12th Indian Infantry Brigade

Last updated

12th Indian Infantry Brigade
Activepre-1939 – 15 February 1942
Country British Raj Red Ensign.svg British India
AllegianceFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  British Empire
Branch British Raj Red Ensign.svg British Indian Army
Type Infantry
Size Brigade
Part of Malaya Command
III Corps (India)
Engagements Second World War
Malayan Campaign
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Lieutenant Colonel Ian MacAlister Stewart

The 12th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade at the outbreak of the Indian Army during World War II. It was sent to Singapore in August 1939 and took part in the Malayan Campaign before going into captivity with the Fall of Singapore in February 1942.

Contents

History

The 12th Indian Infantry Brigade was one of the regular units based in Malaya before the Japanese invasion in December 1941. During the Battle of Malaya which ended with the surrender of a British Army at Singapore in February 1942, the 12th Brigade performed better than most units. One of its units, 2nd Bn, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was considered to be the best jungle fighters at the time and the Argylls' commander, Lt.Col. Ian Stewart, one of the better leaders during the campaign. The brigade were among the first troops to face the Japanese when they landed on 7 December 1941 (See Japanese Invasion of Malaya).

While the rest of the British and Indian forces were thrown in disarray by the rapid encircling and flanking attacks of the Japanese, the 12th Brigade under Brigadier Archie Paris, was able to inflict casualties and slow down the Japanese forces during the fighting in Northern Malaya.

Order of battle

December 1941

Battle of Slim River

Commanders

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders</span> Line infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 2006

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) is a light infantry company (designated as Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland) and was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until amalgamation into the Royal Regiment of Scotland on 28 March 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force)</span> Military unit

The 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force) was a regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1849 as the 1st Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force) in 1903 and became 1st Battalion (Coke's) 13th Frontier Force Rifles in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army, where it continues to exist as 7th Battalion The Frontier Force Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16th Punjab Regiment</span> Former infantry regiment of the armies of British India and Pakistan

The 16th Punjab Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. Upon the Partition of India, it was transferred to the newly-raised Pakistan Army. It ceased to exist in this form in 1956, when it was amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 15th Punjab regiments to form the Punjab Regiment, an existing infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9th Infantry Division (India)</span> Infantry division of the British Indian Army during World War II

The 9th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. The division formed part of Indian III Corps in the Malaya Command during the Battle of Malaya. It was commanded by Major-General Arthur Edward Barstow.

The 28th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation which served during the First World War, the Second World War, The Malayan Emergency and Indonesian Confrontation.

Brigadier Ian MacAlister Stewart, 13th Laird of Achnacone, was a Scottish military officer who served in the British Army during both the First and Second World Wars. Known for his eccentric training methods, he commanded the 2nd Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, which participated in the Malayan campaign and the Battle of Singapore during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">27th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)</span> British Army unit which fought in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War

The 27th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw service in the First World War, the Second World War, and the Korean War. In Korea, the brigade was known as 27th British Commonwealth Brigade due to the addition of Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Indian units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">29th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

The 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">12th Frontier Force Regiment</span> Military unit

The 12th Frontier Force Regiment was formed in 1922 as part of the British Indian Army. It consisted of five regular battalions; numbered 1 to 5 and the 10th (Training) Battalion. During the Second World War a further ten battalions were raised. In 1945, the prenominal "12th" was dropped when the British Indian Army dispensed with prenominal numbering of its regiments. After the independence in 1947, it was formed into the Frontier Force Regiment, part of the army of Pakistan.

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.

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. It is presently responsible for safeguarding the borders with Pakistan along Southern Rajasthan and Gujarat.

SS Rooseboom was a 1,035 ton Dutch steamship owned by KPM (Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij of the Netherlands East Indies built in 1926 by Rijkee & Co of Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Slim River</span> Battle of the Malayan Campaign in World War II

The Battle of Slim River occurred during the Malayan campaign in January 1942 between the Imperial Japanese Army and the British Indian Army on the west coast of Malaya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Kampar</span> Battle of the Malayan Campaign in World War II

The Battle of Kampar was an engagement of the Malayan Campaign during World War II, involving British and Indian troops from the 11th Indian Infantry Division and the Japanese 5th Division.

The Japanese Imperial Army landed the 25th Army under the command of General Tomoyuki Yamashita on the east coasts of Malaya and Thailand on the night of 7 December 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">40th Pathans</span> Military unit

The 40th Pathans were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1858 as the Shahjehanpur Levy. It was designated as the 40th Pathans in 1903 and became 5th Battalion (Pathans) 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army, where it continues to exist as 16th Battalion The Punjab Regiment.

The 161st Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. As part of the arrangements for the independence and partition of British India the brigade was allocated to India and became the 161st Infantry Brigade in the army of the newly independent India.

In September 1939, the British Army was in process of expanding their anti-aircraft and mobile assets. Among these new changes was the formation of Anti-Aircraft Command which was formed on 1 April 1939, and the 1st Armoured Division formed in 1937. The list below will include the British Army units, colonial units, and those units which were in the process of formation.

The 2nd Malaya Infantry Brigade was a regular infantry brigade formed in 1940 with its headquarters in Singapore following the wartime expansion and reinforcement of Malaya Command. The Brigade participated in the Malayan Campaign and the Battle of Singapore against the Japanese until the surrender of the garrison in February 1942.

The 1916 Birthday Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The King, and were published in The London Gazette and in The Times on 3 June 1916.

References

    Bibliography