Indian 26th Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The 26th Indian Infantry Division, was part of the Indian Army during World War II. It fought in the Burma Campaign
.
, on a black background.
For much of 1942, the division was heavily engaged in internal security, and not regarded as battle-worthy due to lack of training and transport. It formed part of Indian XV Corps
, but late in 1942, it was taken over directly by Eastern Army.
For the First Arakan offensive
, all the division's brigades were detached one by one and committed to the offensive under the 14th Indian Infantry Division
. In March, the offensive stalled and the HQ of 26th Division relieved that of the 14th Division, taking over the Arakan front too late to prevent a minor disaster. After this the British fell back almost to their starting point on the Indian frontier.
Once reorganised, the division was in reserve for the first part of the Second Arakan Offensive, once again under XV Corps. When a Japanese counter-attack at Ngakyedauk
cut off the forward troops, 26th Division was deployed to relieve them. It fought down the coastal plain to reopen the roads by which the 5th Indian Division was supplied.
After the battle ended with the repulse of the Japanese attackers, the division took over the 5th Division's front and took part in the capture of two vital railway tunnels. After this, the Arakan offensive wound down to spare troops and resources for the battles in Manipur. The division was withdrawn during the monsoon
rains to recuperate.
Beginning in late 1944, the division was committed once again to the Arakan. During the Third Arakan Offensive and subsequent operations, 26th Division took part mainly in amphibious operations, including the unopposed capture of Akyab Island, and the Battle of Ramree Island
. Finally in April 1944, the division took part in Operation Dracula
, the capture of Rangoon.
After the Japanese surrender, the division reinforced other troops in Java
and Sumatra
, where the end of the war brought widespread disorder. The division was formally disbanded in India on 31 August 1945, but most of its units were stationed in Sumatra at Padang and Medan until November 1946, when they embarked at the port of Belawan to be disbanded in India.
4th Indian Infantry Brigade
36th Indian Infantry Brigade
71st Indian Infantry Brigade
Divisional Troops
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
.
History
When the Japanese invaded Burma in 1942, the various units in training or stationed around Barrackpur near Calcutta in India were hastily formed into the "Calcutta" Division on 20 March 1942. On 15 May, the division was retitled the Indian 26th Division. The division's badge was a Bengal tiger stepping through a blue triangle, representing the "delta" of the Ganges RiverGanges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
, on a black background.
For much of 1942, the division was heavily engaged in internal security, and not regarded as battle-worthy due to lack of training and transport. It formed part of Indian XV Corps
XV Corps (British India)
The XV Corps was a formation of the British Indian Army, which was formed in India during World War II. It took part in the Burma Campaign and was disbanded after the end of the war.-World War II:...
, but late in 1942, it was taken over directly by Eastern Army.
For the First Arakan offensive
Arakan Campaign 1942–1943
The Arakan Campaign of 1942–1943 was the first tentative Allied attack into Burma, following the Japanese conquest of Burma earlier in 1942...
, all the division's brigades were detached one by one and committed to the offensive under the 14th Indian Infantry Division
14th Indian Infantry Division
For the World War I formation see 14th Indian DivisionThe Indian 14th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II...
. In March, the offensive stalled and the HQ of 26th Division relieved that of the 14th Division, taking over the Arakan front too late to prevent a minor disaster. After this the British fell back almost to their starting point on the Indian frontier.
Once reorganised, the division was in reserve for the first part of the Second Arakan Offensive, once again under XV Corps. When a Japanese counter-attack at Ngakyedauk
Battle of the Admin Box
The Battle of the Admin Box took place on the Southern Front of the Burma Campaign from 5 February to 23 February 1944, in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II...
cut off the forward troops, 26th Division was deployed to relieve them. It fought down the coastal plain to reopen the roads by which the 5th Indian Division was supplied.
After the battle ended with the repulse of the Japanese attackers, the division took over the 5th Division's front and took part in the capture of two vital railway tunnels. After this, the Arakan offensive wound down to spare troops and resources for the battles in Manipur. The division was withdrawn during the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
rains to recuperate.
Battle of Ramree Island
The Battle of Ramree Island was fought for six weeks during January and February 1945, as part of the Indian XV Corps 1944/45 offensive on the Southern Front of the Burma Campaign during World War II....
. Finally in April 1944, the division took part in Operation Dracula
Operation Dracula
During World War II, Operation Dracula was the name given to an airborne and amphibious attack on Rangoon by British and Indian forces, part of the Burma Campaign. When it was launched, the Imperial Japanese Army had already abandoned the city.-Background:...
, the capture of Rangoon.
After the Japanese surrender, the division reinforced other troops in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, where the end of the war brought widespread disorder. The division was formally disbanded in India on 31 August 1945, but most of its units were stationed in Sumatra at Padang and Medan until November 1946, when they embarked at the port of Belawan to be disbanded in India.
Order of battle
as of 1 April 19444th Indian Infantry Brigade
4th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 4th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in September 1939, as the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade and renumbered 4th in June 1940,...
- 1st Bn The Wiltshire RegimentWiltshire RegimentThe Wiltshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 62nd Regiment of Foot and the 99th Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment of Foot....
