| 21st Indian Infantry Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1940–1945 |
| Country |  British India |
| Allegiance |  British Empire |
| Branch |  British Indian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements | Anglo-Iraqi War North African Campaign Italian Campaign |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Sir Philip Christison |
The 21st Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II.
It was converted from the Quetta Brigade in September 1940, and assigned to the 9th Indian Infantry Division. In March 1941, it was transferred to the 10th Indian Infantry Division and took part in the Anglo-Iraqi War in May 1941. The brigade then moved to Egypt and came under command British Eighth Army between July and November 1942. It returned to Iraq, assigned to the 8th Indian Infantry Division, in November 1942 and moved with to Damascus in March 1943. In September the division arrived in Taranto in southern Italy and the brigade remained with 8th Indian Division throughout the rest of the Italian Campaign apart from short attachments to the British 78th Infantry Division in November 1943, and the British 6th Armoured Division between April and May 1944. [1]
The following officers commanded the brigade during the war. [3]
The 4th Indian Infantry Division, also known as the Red Eagle Division, is an 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 Prayagraj.
The 5th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II that fought in several theatres of war and was nicknamed the "Ball of Fire". It was one of the few Allied divisions to fight against three different armies - the Italian, German and Japanese armies.
The 23rd Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II from 1941 to at least 1947. The brigade was formed in February 1941, at Loralai in India and in June 1941, assigned to the 14th Indian Infantry Division. In March 1942, the brigade was reassigned to the 23rd Indian Infantry Division, just before being renumbered 123rd Indian Infantry Brigade. As the 123rd the brigade served in the Burma Campaign with not only the 23rd but with the 14th again and the 5th Indian Infantry Division.
The 8th Mountain Division was raised as the 7th Indian Infantry division of the British Indian Army. It is now part of the Indian Army and specialises in mountain warfare.
The 23rd Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in the First World War, mainly on the Western Front During the Second World War, the brigade saw active service in the Syria-Lebanon Campaign, the Western Desert Campaign, and the Burma Campaign.
The 38th (Irish) Brigade, is a brigade formation of the British Army that served in the Second World War. It was composed of North Irish line infantry regiments and served with distinction in the Tunisian and Italian Campaigns. Following the end of the war, the brigade was disbanded, but was reformed in sixty years later in 2007 and remains the regional formation for Northern Ireland.
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.
Iraqforce was a British and Commonwealth formation that came together in the Kingdom of Iraq. The formation fought in the Middle East during World War II.
The 2nd Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in Rawalpindi in September 1939. In October 1940, it was renamed 16th (Independent) Indian Infantry Brigade in November 1941, and left India for Burma. The brigade was caught in the Battle of Sittang Bridge where it suffered heavy losses. Instead of being reformed in September 1942, it was renamed yet again, this time to 116th Indian Infantry Brigade. Attached to the 39th Indian Infantry Division it now provided specialised jungle conversion training. An infantry battalion would spend from four to six months with the brigade, before being sent to the front to replace a tired battalion in one of the fighting divisions.
The 1st Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in September 1939, in Abbottabad in India. It was assigned to HQ Rawalpindi District until May 1942, when it joined the 23rd Indian Infantry Division until the end of the war.
The 5th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was converted from the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade in September 1939, and assigned to the 4th Indian Infantry Division. The brigade first moved to Egypt and took part in the early battles in North Africa. Then in 1941, it moved to the Sudan with the 5th Indian Infantry Division. Returning to 4th Indian Division command it took part in the Syria-Lebanon Campaign. The brigade then returned to North Africa coming under command of the 5th and 10th Indian Infantry Divisions, and the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division in the Campaign in Tunisia. The brigade once more returned to the 4th Division for the Italian Campaign and the Greek Civil War.
The 11th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was relocated from India to Egypt in the middle of August 1939 and trained at Fayed in Ismailia Governorate on the Great Bitter Lake. In October 1939, it was assigned to the 4th Indian Infantry Division. In May 1942, it was attached to the 5th Indian Infantry Division and in June the 2nd South African Infantry Division when it surrendered after Tobruk was captured by the Germans and Italians in 1942. The brigade was then reformed in Egypt in October 1943 and once more assigned to the 4th Indian Division serving in Tunisia, Italy and, at the end of the war, in Greece.
The 17th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II.
The 19th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in October, 1940 at Old Delhi in India and assigned to the 8th Indian Infantry Division. In August 1941, they took part in the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. In September 1943, they moved to the Italian Front, coming briefly under command of the 2nd New Zealand Division in November 1943 and the British 1st Infantry Division in December 1943. Apart from those two attachments the brigade remained with the 8th Indian Division for the remainder of the war.
The 26th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in March 1941, at Secunderabad, India and assigned to the 6th Indian Infantry Division. The brigade was part of the Line of Communication troops in both Iran and Iraq, until August 1942, when it was sent to Egypt. It remained in Egypt until January 1943, when it was reunited with the 6th Indian Division. In July 1944, it came under direct command of the Southern Army in India and was then attached to the British 36th Infantry Division between December 1944 and August 1945.
The 32nd Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during the Second World War. It was formed in January 1941 in India and assigned to the HQ Western Independent District until April 1942. It was then assigned to the 20th Indian Infantry Division until the end of the war, with short attachments to the 23rd Indian Infantry Division in April 1944 and the 17th Indian Infantry Division from April to July 1944.
The 4th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in September 1939, as the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade and renumbered 4th in June 1940, The brigade was assigned to HQ Rawalpindi District on formation. Then posted to the 26th Indian Infantry Division in April 1942. The brigade also served with the 14th Indian Infantry Division between March and April 1943, and them returned to the 26th Division, where it remained for the rest of the war apart from a short attachment with the 82nd Infantry Division in April 1945.
The 10th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in September 1939. In June 1940 it was assigned to the 5th Indian Infantry Division and in September 1940, sailed for East Africa. The brigade spent time attached to other formations, the 4th Indian Infantry Division between June 1940 and March 1941, and the British 10th Armoured Division between March and June 1942, where it was destroyed during the Battle of Gazala. A new brigade was formed in Egypt and assigned to the 10th Indian Infantry Division, with which it fought in the Italian Campaign from April 1944 until the end of the war.
The 20th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II.
The 25th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in February, 1941 at Ahmednagar in India and assigned to the 10th Indian Infantry Division. The brigade was attached to the 8th Indian Infantry Division in August 1941, and took part in the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. Returning to the 10th Indian Division in August 1941, they arrived in the desert just in time for the Battle of Gazala and continued to fight in the Western Desert Campaign and later in the Italian Campaign. While in Italy the brigade was attached to the British 46th Infantry Division from 7 to 11 December 1944.