11th Infantry Division (India)

Last updated

11th Indian Infantry Division
Active15 September 1940–15 February 1942
1 April 1965-date
Country British Raj Red Ensign.svg British India
Flag of India.svg  India
Allegiance British Indian Army
Indian Army
Branch British Raj Red Ensign.svg British Indian Army
Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army
Type Infantry
Size Division
Part of Indian III Corps
XII Corps
Garrison/HQ Ahmedabad
Nickname(s)Golden Katar Division
Motto(s)Jeet Nishchay [1]
Engagements Battle of Malaya
Battle of Jitra
Battle of Slim River
Battle of Singapore
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Commanders
Current CommanderMaj Gen Mohit Wadwa [2]
Notable
commanders		 David Murray-Lyon
Archibald Paris
Billy Key
Insignia
Identification
symbol		 11th indian infantry div.svg

The 11th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. It formed part of Indian III Corps in the Malaya Command during the Battle of Malaya. The division was re-raised on 1 April 1965 and is presently part of the XII Corps of Southern Command. [1] It is presently responsible for safeguarding the borders with Pakistan along Southern Rajasthan and Gujarat. [3]

Contents

History

Men of the 2/9th Gurkha Rifles training in the Malayan jungle, October 1941. Men of the 2-9th Gurkha Rifles.jpg
Men of the 2/9th Gurkha Rifles training in the Malayan jungle, October 1941.

It was originally commanded by Major-General Murray-Lyon until 24 December 1941. Under Murray-Lyon the 11th Indian Division was defeated at the Battle of Jitra and suffered some of its worst casualties during the retreat from Jitra and at the Battle of Gurun.

Murray-Lyon was fired by Lieut. Gen. Arthur Percival and replaced by Brig. A.C.M. Paris and then Maj. Gen. Billy Key. This division suffered such heavy casualties during the early stages of the campaign, that the 1st Leicesters and the 2nd East Surreys were forced to amalgamate, becoming the British Battalion and the 1/8th Punjab and the 2/9th Jats were also amalgamated, becoming the Jat-Punjab Battalion. The 6th and 15th Infantry Brigades were also amalgamated becoming the 6th/15th Indian Infantry Brigade.

After the Battle of Jitra the 11th Division, under Major-General Paris, inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese at the Battle of Kampar, but was almost completely destroyed at the Battle of Slim River. The division was reformed in Singapore with the remains of the 9th Indian Division.

The 11th Indian Division surrendered to the Japanese on 15 February 1942, along with about 130,000 other British and Commonwealth soldiers, when Singapore was surrendered.

Formation

On 10 December 1941, for more details of the brigade units see the individual brigade articles

6th Indian Infantry Brigade

Brig. William Oswald Lay

15th Indian Infantry Brigade

Brig. K.A. Garrett/ W. St. John Carpendale

28th Indian Infantry Brigade

Brig. W.St.John Carpendale/ Ray Selby

Support units

Assigned brigades

All these brigades were assigned or attached to the division at some time during World War II

Re-raising

11 Infantry Division was re-raised on 1 April 1965 at Yol, Himachal Pradesh as 11 Mountain Division under the command of Major General N. C. Rawlley PVSM, AVSM, MC. The division was subsequently re-organised as an Infantry Division and relocated to Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It was expanded to its full strength by June 1971. [1] The division had the following brigades-

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

Soon after raising, the division moved first to Gurdaspur and then to Bhuj for Operation Ablaze. It took over operational control of the Kilo Sector on 29 June 1965. 31 Infantry Brigade of the division took part in Operation Kabaddi and 30 and 85 Infantry Brigades took part in Operation Riddle between September and October 1965. [1] The 'order of battle' for the division was as follows -


Operation Kabaddi

Operation Ablaze / Operation Riddle

As the division had a large area of responsibility, the troop deployment was very thin on the ground. Pakistan's Army had the same problem and both forces made limited gains during the war. 30 Infantry Brigade captured Gadra in Sindh on 8 September 1965 and the division captured Dali on 19 September 1965. Pakistani troops captured Munabao railway station and the old fort at Kishangarh in Jaisalmer district. [8] The division eventually captured 388 square kilometres of Pakistani territory in this sector. [9]

Captain SK Mathur of 5 Air Observation Post Flight was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. The division also won 10 Vir Chakras. [1]

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

During Operation Cactus Lily, the division under Major General R.D.R. Anand was responsible for the Barmer sector. This area stretched from Pochheena in Jaisalmer district in the north to the inter-state boundary of Rajasthan and Gujarat in the south. The 'order of battle' for the division was as follows [10] -