- 2nd Bn 7th Rajput Regiment7th Rajput RegimentThe 7th Rajput Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, after the Indian government decided to reform the army moving away from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments...
- 2nd Bn 13th Frontier Force Rifles13th Frontier Force RiflesThe 13th Frontier Force Rifles was part of the British Indian Army, and after 1947, Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1922 by amalgamation of five existing regiments and consisted of five regular battalions.-History:...
36th Indian Infantry Brigade
36th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 36th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in June 1941, at Baleli in India and assigned to the 14th Indian Infantry Division. The brigade spent between March 1942 and April 1943, with the Eastern Army. It was then assigned to...
- 5th Bn 16th Punjab Regiment16th Punjab RegimentThe 16th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 15th Punjab Regiments in 1956 to form the Punjab Regiment....
- 8th Bn 13th Frontier Force Rifles13th Frontier Force RiflesThe 13th Frontier Force Rifles was part of the British Indian Army, and after 1947, Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1922 by amalgamation of five existing regiments and consisted of five regular battalions.-History:...
- 1st Bn 8th Gurkha Rifles
71st Indian Infantry Brigade
71st Indian Infantry Brigade
The 71st Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in March 1942, at Nowshera in India. The brigade was assigned to the 26th Indian Infantry Division on formation...
- 1st Bn Lincolnshire Regiment
- 5th Bn 1st Punjab Regiment1st Punjab RegimentThe 1st Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 14th, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956, to form the Punjab Regiment....
- 1st Bn 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles18th Royal Garhwal RiflesThe 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, after the Indian government decided to reform the army moving away from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. They were they only Indian Infantry regiment to remain intact...
Divisional Troops
- 12th Bn 12th Frontier Force Regiment12th Frontier Force RegimentThe 12th Frontier Force Regiment was part of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922. It consisted of five regular battalions; numbered 1 to 5 and the 10th Battalion. During the Second World War a further ten battalions were raised. In 1945 the prenomial "12th" was dropped when the British...
(divisional machine gun battalion)
- 160th (Jungle) Field Regt RARoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- 20th Mountain Regt IARoyal Indian ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Indian Artillery, generally known as the Royal Indian Artillery , was an administrative corps of the British Indian Army...
- 72nd, 28th, 98th Field Companies, IE
- 128th Field Park Company IE
- 44th, 48th, 51st, 58th, Animal Transport Companies, IASC
- 44th, 75th, 166th, General Purpose Transport Companies, IASC
- 1st, 46th, 48th, Indian Field Ambulances, IAMCIndian Army Medical Corps-Early history:Very little is known of the medical organisations that existed in the various Armies in this country in the ancient times. However, Kautilya’s Arthashastra shows that during battles, physicians with surgical instruments used to stand behind the fighting men...
- 26th Indian Division Provost Unit
- 26th Indian Division Signals Unit
- 54th, 55th Indian Workshop Companies, IEME
- 26th Indian Division Recovery Unit, IEME
Assigned brigades
All theses brigades were assigned or attached to the division at some time during World War II- 71st Indian Infantry Brigade71st Indian Infantry BrigadeThe 71st Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in March 1942, at Nowshera in India. The brigade was assigned to the 26th Indian Infantry Division on formation...
- 109th Indian Infantry Brigade109th Indian Infantry BrigadeThe 109th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in March 1942 in India, and assigned to the 26th Indian Infantry Division...
- 4th Indian Infantry Brigade4th Indian Infantry BrigadeThe 4th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in September 1939, as the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade and renumbered 4th in June 1940,...
- 36th Indian Infantry Brigade36th Indian Infantry BrigadeThe 36th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in June 1941, at Baleli in India and assigned to the 14th Indian Infantry Division. The brigade spent between March 1942 and April 1943, with the Eastern Army. It was then assigned to...
- British 6th Infantry Brigade
- British 23rd Infantry BrigadeBritish 23rd Infantry BrigadeThe British 23rd Infantry Brigade was a Second World War infantry brigade which saw active service in the Syria-Lebanon Campaign, the Western Desert Campaign and the Burma Campaign.-History:...
- 55th Indian Infantry Brigade55th Indian Infantry BrigadeThe 55th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in April 1942, in India. and assigned to the 7th Indian Infantry Division. In July to September 1942, it was attached to the North Western Army. Afterwards the brigade was assigned to...
- British 14th Infantry BrigadeBritish 14th Infantry BrigadeThe British 14th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation during both the First World War and the Second World War.- World War I :In 1914 this brigade was part of the 5th Division and moved over to France...
- 114th Indian Infantry Brigade
- British 29th Infantry BrigadeBritish 29th Infantry BrigadeThe 29th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade unit of the British Army. It was originally raised in 1914 and saw service during the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War.-First World War:...
- 2nd (West Africa) Infantry Brigade2nd (West Africa) Infantry BrigadeThe 2nd Infantry Brigade was a World War II unit of the British Army it was formed from battalions of the Royal West African Frontier Force in 1940...
- 22nd (East Africa) Infantry Brigade