The Universal Carrier was a British tracked light armored vehicle from the Second World War. The first prototypes were built in 1935, and serial production was carried out in the period 1936-1945. In total, as many as 75,000 copies of this vehicle of all versions were created, which makes it the most frequently produced British armored vehicle during the Second World War. The Universal Carrier was powered by an engine Ford GAE or GAEA with 65 HP. The armament of the vehicle varied depending on the version, but most often it consisted of a 7.7 mm Bren machine gun.
The Universal Carrier was derived from the VA D50 tractor developed at Vickers and was the result of a British Army contract for a lightweight, versatile tracked transporter. Originally, there were three versions of the car: the Vickers heavy rifle carrier, the Bren Gun Carrier, the Scout Carrier reconnaissance vehicle and the armored personnel carrier dedicated to Cavalry Carrier cavalry units. However, in 1939 it was decided to standardize all these vehicles and - with the outbreak of the war - put such a unified vehicle (Universal Carrier) into mass production. During World War II, the Universal Carrier was used for a wide variety of tasks: as an armored personnel carrier, as a reconnaissance vehicle or as an artillery tractor for a 6-pound 57mm gun. The Universal Carrier turned out to be a very successful, reliable, cheap to produce vehicle, susceptible to modernization and improvement. It was produced not only in Great Britain, but also in Canada, India and Australia. He served in many armies, including British, Australian and Canadian. It was also used by the Polish Armed Forces in the West (PES). The Universal Carrier vehicle served on all fronts where the British army fought in World War II: from the campaign in France in 1940, through the fighting in North Africa (1940-1943) and Italy (1943-1945), to the campaign in Normandy, in France and in West Germany (1944-1945). He also fought in the Far East against Japanese troops (1941-1945).
