Indian 6th Infantry Division

The name Indian 6th Infantry Division was given to British Indian Army divisions formed during World War I and World War II. Today there is a 6th Mountain Division within the post-independence I Corps of the Indian Army at Bareilly.

History

World War I

The 6th (Poona) Division served in the Mesopotamian campaign. Led by Major General Townshend, after a string of earlier successes, the 6th Division was delivered a setback at the Battle of Ctesiphon in November 1915. Following this engagement, the division withdrew back to Kut, where Townshend made the decision to hold the city. After a lengthy siege by the Ottomans, Townshend surrendered in April 1916. Following the surrender, the garrisoned force conducted a forced march back to Anatolia. The suffering of the enlisted soldiers was particularly egregious, and a high percentage died as a result.

World War II

It was created on 1 March 1941 in Secunderabad. On 11 September 1941 it was shipped to the Iraq and later Iran. The division remained in the Middle East where it was disbanded on 15 October 1944 in Basra, Iraq.

Component units

"as of 3 March 1941"
* Indian 26th Infantry Brigade
**2nd Btn Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
**1st Btn Hyderabad Regiment
**2nd Btn 8th Punjab Regiment
**1st Btn 1st Gurkha Rifles
**1st Btn 9th Gurkha Rifles (The Malaum Regt) [cite web|title=burmastar|url=http://www.burmastar.org.uk/36thdiv.htm]

* Indian 27th Infantry Brigade
* Indian 28th Infantry Brigade

* 17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry (The Poona Horse)
* 6th Indian Infantry Division Signal Regiment
* 27th Field Company, Indian Engineers (IE)
* 57th Field Company, IE
* 58th Field Company, IE

Commanders

* Maj.Gen. J.N. Thomson
* Maj.Gen. A.W.W. Holworthy
* Maj.Gen. B.H. Chappel

References

External links

*