UNIT stands for UNified Intelligence Taskforce, (formerly it stood for United Nations Intelligence Taskforce), a fictional entity in the Doctor Who universe.
UNIT first appeared in the Second Doctor serial The Invasion, (1968), although Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart had appeared earlier in The Web of Fear (1968), as a military Colonel. UNIT went on to feature in many Third Doctor stories, as the Doctor was exiled to Earth in Spearhead from Space (1970), and became UNIT's Scientific Advisor following the Auton attack. The Doctor would maintain this post in subsequent incarnations. UNIT is a large organisation and many personnel have featured in Doctor Who over the years. Some lead, supporting and recurring characters have worked for or have been affiliated with the organisation.
| Contents: | Top · 0–9 · A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Corporal Adams, played by Max Faulkner, was stationed in Devesham during the Kraal invasion, as seen in the Fourth Doctor serial The Android Invasion (1975). The Kraals made an android replica of him. Faulkner had previously played a UNIT Soldier in the Third Doctor serial The Ambassadors of Death (1970).
| Doctor Who character | |
|---|---|
| Brigadier Winifred Bambera | |
| Affiliated | UNIT |
| Species | Human |
| Home planet | Earth |
| Home era | 20th century |
| Appears in | Battlefield |
| Portrayed by | Angela Bruce |
Brigadier Winifred Bambera, played by Angela Bruce, appeared in the Seventh Doctor serial Battlefield (1989) as UNIT's commanding officer. She worked alongside the Seventh Doctor, Ace (whom the Doctor had initially passed off as UNIT's former Scientific Advisor, Liz Shaw, with Liz's old security pass), and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (pulled out of retirement for the duration of the crisis), in defeating the extra-dimensional forces of Morgaine and Mordred in Carbury. She was in command during the mid-1990s and was tasked with transporting a nuclear missile across Britain. Bambera is shown able to fight with weapons and in hand-to-hand combat. She took a no-nonsense, by-the-book approach to command that warranted the respect of those under her. Major Husak and Sergeant Zbrigniev reported directly to her. She uses the word "shame" as an expletive.
Bambera appears several times in the Virgin New Adventures novels, notably in Head Games and The Dying Days. It is revealed that she marries Ancelyn, the Arthurian knight from Battlefield, and that the couple have twins. She is mentioned as having served as a Colonel under Brigadier Crichton in the noveliastion of Downtime. Her later life is seen in the Prelude to Transit (where she holds the rank of General) and the short story Excalibur of Mars in the Bernice Summerfield anthology Present Danger.
In the IDW comic The Forgotten, the Ninth Doctor used the name "Brigadier Bambera" as an alias when visiting World War I.
She reunited with the Seventh Doctor and Ace in the Big Finish Productions Lost Stories audio Animal.
| Doctor Who character | |
|---|---|
| Corporal Bell | |
| Affiliated | UNIT |
| Species | Human |
| Home planet | Earth |
| Home era | 20th century |
| First appearance | The Mind of Evil |
| Last appearance | The Claws of Axos |
| Portrayed by | Fernanda Marlowe |
Corporal Bell, played by Fernanda Marlowe, was one of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's administrative support staff. She appeared in the Third Doctor serials The Mind of Evil (1971) and The Claws of Axos (1971). According to the Doctor Who: Missing Adventures novel The Eye of the Giant by Christopher Bulis (and reiterated in a number of subsequent novels), her first name is Carol. The canonicity of spin-off media is unclear.
Major Beresford, played by John Acheson, was in command when UNIT was called on to help defeat the Krynoids in the Fourth Doctor serial The Seeds of Doom (1976). Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart was in Geneva at the time.
Private Betts, played by David Billa[1], was a UNIT soldier posted at Llanfairfach in Wales during the incident with the Giant Maggots, as seen in the Third Doctor serial The Green Death (1973).
| Doctor Who character | |
|---|---|
| Major Richard Blake | |
| Affiliated | UNIT |
| Species | Human |
| Home planet | Earth |
| Home era | 21st century |
| Appears in | "The Christmas Invasion" |
| Portrayed by | Chu Omambala |
Major Richard Blake worked at UNIT during "The Christmas Invasion" (2005). He contacted the Torchwood Institute on the orders of Prime Minister Harriet Jones. Having been transported to their ship, he was killed by the Sycorax for protesting about them killing Daniel Llewellyn, the Project Director for the Guinevere One space probe.
