Universal Carrier

The Universal Carrier, popularly known as the Bren Gun Carrier from its light machine gun armament, was a British armoured tracked vehicle of the Second World War.

The Universal was the culmination of design of a series of light armoured tracked vehicles built initially by Vickers-Armstrongs and then production shared with other companies. The first carriers – the Bren Gun Carrier and the Scout Carrier which had specific roles – entered service before the war, but a single improved design that could replace these, the Universal, was introduced in 1940.

The vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War. Universal Carriers were usually used for light reconnaissance, transporting personnel and equipment under fire, mostly support weapons such as mortars, or as machine gun platforms.

Design and development

The origins of the Universal Carrier family can be traced back generally to the Carden Loyd tankettes family, which was developed in the 1920s, and specifically the Mk VI tankette.

In 1934, Vickers-Armstrongs produced, as a commercial venture, a light tracked vehicle that could be used either to carry a machine gun or to tow a light field gun. The VA.D50 had an armoured box at the front for driver and a gunner and bench seating at the back for the gun crew. The War Office considered it as a possible replacement for their Vickers "Light Dragon" artillery tractors and took 69 as the "Light Dragon Mark III". The War Office agreed in 1935 to purchase two for evaluation.