • 1987–1989 Brigadier Michael Walker • 1992–1994 Brigadier Arthur Denaro • 1994–1996 Brigadier Andrew Pringle • 1996–1997 Brigadier David Leakey • 1997–1999 Brigadier Nick Parker • 1999–2001 Brigadier Jeffrey Cook • 2001–2004 Brigadier David Rutherford-Jones • 2004–2005 Brigadier Nick Carter • 2005–2007 Brigadier James Everard • 2007–2009 Brigadier Tom Beckett • 2009–2012 Brigadier Patrick Sanders • 2012–2014 Brigadier James Swift • 2014–2016 Brigadier Ian Mortimer • 2016–2018 Brigadier Michael Elviss • 2018–2020 Brigadier Dominic Biddick • 2020–2021 Brigadier Patrick Ginn • 2021–Present Brigadier Carl Boswell ==See also==