Private Bryson, played by Colin Bell, was on duty during the supposed 'Dinosaur Invasion', as seen in the Third Doctor serial Invasion of the Dinosaurs (1974). Somewhat gullible, he held the Doctor captive after his arrest, but was sent away by Sergeant Benton to get rope to tie the Doctor up, allowing Benton to prompt the Doctor to escape.
Mr Campbell was a Scotsman working in UNIT's scientific supply section during the Third Doctor serial Terror of the Autons (1971). According to the novelisation, he holds the rank of Corporal.
Corporal Champion, played by James Haswell, was on duty during the incident involving three alien 'ambassadors', as seen in the Third Doctor serial The Ambassadors of Death (1970).
Six unnamed corporals have appeared in the series, played by Billy Horrigan, (The Mind of Evil), Clinton Morris and Derek Martin (The Claws of Axos), Patrick Milner (The Dæmons), Pat Gorman (Invasion of the Dinosaurs) and Bernard G. High (Terror of the Zygons, the novelisation of which calls him Palmer).
Colonel Charles Crichton played by David Savile, succeeded Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart as Brigadier following the latter's retirement. He briefly met the Second Doctor during a UNIT reunion, featured in the Fifth Doctor story The Five Doctors (1983), at which Lethbridge-Stewart was also present. The Doctor branded him as "unpromising". He later becomes the deputy director of The Forge.
Bill Filer, played by Paul Grist, was an American intelligence agent sent to liaise with UNIT about the Master. Kidnapped and duplicated by Axos, he managed to escape and help the Doctor and UNIT defeat Axos, in the Third Doctor serial The Claws of Axos (1971).
Corporal Forbes, played by George Lee, was killed by an Auton during the Nestene Consciousness's first invasion of Earth, seen in the Third Doctor serial Spearhead from Space (1970).
Major Frost was a high-ranking United States military officer called to 10 Downing Street during the crisis surrounding the appearance of aliens in London, seen in Ninth Doctor episode "Aliens of London" (2005), owing to her expertise regarding aliens. She was killed alongside her colleagues, fellow experts, by the Slitheen, electrocuted by devices planted on their name tags. Only the Doctor survives. Her name, 'Frost', is only given on her name tag and it has led to fan speculation that it is derived from character Muriel Frost, featured in the comic strip in Doctor Who Magazine. This argument is fuelled by earlier drafts of the episode's script that had the Doctor refer to her directly as "Muriel Frost". However, in this episode, she is dressed in US military uniform. According to the UNIT website set up by the BBC, she was commander of the Geneva EVA Team, although the canonicity of this is unclear.
Private Gray played by Wesley Theobald, was present during the investigation of the ATMOS corporation in The Sontaran Stratagem (2008). After stumbling across a Sontaran cloning laboratory, both he and Private Carl Harris had their minds altered to obey only the Sontarans, and were sent back into UNIT as double agents. He was described by the Sontaran leader General Staal as smelling of sweat and fear. Once the Sontarans had arrived on Earth attacking in force, he and Harris reported to Commander Skorr for duty – and were casually gunned down.
Grimshaw was a UNIT soldier saved by Sarah Jane Smith, in the Fourth Doctor serial Robot (1975).
Dr. Oliver Harrington was in charge of UNIT's medical team at the Large Haldron Collider in Geneva during the events of Torchwood audio play Lost Souls.
Private Harris was wounded during the Cybermen invasion of Earth, as seen in the Second Doctor serial The Invasion (1968).
