The Desert Rats heading for military exercise in Germany...on a ferry

The Desert Rats heading for military exercise in Germany...on a ferryMembers of the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade and the Scots Guards took over a DFDS vessel from North Tyneside and the brigade had karaoke, a cinema and bingo for entertainment, but no alcohol.NewsJeremy Armstrong News Reporter17:12, 22 Apr 2026Updated 17:14, 22 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesTroops set off for Germany on a ferry(Image: Jeremy Armstrong/Daily Mirror)You would normally expect to see rats on a ship....‌But 1400 British army soldiers, including the brigade nicknamed the Desert Rats, left the UK today for a huge military exercise in Europe on a passenger ferry.‌Members of the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade and the Scots Guards, who were recently on operations in Oman, took over a DFDS vessel from North Tyneside.‌Nicknamed the Desert Rats, the brigade had karaoke, a cinema and bingo for entertainment, but no alcohol. They were heading for a NATO exercise in Sennelager, near Paderborn, Germany, where they will work alongside French soldiers for 6-8 weeks.READ MORE: What's left of Iran's stockpile of weapons revealed in new intelligence reportREAD MORE: Fears Iran war will explode again as defiant Tehran shuns peace talks despite Trump's threatsView 3 ImagesTroops lined up at the ferry terminal setting off for GermanyThe MoD stressed that using a civilian vessel had nothing to do with any shortage of navy ships. The exercise tests the UK’s ability to use civilian transport infrastructure if NATO’s Article Five is triggered. The agreement is the cornerstone of the alliance.‌It established that an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all members. It has been invoked once in NATO history following the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States in 2001.It was believed to be the first time our troops had used a passenger ferry in a military exercise since the last Gulf War. Charlie Gilmore is company commander of Right Flank, Scots Guards; they had around 100 troops on board....