| 36th Indian Infantry Division 36th Infantry Division |
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|---|---|
| Active | Second World War September 1944 to August 1945 |
| Allegiance | British India |
| Type | Infantry |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Francis Festing |
The 36th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army during the Second World War. The division was subsequently converted to a British Army formation and redesignated the 36th Infantry Division. It served in India and during the Burma Campaign. After the end of the war it was disbanded and its remaining units were transferred to the 2nd Infantry Division.
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The division was formed in India on 15 December 1942. Its constituent formations were the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group (under command from 26 January 1943), which had already fought as an independent brigade group in the Battle of Madagascar, and the 72 Infantry Brigade, which was formed on 28 April 1944 by redesignation of 72nd Indian Infantry Brigade which was composed entirely of British combat units. Most of the division's engineer, medical and service units were Indian. The division's formation sign was two interlinked rings, one white and one red, on a black square background.
In January 1943, Brigadier Francis Festing was promoted from command of the 29th Brigade to that of the division. (His replacement as commander of 29th Brigade was Brigadier Hugh Stockwell.) Parts of the division were present in the First Arakan campaign in early 1943. It was intended that part of the division was to launch an amphibious assault on Akyab Island, but this operation was cancelled.
The division was initially in reserve for the Second Arakan campaign in early 1944, but was called on to relieve the besieged Indian 7th Division after early setbacks. After the Japanese were defeated at the Battle of Ngakyedauk, 7th Division was withdrawn and 36th Division took over the offensive in the Kalapanzin River Valley. Units of the division captured the vital eastern railway tunnel linking the Kalapanzin valley with the port of Maungdaw, but at this point the Arakan offensive was called off to release troops and aircraft for the more important battles of Imphal and Kohima in Assam.
The division withdrew for a brief rest at Shillong in Assam, and was then despatched to Ledo, where it came under command of the American-led Northern Combat Area Command.
Early in July 1944, the division started to fly in to Myitkyina airfield in North Burma, with 72nd Brigade being the first formation to land. On 1 September 1944, shortly after the division had started advancing down the "Railway valley" from Mogaung towards Indaw on the right flank of NCAC, the division was redesignated as the British 36th Division. The Indian 72nd Brigade also was redesignated as the British 72nd Brigade. On 14 December, a third brigade was added to the division; confusingly, this was the first Indian formation that the division controlled (the 26th Indian Infantry Brigade, of mixed British and Indian troops).
Ihe division was distinguished for being the only British division to rely entirely on air supply, mainly by the United States' Tenth Air Force, for an extended period. The United States Army Air Force also provided the division with 12 light aircraft equipped for casualty evacuation and a US Army engineer company to construct its airstrips. Initially, the division was without its own divisional artillery and instead relied on a Chinese artillery group under US command.[1] The Indian 32 Mountain Regiment eventually joined the division after carrying its guns by mule for over 400 miles (640 km).
The division, having linked up with the main body of British Fourteenth Army, crossed the Irrawaddy River and advanced independently down the eastern side of the river. Units from the division suffered losses forcing the crossing the 300 yard wide Shweli River, but the division continued to advance until the fall of Mandalay in March 1945. On 1 April 1945 the division transferred from NCAC to Fourteenth Army. The 26th Indian Brigade became the British 26th Brigade on 6 April.
As there were now more troops in Burma than could be supplied (and the transport aircraft allocated to NCAC were being withdrawn to China), the division was returned to India, officially arriving on 12 May, and joined XXXIV Corps (India) on 28 May.
Its officially recognised battles were Mandalay 12/13 February - 21 March 1945 and Rangoon Road 1 April - 6 May 1945.
(During Campaign in Burma 1944)
(18 July 1940 - 25 May 1945)
(15 May 1945 - 31 August 1945)
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