Private Carl Harris played by Clive Standen, has appeared in 3 episodes of Doctor Who series 4. His first appearance in the 2 part episode ("The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky") (series 4.4. and 4.5. 2008). He led the UNIT operation in to the ATMOS facility and teamed up with Private Gray to secure the basement of the factory where they stumble across a cloning tank (complete with embryonic Clone) and the Sontaran leader General Staal. Staal was impressed with Harris's courage, and declared him an "above average soldier" before disparaging Harris' heightist jokes against him and brainwashing Harris to act as a double agent for the Sontarans. He set about capturing Martha Jones and assisting Commander Skorr with her cloning and then commandeering the TARDIS. Still hypnotised, he and Gray later reported to Skorr to fight alongside the Sontarans but were casually gunned down (although their deaths were never shown on screen).
He returned in the episode "Turn Left" leading a UNIT operation in a parallel universe and announcing the Tenth Doctor's death during the events of the attempted Racnoss invasion, the events of which occurred previous to the Sontaran invasion.
On Page 129 of the reference book The Time Traveller's Almanac, Harris' first name is given as Carl.
Sergeant Hart, played by Richard Steele, was killed by the Silurians in the Third Doctor serial Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970).
Captain Hawkins, played by Paul Darrow, fought against the Silurians before being killed by the Young Silurian when he came to Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's rescue in the Third Doctor serial Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970). According to the Doctor Who: Missing Adventures novel The Scales of Injustice by Gary Russell, his first name is Sam. The canonicity of spin-off media is unclear.
Sergeant Henderson, played by Ray Barron, was crushed and turned into compost by Harrison Chase when he fought against the Krynoid in the Fourth Doctor serial The Seeds of Doom (1976).
Major Husak, played by Paul Tomany, served under Brigadier Bambera during the transporting of the nuclear missile across Britain and during the battle at Carbury against the extra-dimensional forces of Morgaine and Mordred, as seen in the Seventh Doctor serial Battlefield (1989). He was responsible for evacuating civilians from the area. He was Czechoslovak by birth.
Sally Jacobs, played by Anita Briem, was a technician on duty in the UNIT facility in the Tower of London during the Sycorax invasion, seen in the Tenth Doctor episode "The Christmas Invasion" (2005). She reported that the Sycorax signal came from 5000 miles above the Earth, not from Mars, which led to the realisation that there was a ship in orbit. She had A+ blood which meant she succumbed to the Sycorax mind control. As a result of this, she stood poised to jump off the roof of the Tower of London. When the Doctor presses a glowing red button aboard the Sycorax ship, the humans affected are released from the Sycorax mind-control and come down from the roof safely, but confused, with no memory of how they got up there.
Ross Jenkins, codename "Greyhound 40", appeared in the Tenth Doctor episodes "The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky" (2008). He was portrayed by Christian Cooke. Ross was first seen talking to another UNIT soldier when Mace ordered him to take the Doctor to the Rattigan Academy. He was shot and killed by the Sontaran Commander Skorr.
Private Johnson, played by Christian Cooke, was revealed to be one of Reegan's henchmen in the Third Doctor serial The Ambassadors of Death (1970). According to the Doctor Who: Missing Adventures novel The Scales of Injustice by Gary Russell, his first name is Jeff. The canonicity of spin-off media is unclear.
Major Kilburn appeared in Enemy of the Bane in The Sarah Jane Adventures. However, he was actually a Bane who wanted to capture and eat Mrs Wormwood (Whether there was ever a real Major Kilburn was never established).
Colonel Karim played by Laila Rouass, appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor. She delivered the unfortunate news to Sarah Jane, that the Doctor had been killed. She was in conjunction with the Shansheeths for the Doctor's funeral at the UNIT base in Mount Snowdon. She's killed when the memory weave explodes.
Private Latimer, played by David Simeon, was on duty during the Inferno drilling crisis, as seen in the Third Doctor serial Inferno (1970).
