The 'Union Flag', the flag of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the 'Union Jack'
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, also known as the UK or Britain, is a country in Western Europe.
A former imperial power, at its height the British Empire, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface, making it the largest empire in history. The British Empire was not fully dissolved until after World War II.
The British Empire fought as a major Allied faction during World War I, and took part in numerous campaigns such as the Western Front, Gallipoli, Sinai, Palestine, and Mesopotamia.
During World War II, British troops played a large part in the war in multiple theaters. In Asia, British troops fought to defend colonies in India, Burma, Singapore and Malaya, while in North Africa, British troops fought an Axis advance into Egypt.
Closer to home, British forces played a part in the initial months of the war, prior to the Dunkirk evacuation. Britain was later among the forces involved in liberating France in 1944-45 in the Normandy landings, continuing to fight on the Western European front until the end of the war. In the intervening years, British aircraft fought in the Battle of Britain, engaging in aerial combat with German Luftwaffe bombers, while British cities were badly bombed during the Blitz.
In 1973, the United Kingdom joined the European Union. Though currently in the process of withdrawing following a 2016 referendum, it is anticipated to rejoin the EU sometime in the distant future.
Armed Forces
Military Branches
| Seal/Flag | Branch |
|---|---|
 |
The British Army is the land forces division in the British armed forces. Founded in 1707, they conduct ground operations. The British Army is featured in Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 1. |
 |
The Royal Air Force is the aerial forces division of the British armed forces. Founded in 1918, they conduct aerial support and operations. They are featured in Battlefield 1942. The RAF's precursor, the Royal Flying Corps, also appears in Battlefield 1. |
 |
The Royal Navy, the naval warfare division of the British armed forces, it is not featured in any Battlefield games, however the HMS Prince of Wales is featured in Battlefield 1942, and the Dreadnought of Battlefield 1 is modeled after the HMS Iron Duke-class battleships, whereas the L-Class Destroyer is modeled after the Laforey-class destroyers. |
 |
The Royal Marines are the amphibious light infantry force of the British armed forces, forming part of the Naval Service along with the Royal Navy. It is featured Battlefield 1: Turning Tides. |
The UK is a part of both NATO and the European Union, both of which are featured as factions in their own rights in the Battlefield series. The UK is therefore presumably involved indirectly in other Battlefield games as a part of these two alliances.
| ||||||||||||||
Location
Battlefield 1942
In Battlefield 1942, the UK itself is only featured as a location in one map, Battle of Britain. However, another map from Battlefield 1942, El Alamein, is set in the British colony of Egypt.
Battlefield 1
In Battlefield 1, a scene from the campaign chapter Friends In High Places is set in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. In the mission Forte Et Fidele, Clyde Blackburn and Wilson are aboard a Royal Navy dreadnought moored adjacent to the Houses of Parliament when a German bombing raid is launched against the city. The two crew a Bristol F2.B and take to the skies over the capital, where they shoot down a number of enemy fighters, bombers and Zeppelins.
Also, the map London Calling, made for the Air Assault gametype is set to appear in Battlefield 1: Apocalypse, featuring aerial combat above London.
| |||||||||||
| ||||||||
| |||||
Trivia
- In Battlefield 2, many of the default European Union weapons are directly referred to with the prefix "gb", indicating that they were originally planned as a playable faction instead of the EU.
- The British soldiers in Battlefield 1942 were voiced by Nigel Lindsay.