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 reconnaisance, transporting personnel and equipment under fire, mostly support weapons such as mortars, or as machine gun platforms.