Flight Lieutenant Françoise Lavel, played by Dorota Rae, flew Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Ret'd), in a UNIT helicopter from his home to Carbury, scene of the battle against the extra-dimensional forces of Morgaine and Mordred, as seen in the Seventh Doctor serial Battlefield (1989). Morgaine crashed the helicopter and captured Lavel, stealing her memories, then later killing her senselessly.
| Doctor Who character | |
|---|---|
| Colonel A. Mace | |
| Affiliated | UNIT |
| Species | Human |
| Home planet | Earth |
| Home era | 21st century |
| Appears in | "The Sontaran Stratagem" / "The Poison Sky" |
| Portrayed by | Rupert Holliday-Evans |
Colonel Mace is the commanding officer of a large contingent of UNIT (the Unified Intelligence Taskforce) in 2009. Mace first appeared in "The Sontaran Stratagem" / "The Poison Sky" (2008). He originally seemed to view the Doctor as a superior officer, saluting him and taking his orders; however, the two clashed and Mace began to be irritated by the Doctor's manner and repeated casual dismissals of him and UNIT, while simultaneously irritating the Doctor through his overtly militaristic manner and insistence on a combat solution to the situation brought on by the Sontarans (Although both agreed that the presence of 'Sir Alistair' would be of great assistance at this time).
Despite repeatedly being told UNIT could not face the Sontarans, he organised the troops for an assault on a Sontaran position, telling the Doctor he wasn't listening any more, and rallied the troops with a speech about how they would show "every passing alien with an axe to grind" to not mock them and see "what the human race is capable of". He even manages to impress the Doctor by having the Valiant clear away the poison gas surrounding the factory. He then successfully leads the recapture of the area, managing to personally kill the Sontaran second-in-command, Commander Skorr.
Although Colonel Mace's first name was never mentioned on screen, the letter initial of A can be seen on the I.D. Card displayed on his uniform. On Page 129 of the reference book The Time Traveller's Almanac, it says that the A stands for Alan.
In the Torchwood serial Children of Earth, John Frobisher and Colonel Oduya discuss Mace's posting in Vancouver. However, as this conversation is a swift change of subject to avoid classified information being heard by Lois Habiba, it is not clear if there is any truth in it.
| Doctor Who character | |
|---|---|
| Captain Erisa Magambo | |
| Affiliated | UNIT |
| Species | Human |
| Home planet | Parallel Earth Earth |
| Home era | 21st century |
| First appearance | "Turn Left" |
| Last appearance | "Planet of the Dead" |
| Portrayed by | Noma Dumezweni |
Captain Erisa Magambo was the UNIT officer in Donna Noble's parallel universe, working with Rose Tyler to restore the correct universe in the 2008 episode "Turn Left". Her UNIT team helped construct a time machine from the TARDIS to send Donna back into the past.
Magambo returned in the 2009 episode "Planet of the Dead", this time on non-parallel Earth, as a senior officer of a UNIT patrol. She was leading a team of UNIT soldiers and Doctor Malcolm Taylor who were investigating a wormhole which was, unbeknownst to them, created by the deadly Swarm. Taylor and Magambo aided the Doctor's attempt to return to planet Earth from the Earth side of the wormhole, however when the Doctor refused to give full details of the impending Swarm she considered shutting the wormhole down to save the planet. Malcolm refused to shut the wormhole without the Doctor coming back through and resisted even under the threat of Magambo shooting him. Yet the Doctor was able to come back through with the aid of the modified 200 Bus and Magambo led her troops in destroying the three Swarm aliens that came through the wormhole before its closure. After thanking the Doctor and bringing his TARDIS back to him (apparently it had been found in the gardens of Buckingham Palace), she commented on having to clear up the mess, to which the Doctor refused to help in the paperwork.
Captain Jimmy Munro, played by John Breslin, was Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's captain during the first Nestene invasion of Earth, as seen in Third Doctor serial Spearhead from Space (1970). He cordoned off Oxley Woods after the second fall of Nestene 'meteorites' and was the first to encounter the TARDIS and the Third Doctor.
Corporal Nutting, played by Alan Mason, set up the explosives that destroyed the Silurian bases in Wenley Moor, in the Third Doctor serial Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970).
Private Ogden, played by George Bryson, fought during the supposed 'dinosaur invasion', as seen in the Third Doctor serial Invasion of the Dinosaurs (1974).
Colonel Augustus Oduya, played by Charles Abomeli, appears in the Torchwood serial Children of Earth. In the first part, he meets with civil servant John Frobisher to announce suspicions of an alien invasion by the 456. He correctly deduced that if UNIT had pieced the situation together, then Torchwood also must have done so as well. He met with the Prime Minister as well as the interview with the 456 and, along with UNIT soldiers, witnessed the latter's death.
