# Desert Rats: British Eighth Army's Elite Desert Troops — WHE Definition Discussion

**URL:** <https://community.worldhistory.org/t/desert-rats-british-eighth-armys-elite-desert-troops-whe-definition-discussion/1262>\
**Category:** WHE Articles\
**Created:** [August 30, 2024, 9:07am UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/desert-rats-british-eighth-armys-elite-desert-troops-whe-definition-discussion/1262 "2024-08-30T09:07:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
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**Author:** ![markzcartwright](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/community.worldhistory.org/markzcartwright/32/35_2.png) [@markzcartwright](https://community.worldhistory.org/u/markzcartwright)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 9:07am UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/desert-rats-british-eighth-armys-elite-desert-troops-whe-definition-discussion/1262/1 "2024-08-30T09:07:01Z")

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The Desert Rats was the nickname of the 7th Armoured Division of the British Eighth Army, which first fought in North Africa during the Second World War (1939-45). Fighting in the Western Desert Campaigns and the North Africa Campaign, the Desert Rats, so called because of their jerboa shoulder flash, participated in such famous victories as the battles of El Alamein.

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_This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at [https://www.worldhistory.org/Desert\_Rats/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Desert_Rats/)._

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**Author:** ![markzcartwright](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/community.worldhistory.org/markzcartwright/32/35_2.png) [@markzcartwright](https://community.worldhistory.org/u/markzcartwright)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/desert-rats-british-eighth-armys-elite-desert-troops-whe-definition-discussion/1262/2 "2026-07-28T18:47:33Z")

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Unlisted on July 28, 2026, 6:47pm UTC