10th Indian Infantry Division
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Indian 10th Infantry Division Pakistan 10th Infantry Division |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1941 - 1947 1947 - |
| Country | British India Pakistan |
| Branch | British Indian Army Pakistan Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Engagements | World War II: |
| Battle honours | North Africa Italy Indo-pak War 1965, Indo-Pak War 1971. |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
William Slim Wilfred Lloyd Denys Reid |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
 |
The Indian 10th Infantry Division was a war formed Indian division during the Second World War. In four years, the division traveled over 4,000 miles (6,400 km) from Tehran to Trieste, fought three little wars, and fought two great campaigns: Anglo-Iraqi War, Invasion of Syria-Lebanon, Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, North African Campaign, and Italian Campaign.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] World War II
The Indian 10th Infantry Division was formed in Iraq in early 1941 under Major-General W.A.K. Fraser. Command was passed in May 1941 to Major-General William "Bill" Slim when Fraser fell ill.
The division first fought in Iraq, in Syria, and in Iran against forces potentially barring the road from Europe to India.
We had scrambled thought skirmishes of the Iraq rebellion, been blooded, but not too deeply, against the French in Syria, and enjoyed the unrestrainedly opéra bouffe of the invasion of Persia. We had bought our beer in Haifa and drunk it on the shores of the Caspian. We could move, we could fight, and we had begun to build up that most valuable of all assets a tradition of success. We had a good soldierly conceit of ourselves. Now in March 1942, in spite of dust storms....it was stimulating to be in what we all felt was a critical spot, waiting for the threatened German invasion of Turkey.
– Slim – Defeat into Victory[1]
In March 1942 command of the division passed from Major-General Slim to Major-General T.W. "Pete" Rees when Slim was ordered to India to take command of Burma Corps, the kernal that would eventually become the Fourteenth Army.[2]
The division then moved on to North Africa for the battle for Libya and fought at El Adem during the Battle of Gazala. On 21 June command once again changed when Rees was posted to command Indian 19th Infantry Division in Burma. The division then fought under Major-General John Nichols at the Mersa Matruh defenses during the Eighth Army's retreat to El Alamein.
The division then went to Cyprus for regrouping and hill training under Major-General Alan Bruce Blaxland. In July 1943, Major-General Wilfrid Lloyd took command when Blaxland was promoted and in January 1944, command passed to Major-General Denys Reid when Lloyd was killed in an air crash. Reid remained in command until the end of British involvement in the division in 1947. After nearly a year of relative inactivity and training, the Indian 10th Infantry Division went in March 1944 to Italy.
In the Italian Campaign, the division faced hard fighting northwards through central Italy with the Eighth Army. The Gothic Line and the spring 1945 offensive with numerous mountain battles and river crossings followed with many battle honours earned, decorations won and casualties suffered before final victory in Europe. Security tasks on the Yugoslav border around Trieste completed the Division's war service.
[edit] Post War
Upon partition the division was allocated to Pakistan. The 10th Infantry Division is now stationed in Lahore as part of IV Corps Pakistan Army. The formation has a distinguished record in the defence of the city of Lahore from the numerically much superior Indian Army in both the 1965 and 1971 wars.
[edit] Division Formation in World War II
[edit] HEADQUARTERS
- 1st Duke of York's Own Skinner's Horse (Divisional Reconnaissance Reg)
- Royal Artillery
- HQ
- 68,97 & 154 Field Regiments RA
- 13 Anti-Tank Regiment
- 30 Light A.A. Regiment RA
- Indian Engineers
- 5 Field Company King George's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners
- 10 & 61 Field Companys Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners
- 41 Field Park Company King George's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners
- 10 Indian Division Signals
- 1st (MG) Bn The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
[edit] Indian 10th Infantry Brigade
- HQ
- 1st battalion Durham Light Infantry
- 4th battalion 10th Baluch Regiment
- 2nd battalion 4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles
[edit] Indian 20th Infantry Brigade
- HQ
- 8th battalion The Manchester Regiment (until Oct 1944)
- 2nd battalion The Loyal Regiment
- 1st battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment (from Oct 1944)
- 3rd battalion 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
- 2nd battalion 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles
- Nabha Akal Infantry (from Oct 1944)
[edit] Indian 25th Infantry Brigade
- HQ
- 1st battalion The King's Own Royal Regiment
- 3rd battalion 1st Punjab Regiment
- 4th battalion 11th The Sikh Regiment
- 3rd battalion 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles
[edit] Support Units
- Royal Indian Army Service Corps
- 10 Indian Division Troops Transport Company
- 10, 20 & 25 Brigade Transport Company
- 22 Indian Supply Company
- Medical Services
- I.M.S
- R.A.M.C
- I.M.D
- I.H.C
- I.A.M.C
- 14,21,&30 Indian Field Ambulances
- 10 Indian Division Provost Unit
- Indian Army Ordnance Corps
- 10 Indian Division Ordnance Field Park
- Indian Electrical & Mechanical Engineers
- 125,126 & 127 Infantry Workshop Companys
- 10 Indian Division Recovery Company
[edit] Badge
The Division's badge is shown to the right
[edit] Sources
- Mason, Philip (1982-06-09). The Indian Divisions Memorial, 1939-1945, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Wellingborough: Skelton's Press.
- Orgill, Douglas (1967). The Gothic Line: The Autumn Campaign in Italy. London: Heinemann.
