The 18th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in October, 1940 at Meerut in India and assigned to the 8th Indian Infantry Division. It was then detached for independent duties in Abaden (Abadan

Abadan

Abadan is a city in and the capital of Abadan County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. It lies on Abadan Island , from the Persian Gulf, near the Iraqi-Iran border. The civilian population of the city dropped to near zero during the eight-years Iran–Iraq War. In 1992, only 84,774 had returned to live...

) in Persia. In June 1942, 18th Brigade, having been rushed over to North Africa

Western Desert Campaign

The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...

 from Mosul, and attached to the 10th Indian Infantry Division had only two days to prepare defensive positions, was over-run by Rommel's

Erwin Rommel

Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....

 tanks at Deir el Shein in front of the Ruweisat Ridge

Ruweisat Ridge

Ruweisat Ridge is a geographical feature in the Western Egyptian desert, mid way between the Mediterranean Sea and the Qattara Depression. It was a prominent part of the defence line in the First and Second Battle of El Alamein. During the Second Battle of El Alamein, the 4th Indian Infantry...

. In the process, however, they gained valuable time for British Eighth Army to organise the defences for what was to be the first battle of Alamein

First Battle of El Alamein

The First Battle of El Alamein was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, fought between Axis forces of the Panzer Army Africa commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and Allied forces The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert...

 halting Rommel's advance towards Egypt. The remnants of the Brigade were then sent to the 5th Indian Infantry Division and the Brigade was officially disbanded in August 1942.

Formation

• 2/3rd Gurkha Rifles October 1940 to July 1942
• 3/10th Baluch Regiment
  10th Baluch Regiment
  The 10th Baluch or Baluch Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. After the Partition of India, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was amalgamated with the 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments...
  
   October 1940 to October 1941
• 1/2nd Gurkha Rifles November 1940 to April 1942
• 2/5th Essex Regiment
  Essex Regiment
  The Essex Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army that saw active service from 1881 to 1958. Members of the regiment were recruited from across Essex county. Its lineage is continued by the Royal Anglian Regiment.-Origins:...
  
   December 1941 to July 1942
• 4/11th Sikh Regiment
  11th Sikh Regiment
  The 11th Sikh Regiment were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1922, when after World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments....
  
   April to July 1942
• 2/11th Sikh Regiment
  11th Sikh Regiment
  The 11th Sikh Regiment were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1922, when after World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments....
  
  August 1942