Sergeant Osgood, played by Alec Linstead, served in Devil's End, during the Master's interference there, as seen in the Third Doctor story The Dæmons (1971). He fought against Azal and Bok. He had the unenviable task of trying to build a device designed by the Doctor to be used against Azal. According to the Doctor Who: Missing Adventures novel The Eye of the Giant by Christopher Bulis, his first name is Tom. The canonicity of spin-off media is unclear.
Corporal Palmer, played by Denys Palmer, fought against Omega's Gel Guards in the Third Doctor serial The Three Doctors (1973). This may be the same character as the Corporal named in the novelisation of Terror of the Zygons, according to The Universal Databank by Jean-Marc Lofficier.
Private Parker, played by James Clayton, was on duty during the incident involving three alien 'ambassadors', as seen in the Third Doctor serial The Ambassadors of Death (1970).
Private Perkins, played by Stacy Davies, was killed during the Cybermen invasion, as seen in the Second Doctor serial The Invasion (1968).
| Doctor Who character | |
|---|---|
| Captain Marian Price | |
| Affiliated | UNIT |
| Species | Human |
| Home planet | Earth |
| Home era | 21st century |
| First appearance | "The Sontaran Stratagem"/"The Poison Sky" |
| Portrayed by | Bridget Hodson |
Captain Marian Price first appeared in the background in "The Sontaran Stratagem" and was introduced fully in "The Poison Sky". She was in charge of monitoring systems and reports on how the planet was coping under the Sontaran gas, and controlled the launching of UNIT-coordinated nuclear weaponry. After the Doctor cleared the atmosphere with an atmospheric converter, she kisses Colonel Mace in excitement, only to remember herself afterward and awkwardly turn away. Like Colonel Mace she salutes the Doctor upon meeting him. Her collar dogs indicate that she is a member of the Royal Engineers.
A Radio Operator, played by Gypsie Kemp, appeared in the Third Doctor story Day of the Daleks (1972). (According to the Doctor Who: Missing Adventures novel The Scales of Injustice by Gary Russell, her name is Maisie Hawke and her rank is Corporal. The canonicity of spin-off media is unclear.)
Lieutenant Richards served under Brigadier Bambera whilst transporting a nuclear missile across Britain. When the battle against the extra-dimensional forces of Morgaine and Mordred erupted at Carbury, as seen in the Seventh Doctor serial, Battlefield (1989), Richards was heading the Salamander 6-0 convoy. She was killed by the sorceress, Morgaine.
Private Robins, played by Harry Swift, was mentally perturbed by fighting the Silurians, as seen in the Third Doctor story Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970). Robins committed suicide by jumping into a chasm. According to the Doctor Who Missing Adventures novel The Scales of Injustice by Gary Russell, his first name was Steve. (The canonicity of spin-off media however is unclear.)
Major-General Rutlidge, played by Edward Dentith, was a Minister responsible for supervising Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's UNIT operations on British soil at the Ministry of Defence and was seen in the Second Doctor serial The Invasion (1968). He was an old military school friend of the Brigadier. Tobias Vaughn took control of his mind and used him to prevent UNIT interfering with the Cybermen invasion of Earth. He was forced to kill himself by Vaughn, when he tried to rebel.
General Sanchez, played by Michael Brandon, was an American Lieutenant General appearing in The Stolen Earth (2008). He commanded UNIT's Manhattan base, including oversight of Project Indigo, and authorised Martha Jones to use the Sontaran based technology to find the Doctor. He also entrusted her with one of five Osterhagen Keys for use in case that search failed. Following Martha's escape it was heavily implied that he was exterminated by the Daleks. His shoulder patch shows that he is from the 82nd Airborne Division.
A Sergeant, played by Derek Ware, appeared in the Third Doctor serial The Ambassadors of Death (1970). Ware went on to play Private Wyatt in the next serial Inferno (1970) and Pigbin Josh in the later Third Doctor serial The Claws of Axos (1971).
A Sergeant, played by Simon Legree, appeared in the Third Doctor serial The Time Monster who was the senion noncom of the platoon that accompanied Captain Yates.(1972).
