Indian Army Bren Gun Carrier


This photograph shows an Indian Army Bren Gun Carrier in North Africa in 1940. Britain sent half of all its tanks and large quantities of men and material to Egypt in 1940 despite being threatened with attack back in Britain. This investment in armed capacity illustrates how Britain perceived the strategic world in imperial terms. Egypt possessed the Suez Canal which was regarded as a vital artery for the British Empire and one which had to be defended if Britain was to be able to access the imperial resources from India, South-East Asia and Australasia.


Timelines | 20th Century Timeline


Armed Forces | Art and Culture | Articles | Biographies | Colonies | Discussion | Glossary | Home | Library | Links | Map Room | Sources and Media | Science and Technology | Search | Student Zone | Timelines | TV & Film | Wargames


by Stephen Luscombe