The Pakistani defence in the Barmer sector was weak, with only 55 Brigade of Pakistani 18 Division in the area. The 11th Division attacked on the evening of 4 December 1971 targeting to reach the 'Green belt' area around the Indus River near Hyderabad. 85 and 330 Brigades pushed towards Naya Chor along the rail line, 31 Brigade advanced to Chachra. In the absence of any strong resistance, the division quickly achieved major territorial gains and constructed a link between the Indian and Pakistani rail lines between Munabao in Rajasthan to Khokhrapar in Sindh to support further operations. [11]

Despite the early gains, persistent air attacks by the Pakistan Air Force, supply and logistical problems and finally prolonged hesitation by the division halted the advance on the northern axis, before the troops reached Naya Chor. During this time, Pakistani troops were reinforced by 60 Brigade from 33 Division, which also took over the command of 55 Brigade. On the southern axis, 31 Brigade captured Chachra. Further advances were prevented as the ceasefire was declared. [12] [8] Following the operations, the division captured approximately 9,000 square kilometres of Pakistani territory, the largest in the western sector. [13] The division won the following honours [1] [14] -

Battle honours
Gallantry awards

Other operations

Divisional insignia

The present formation sign has a black background signifying an infantry division and a Katar facing upwards. The motto of the division is जीत निश्चय (Jeet Nischay), which translates to Victory and Determination. [1]


Related Research Articles

4th Infantry Division (India) Military unit

The 4th Indian Infantry Division, also known as the Red Eagle Division, is the infantry division of the Indian Army. This division of the British Indian Army was formed in Egypt in 1939 during the Second World War. During the Second World War, it took part in campaigns in East Africa, Syria, North Africa and Italy. Post independence, the division is part of the I Corps and headquartered at Allahabad.

39th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II, which became a Training Division in 1943 after its recovery into India from Burma. The division was re-raised after independence and 39 Mountain Division is presently located in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh under XVI Corps.

The 1st Armoured Division is an armoured division of the Indian Army, headquartered at Patiala, Punjab. It is part of II Corps of the Indian Army's Western Command.

5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) Infantry regiment of the Indian Army

5th Gorkha Rifles, also abbreviated as 5 GR(FF) is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese origin. It was formed in 1858 as part of the British Indian Army. The regiment's battalions served in the First World War (Mesopotamia) and Second World War.

Brigade of the Guards Military unit

The Brigade of The Guards is a mechanised infantry brigade of the Indian Army. It was raised as the first "all India", "all class" infantry unit of the Army where troops from all parts of India serve together, as opposed to other regiments that recruit from specific regions, ethnic groups or religions.

Parachute Regiment (India) Airborne and special forces regiment of the Indian Army

The Parachute Regiment is an airborne and special forces regiment of the Indian Army. It was raised in 1945 as part of the British Indian Army but was disbanded after the World War II and was re-raised in 1952 as part of the Indian Army. Currently it comprises nine Special Forces, five airborne, two Territorial Army and one Rashtriya Rifles battalions. The present Colonel of the regiment of the Parachute Regiment is Lt. Gen. Gurbirpal Singh, AVSM, SM.

Kumaon Regiment Military unit

The Kumaon Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world wars, and is the one of the highest decorated regiment of Indian army.

Punjab Regiment (India) Military unit

The Punjab Regiment is second oldest regiments still in service in the Indian Army, and is the most senior regional infantry regiment. It was formed from the 2nd Punjab Regiment of the British Indian Army in 1947 and has taken part in various battles and wars since, winning numerous honours for the same.

Battle of Basantar

The Battle of Basantar or the Battle of Barapind was one of the vital battles fought as part of the Bangladesh liberation war in the western sector of India. The Indian troops won a hard-fought battle that secured this area in the Punjab/Jammu sector. The name Battle of Basantar actually encompasses the entire gamut of battles and skirmishes fought in the Shakargarh sector.

8th Infantry Division (India) Military unit

The 8th Mountain Division was raised as the 8th Indian Infantry division of the British Indian Army. It is now part of the Indian Army and specialises in mountain warfare.

The Battle of Dhalai was a battle fought between Pakistan and India before the formal start 1971 India-Pakistan War for the liberation of Bangladesh. The battle started after an attack by Indian army on Pakistani border outpost (BOP) in East Pakistan on 28 October and lasted until 3 November 1971. Three infantry battalions belonging to 61 Mountain Brigade, one battalion belonging to East Bengal Rifles (EBR) and 7 Rajputana Rifles supported by an artillery sized brigade of Indian army fought against a battalion sized 12 Frontier Force of Pakistan army.