Several unnamed soldiers have appeared in the series, played by: Max Faulkner, (The Ambassadors of Death) (Faulkner later played Corporal Adams The Android Invasion); Les Conrad, (Terror of the Autons); Pat Gorman, (Planet of the Spiders, the novelisation of which refers to him as Corporal Hodges) (Gorman had appeared in a prior serial, Invasion of the Dinosaurs as a UNIT Corporal); Brian Fellows (Robot); and Peter Symonds (Terror of the Zygons). Another soldier is seen in The Time Warrior.
Sir John Sudbury was a high-ranking British civil servant with C19, a department in charge of the UNIT liaison. He vouched for the Doctor after a Concorde disappeared, in the Fifth Doctor story Time-Flight (1982).
Private Stevens, played by Leslie Bates[1], was a UNIT soldier posted at Llanfairfach in Wales during the incident with the Giant Maggots, as seen in the Third Doctor serial The Green Death (1973).
Malcolm Taylor, played by Lee Evans, is UNIT's Welsh scientific advisor working under Captain Erisa Magambo in Tenth Doctor story "Planet of the Dead", successfully devising a means so intelligent it impressed the Doctor himself of analysing and closing a wormhole that the Doctor had travelled through while riding in a bus.[3]
A Technician, played by Ellis Jones, appeared in the Third Doctor serial Spearhead from Space (1970).
Field-Marshal Thatcher was based in Geneva during the Second Doctor serial The Invasion (1968). When Major-General Rutledge, under Tobias Vaughn's duress, tried to prevent UNIT from interfering with the Cybermen invasion of Earth, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart threatened to go over Rutledge's head, directly to Thatcher.
Corporal Tracy, played by Geoffrey Cheshire, fought against the Cybermen in the Second Doctor serial The Invasion (1968). According to the Doctor Who: Missing Adventures novel The Scales of Injustice by Gary Russell, his first name is Jack. The canonicity of spin-off media is unclear.
Captain Jimmy Turner, played by Robert Sidaway, was Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's Captain during the Cybermen invasion of Earth, as seen in the Second Doctor serial The Invasion (1968). He fell in love with Isobel Watkins, a former model and would-be photographer who became involved when the Doctor and his companions visited her house.
Rose Tyler, Dame Rose of the Powell Estate,[4] is an old companion of the Ninth and Tenth Doctors. In Turn Left, she is seen in an alternate timeline, working with Captain Erisa Magambo to send Donna Noble back in time to restore the original timeline. Her character develops remarkably from a ditzy shopgirl enamoured with the Doctor, into a confident, capable warrior and leader.
Unit Personnel, played by Iain Smith and Tessa Shaw, appeared in the Third Doctor serial Spearhead from Space (1970).
Unit Personnel, played by Leon Maybank and Barbara Chambers, appeared in the Third Doctor serial Day of the Daleks (1972).
Private Upton died fighting the Silurians in the Third Doctor serial Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970).
Sergeant Walters, played by James Thornhill, fought against the Cybermen under Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the Second Doctor serial The Invasion (1968).
Major Walton fought against the Silurians in the Third Doctor serial Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970).
Private Wright, played by Derek Pollitt, was killed by the Silurians in Gallery 5 under Wenley Moor in the Third Doctor serial Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970).
Private Wyatt, played by Derek Ware, was posted at the Inferno project, as seen in the Third Doctor serial Inferno (1970). He mutated into a Primord and later fell to his death. Ware had played a Sergeant in the previous serial The Ambassadors of Death (1970) and later played Pigbin Josh in the Third Doctor serial The Claws of Axos (1971).
Sergeant Zbrigniev, played by Robert Jezek, was Brigadier Bambera's sergeant in the Seventh Doctor serial Battlefield (1989). He was involved in transporting a nuclear missile across Britain and in fighting the extra-dimensional forces of Morgaine and Mordred in Carbury. He served under Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and knew about the Doctor's ability to regenerate, but it is not clear in which other stories he was present. He comments that U.N.I.T soldiers say when ever the Doctor turns up "all hell breaks loose."
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