19th Infantry Division (India)

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Indian 19th Division
Active	1941–1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Indian Army
Nickname	Dagger Division
Engagements	Burma Campaign
Commanders
Notable commanders	Major General Jackie Smyth VC Major General Thomas Wynford Rees

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. It originally consisted of the 62nd, 63rd and 64th Indian Infantry Brigades. 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

Indian 62nd Infantry Brigade (Brigadier James Ronald Morris DSO)

2nd Bn Welch Regiment

3rd Bn 6th Rajputana Rifles

4th Bn 9th Gurkha Rifles

Indian 64th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier George Alexander Bain)

2nd Bn Worcestershire Regiment

5th Bn 10th Baluch Regiment

1st Bn 6th Gurkha Rifles

Indian 98th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Charles Ian Jerrard)

2nd Bn Royal Berkshire Regiment

8th Bn 12th Frontier Force Regiment

4th Bn 4th Gurkha Rifles

Divisional Units

7th Light Cavalry (attached) Stuart Tanks

1st Bn Assam Regiment (attached)

1st Bn 15th Punjab Regiment (Divisional reconnaissance regiment)

MG Bn 11th Sikh Regiment (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

• 19 Indian Infantry Division at Orders of Battle.com^?

[edit] Further Reading

• Jon Latimer, Burma: The Forgotten War, London: John Murray, 2004 ISBN 0-7195-6576-6