Indian 19th Infantry Division

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The Indian 19th Infantry Division was raised during World War II, and played a prominent part in the final part of the Burma Campaign.

It was raised in Secunderabad in India in 1941. Its first commander was Major-General Jackie Smyth VC , who was subsequently transferred to command the Indian 17th Infantry Division, then fighting in Burma. (Indian 63rd Infantry Brigade was also transferred from the division to Burma in March 1942, to be replaced by Indian 98th Infantry Brigade).

The division remained under temporary commanders until late 1942 when Major General Thomas Wynford Rees was appointed to command. It spent several years on internal security duties and in training before being committed to the Burma front in November 1944. As part of Indian XXXIII Corps, it played the major role in the capture of Mandalay. Transferred to Indian IV Corps, it guarded the British Fourteenth Army's line of communication and mounted an offensive towards Mawchi, in the Shan States.

Its successes were due to its fitness and high morale. Not having been stationed in the unhealthy mountains on the Indian / Burmese border in 1943, nor fought during the battles in 1944, it had a high proportion of pre-war regulars among its officers and senior NCO's.

The division was occasionally referred to as the "Dagger Division", from its divisional sign, which was a hand thrusting a dagger overhand, in yellow on a red background.

[edit] Order of Battle March 1, 1945

General Officer commanding: Major General Thomas Wynford Rees
Chief of Staff: Lieutenant Colonel John Masters DSO
Commander, Royal Artillery: Colonel WPA Robinson MC

62 Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier James Ronald Morris DSO)

2 / Welch Regiment

3/6 Rajputana

4/9 Gurkha Rifles

64 Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier George Alexander Bain)

2 / Worcestershire

5/10 Baluch

1/6 Gurkha Rifles

98 Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Charles Ian Jerrard)

2 / Royal Berkshire

8/12 The Frontier Force Regiment

4/4 Gurkha Rifles

Divisional Units

7 Light Cavalry (attached) Stuart Tanks

1 / Assam Regiment (attached)

1/15 Punjab (Divisional reconnaissance regiment)

MG/11 Sikhs (Divisional Machine gun unit)

134 Medium Regiment RA

4 Field Regiment IA

5 Field Regiment IA

115 Field Regiment IA

29 Mountain Regiment IA

33 Anti-tank Regiment RA (mixed anti-tank and light anti-aircraft batteries)

64 Field Company IE

65 Field Company IE

327 Field Park Company IE

[edit] External links

• OrdersOfBattle.com