37th Indian Brigade

Last updated

37th Indian Brigade
The Service of Sergeant Percy Elgey With the 1-4th Somerset Light Infantry in India and Mesopotamia 1914-1918 HU95127.jpg
37th Indian Brigade at Basra in Mesopotamia, 1916
Active14 February 1916 – February 1919
CountryBritish Raj Red Ensign.svg  British India
Allegiance British Crown
BranchEnsign of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps.svg  British Indian Army
Type Infantry
Size Brigade
Part of 3rd (Lahore) Division
14th Indian Division
Engagements First World War
Mesopotamian Campaign
Battle of Dujaila
Second Battle of Kut
Fall of Baghdad (1917)
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Br.-Gen. F.J. Fowler

The 37th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and was disbanded shortly after the end of the war.

Contents

History

3rd (Lahore) Division

Units of the 37th Indian Brigade began to land at Basra on 21 January 1916 and the brigade was formed in the next month. It served in the Mesopotamian Campaign for the rest of the war. It was attached to the 3rd (Lahore) Division from March to April 1916. [1] While with the division, it took part in the attempts to relieve the 6th (Poona) Division besieged in Kut, including the Attack on the Dujaila Redoubt (8 March) and the action of Bait Isa (17 – 18 April). [2]

14th Indian Division

In May 1916, the brigade joined the newly formed 14th Indian Division. It remained with the division for the rest of the war and took part in a large number of small actions: the Advance to the Hai and Capture of the Khudaira Bend (14 December 1916 – 19 January 1917), the Capture of the Hai Salient (25 January – 5 February 1917), the Capture of the Dahra Bend (9 – 16 February), the Capture of Sannaiyat (17 – 24 February), the Passage of the Tigris (23 – 24 February), the Second Action of Jabal Hamrin (16 – 20 October), and the Third Action of Jabal Hamrin (3 – 6 December 1917). [3]

At the end of the war, the 14th Division was rapidly demobilized and the 37th Indian Brigade was broken up in February 1919. [3]

Order of battle

The brigade had the following composition in the First World War: [1] [4]

Commanders

The brigade had the following commanders: [1] [5]

FromRankNameNotes
14 February 1916 Brigadier-General F.J. Fowler wounded, 9 March 1916
10 March 1916Brigadier-GeneralS.M. Edwardes
1 April 1916Brigadier-GeneralF.J. Fowlersick, 16 May 1916
16 May 1916 Lieutenant-Colonel O. Gunningtemporary
30 May 1916Lieutenant-ColonelF.T. Stewarttemporary
10 June 1916Brigadier-GeneralF.J. Fowler
23 September 1916Brigadier-GeneralO.W. Carey
11 May 1917Brigadier-GeneralT.R. Maclachlan

See also


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Army during World War I</span> Military unit

The Indian Army, also called the British Indian Army, was involved in World War I as part of the British Empire. Almost 1.5 million Indian troops served overseas, of whom 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th (Meerut) Division</span> Military unit

The 7th (Meerut) Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army and before 1895, the Bengal Army, that saw active service during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd (Lahore) Division</span> Military unit

The 3rd (Lahore) Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army and before 1895, the Bengal Army, first organised in 1852. It saw service during World War I as part of the Indian Corps in France before being moved to the Middle East where it fought against troops of the Ottoman Empire.

The 17th Indian Division was formed in 1917 from units of the British Indian Army for service in the Mesopotamia Campaign during World War I. After the war, it formed part of the occupation force for Iraq and took part in the Iraq Rebellion in 1920. In August 1923, the division was reduced to a single brigade.

The 14th Indian Division was formed during World War I, for service in the Mesopotamian Campaign. It was composed of battalions of the Regular British Army, the British Territorial Force and the British Indian Army.

The 16th Indian Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during the First World War. It was formed in December 1916, during the First World War. It was the only war formed division of the British Indian Army that was not sent overseas, instead it was sent to guard the North West Frontier. The division took over the responsibilities of the 3rd Lahore Divisional Area when it was disbanded in May 1917.

The 34th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the Mesopotamian campaign in the Indian Army during the First World War. It was reformed for the Second World War as the 34th Indian States Forces Infantry Brigade.

The 51st Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and formed part of the occupation force for Iraq post-war.

The 12th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade 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.

The 55th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and formed part of the occupation force for Iraq post-war.

The 54th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and formed part of the occupation force for Iraq post-war. It was not reformed for the Second World War.

The 50th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It served in the Mesopotamian Campaign on the Euphrates Front throughout its existence. It was not reformed for the Second World War.

The 42nd Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It served in the Mesopotamian Campaign on the Euphrates Front throughout its existence. It was not reformed for the Second World War.

The 41st Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It served in the Mesopotamian Campaign on the Euphrates Front throughout its existence. It was not reformed for the Second World War.

The 35th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and was disbanded shortly after the end of the war. It was not reformed for the Second World War.

The 56th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and was disbanded shortly after the end of the war. It was not reformed for the Second World War.

The 36th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and later formed part of the North Persia Force. It remained with the Force until withdrawn in June 1921.

The 28th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. Formed in October 1914, it defended the Suez Canal in early 1915, ended the Ottoman threat to Aden in July 1915, took part in the Mesopotamian Campaign in 1916 and 1917, before finishing the war in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. It remained in Palestine until it was broken up in 1920.

The 151st Sikh Infantry – also designated 151st Punjabi Rifles, see nomenclature (below) – was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in Mesopotamia and Palestine in May 1918, saw active service in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War, and was disbanded in May 1921.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Perry 1993 , p. 49
  2. Perry 1993 , p. 53
  3. 1 2 Perry 1993 , p. 130
  4. Perry 1993 , p. 128
  5. Perry 1993 , p. 127

Bibliography