- UNIT British contingent
Infobox Military Unit
universe =Whoniverse
unit_name=Unified Intelligence Taskforce
(British Contingent)
caption=Cap badge of UNIT
dates=1968 -
country=United Kingdom
branch=Tri-Service
type=Special Operations
command_structure=United Nations
role=Planetary Security
size= One battalion
current_commander=Colonel Mace
garrison=Tower of London
ceremonial_chief=UN Secretary-General
ceremonial_chief_label=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
notable_commanders= Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart
nickname=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=Arm Badge
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Tactical Recognition Flash
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=The British contingent of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT), formerly the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, is a fictional military organisation that features in the British
science fiction television series "Doctor Who ". It is one of several national contingents of UNIT that come under the authority of theUnited Nations .History
Within the fictional world of Doctor Who, UNIT traces its history back to the early 1960s and the Intrusion Countermeasures Group, an
ad-hoc unit of personnel seconded from theRAF Regiment under the command ofGroup Captain Gilmore. This formation had responsibility for dealing with external threats to theUnited Kingdom . In1963 , the group was called on to deal with what became known as "The Shoreditch Incident". This saw the first use of military power combined with scientific and technical assistance to deal with what was revealed to be anextra-terrestrial threat (in this case aDalek invasion). A further incident occurred in1968 , again seeing an extraterrestrial threat, in the form of the Great Intelligence and its robotic Yeti in theLondon Underground . Although not dealt with by the ICMG, this invasion was again defeated by a small force, this time of theBritish Army under the command of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart.These two incursions caused the
United Nations to realise that, with Earth increasingly branching out into space, the planet faced dangers from extraterrestrial threats, a defence was needed. As a consequence, it established UNIT with a mandate to investigate and defend against such threats. UNIT's main headquarters was established inGeneva , with major nations each establishing a contingent of troops, with command of the British contingent being given to Lethbridge-Stewart, who was promoted to the rank ofBrigadier . Not long after it was established, the British contingent was involved in stopping the worldwide invasion by theCybermen . Following this, UNIT began to adopt the practice of gaining scientific advice to help combat extraterrestrial threats, with the British contingent recruiting a scientific adviser.In addition to combatting alien threats, the British contingent has also been responsible for providing general security under the aegis of the UN. A significant example was the provision of security at the Styles peace conference.
Organisation
UNIT's authority comes from enabling legislation that allows the organisation to assume emergency powers as and when needed. While it is part of the UN, the personnel in each national contingent are seconded from that nation's
armed forces . The British contingent is under the command of an officer of either OF-5 or OF-6 rank, but features personnel seconded from theBritish Army ,Royal Navy andRoyal Air Force . Because its personnel are on secondment, they are still bound by the UKchain of command , and the commander reports to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Defence through Department C-19. However, if the commander feels it appropriate and necessary, the commander can request that Geneva overrules the national government. UNIT's actual role is not publicly known, and is believed to be a covertcounter-terrorist organisation. The British contingent had its main headquarters at a convertedstately home that previously belonged to the Scarman family. However, at present UNIT's headquarters is in a bunker under theTower of London .Uniforms and Equipment
Upon its foundation, UNIT personnel were issued with
khaki coloured uniforms, with all personnel wearing a khakiberet as headdress, with the UNIT cap badge. Later, more standard national uniforms were issued to the British contingent; NCOs continued to wear the beret and UNIT cap badge, while officers were issued withforage caps and their own regimental cap badge, with the UNIT badge worn as collar dogs. In later years, UNIT was issued with the standard UN blue beret, to identify it more clearly as a UN organisation. This was later replaced by a red beret akin to that worn by theRoyal Military Police .The British contingent was equipped with standard equipment issued to the British armed forces. However, thanks to its experience with extraterrestrial incidents, it has built up a cache of knowledge and equipment capable of dealing with alien threats; a significant example is its stores of adapted ammunition:
*Armour-piercing rounds (forDaleks and robots)
*Explosive rounds (for Yeti)
*Silver tipped rounds (forwerewolves )
*Gold tipped rounds (forCybermen )
*Rad-steel coated rounds (for Sontaran's anti-copper bullet fields).List of Commanding Officers
*Brigadier A. Lethbridge-Stewart
*Colonel Charles Crichton
*Brigadier Winifred Bambera
*Colonel Ross Brimmicombe-Wood
*Colonel Robert Dalton
*Colonel Emily Chaudry
*Major Blake
*Colonel Mace ee also
*
UNIT
*List of UNIT personnel in Doctor Who
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