North African campaigns
Preserved but no longer current.
Afterwards served in N.W. Europe. Its divisional sign was a red desert rat on a black ground. The 4th Arm- oured Brigade, also of long standing in the desert, used a black rat on a white ground. The name was given contemptuously by Mussolini but adopted with pride and pleasure.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “North African campaigns” mean?
Afterwards served in N.W. Europe. Its divisional sign was a red desert rat on a black ground. The 4th Arm- oured Brigade, also of long standing in the desert, used a black rat on a white ground. The name was given contemptuously by Mussolini but adopted with pride and pleasure.
Is “North African campaigns” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.