17th Gurkha Division

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17th Gurkha Division
Active1952–1970
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Branch Flag of the British Army.svg British Army
Type Light infantry
Role Anti-tank warfare
Artillery observer
Close-quarters battle
Counterinsurgency
Indirect fire
Jungle warfare
Mountain warfare
Raiding
Reconnaissance
SizeDivision
Engagements Malayan Emergency

The 17th Gurkha Division/Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces (Malaya) was a British military formation that saw active service during the Malayan Emergency.

Contents

History

The Division was formed by redesignating Headquarters South Malaya District at Maxwell Road Camp, Malaya, on 1 September 1952 as part of the army response to the Malayan Emergency. [1]

It perpetuated the traditions of the former 17th Indian Infantry Division which had used a Black Cat as its emblem. [2]

Headquarters 17th Gurkha Division was the operational headquarters for all British and Gurkha units in Malaya. [3] It controlled the 26th, 48th and 63rd Gurkha Brigades, and 99th Gurkha Brigade which formed about 1952 also came under command. Maxwell Road Camp was renamed Lamjung Camp in 1953. [4]

In 1957, upon the Federation of Malaya gaining independence from British colonial rule, the Division was redesignated as the 17th Gurkha Division/Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces (Malaya). [5]

It was based at Lamjung Camp in Kuala Lumpur until 1966 when it moved to Seremban [4] where it remained until the Division disbanded in 1970. [6]

General Officers Commanding

Commanders included: [6]

References

  1. Queen's Gurkha Signals History Ministry of Defence
  2. "6th Gurkha Rifles". Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  3. Pocock, pp. 109–10
  4. 1 2 "British Army units 1945 On". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  5. McGrath, John J. (2006). Boots on the Ground: Troop Density in Contingency Operations. Kansas: Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN   0160869501.
  6. 1 2 Army Commands Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography