Memoirs of a Desert Rat: HQ Squadron, 4th Armoured Brigade 1942–1946

Kenneth W. Morris was a clerk in HQ Squadron, 4th Armoured Brigade (‘Black Rats’), initially part of the 7th Armoured Division, who served in battles and campaigns including El Alamein, the liberation of Sicily and the Italian Campaign. As a clerk, he had access to a wide range of materials pertaining to his brigade’s activities, and the privilege of working alongside distinguished senior officers like brigadiers Carver and Currie.

Memoirs of a Desert Rat: HQ Squadron, 4th Armoured Brigade 1942–1946 is a personal story that chronicles thousands of miles of arduous campaigning—few units marched as far or fought as long. It is rich in detail—Morris documented troop movements, locations and precise timings—and both humorous and poignant at times, providing an intriguing mix of combat and downtime, desert life and bloodshed. It is a unique perspective on the war and the only known memoir of an HQ Squadron ‘Black Rat’.