Rajput Regiment Military unit

The Rajput Regiment is one of the oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army tracing its origins to 1778 with the raising of the 24th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry. The 1st battalion of the regiment was formed in 1798. Prior to independence, the class composition of the regiment was Rajput and Punjabi Muslims. The present regimental composition consists primarily of troops from the Rajput communities and lesser numbers from other communities. The regimental insignia is a pair of crossed Rajputi Katars flanked by three Ashoka leaves on either side. This is mounted by the Lion Capital of Ashoka and a scroll below with the words 'The Rajput Regiment'.

Garhwal Rifles Indian army infantry regiment

The Garhwal Rifles is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1887 as the 39th (Garhwal) Regiment of the Bengal Army. It then became part of the British Indian Army, and after the Independence of India, it was incorporated into the Indian Army.

20th Infantry Division (India) Military unit

The 20th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army in the Second World War, formed in India, and took part in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War. After the war, the bulk of the division was deployed to French Indochina to oversee the handover from Japanese to French rule. For nearly all is operational life the division was commanded by Major-General Douglas Gracey. The division's history is subject of open source and historical records research, including the Order of Battle, on an open access, WW2 history website and subject of updates in August 2021

7th Indian Infantry Division Military unit

The 7th Infantry Division is a war-formed infantry division, part of the Indian Army that saw service in the Burma Campaign.

10th Indian Infantry Division Military unit

The 10th Indian Infantry Division was a war formed infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. In four years, the division travelled over 4,000 miles (6,400 km) from Tehran to Trieste, fought three small wars, and fought two great campaigns: the Anglo-Iraqi War, the Invasion of Syria-Lebanon, the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, the North African Campaign, and the Italian Campaign.

The Malaya Command was a formation of the British Army formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of British Malaya, which comprised the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States and the Unfederated Malay States. It consisted mainly of small garrison forces in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Taiping, Seremban and Singapore.

23rd Infantry Division (India) Military unit

The 23rd Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. It fought in the Burma Campaign. It was then reformed as a division of the independent Indian Army in 1959.

The 15th Indian Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the First World War. It served in the Mesopotamian Campaign on the Euphrates Front throughout its existence. It did not serve in the Second World War, but was reformed at Dehradun in 1964 as part of the post-independence Indian Army.

54th Infantry Division (India) Military unit

The 54th Infantry Division is an Infantry division of the Indian Army. The Division was raised as an Infantry Division, but was converted into a Reorganised Amphibious Formation (RAMFOR) in 2011. It is currently the only division of the Indian Army which carries out Amphibious warfare. The division is headquartered at Secunderabad in Telangana and is a part of XXI Corps. The Division is commanded by a Two-star General Officer of the rank of Major General titled General Officer Commanding (GOC).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "11 Division Golden Jubilee". 1 April 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "Maj Gen Mohit Wadhwa takes over the reins of Golden Katar Division". 19 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  3. ↑ "Maj Gen Dinesh Shrivastava assumes command of Golden Katar Division". 17 August 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  4. ↑ "6 Indian Brigade Units". Order of Battle. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  5. ↑ "15 Indian Brigade Units". Order of Battle. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  6. ↑ "28 Infantry Brigade units". Order of Battle. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  7. 1 2 "11 Division units". Order of Battle. Archived from the original on 14 March 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  8. 1 2 Rao, KVK (1991). Prepare or Perish: A Study of National Security. Lancer Publishers. ISBN   978-8172120016.
  9. ↑ "INDO PAK WAR 1965" . Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  10. ↑ Gill, JH (2003). An Atlas Of 1971 India Pakistan War - Creation of Bangladesh. National Defense University, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. p. 88-89.
  11. ↑ Singh, Air Commodore Jasjit (2013). "Role of Indian Air Force in 1971 War". KW Publishers Pvt Ltd. ISBN   978-9381904503.
  12. ↑ Gill, JH (2003). An Atlas Of 1971 India Pakistan War - Creation of Bangladesh. National Defense University, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. p. 58-59.
  13. ↑ "COMMAND - OLDEST FIELD FORMATION OF INDIAN ARMY" . Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  14. ↑ Khullar, Darshan (2017). Themes of Glory: Indian Artillery in War. VIJ Books (India) Pty Ltd. ISBN   978-9385563973.
  15. ↑ "Gujarat floods: Army's Golden Katar Division, IAF at rescue ops". 23 August 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2021.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.