11th Infantry Division (India)

The 11th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. It formed part of Indian III Corps in the Malaya Command during the Battle of Malaya.

History

Men of the 2/9th Gurkha Rifles training in the Malayan jungle, October 1941.

It was originally commanded by Major-General Murray-Lyon until 24 December 1941. Under Murray-Lyon the 11th Indian Division was defeated at the Battle of Jitra and suffered some of its worst casualties during the retreat from Jitra and at the Battle of Gurun.

Murray-Lyon was fired by Lieut.Gen. Arthur Percival and replaced by Brig. A.C.M. Paris and then Maj.Gen. Billy Key. This division suffered such heavy casualties during the early stages of the campaign, that the 1st Leicesters and the 2nd East Surreys were forced to amalgamate, becoming the British Battalion and the 1/8th Punjab and the 2/9th Jats were also amalgamated, becoming the Jat-Punjab Battalion. The 6th and 15th Infantry Brigades were also amalgamated becoming the 6th/15th Indian Infantry Brigade.

After the Battle of Jitra the 11th Division, under Major-General Paris, inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese at the Battle of Kampar, but was almost completely destroyed at the Battle of Slim River. The division was reformed in Singapore with the remains of the 9th Indian Division.

The 11th Indian Division surrendered to the Japanese on 15 February 1942, along with about 130,000 other British and Commonwealth soldiers, when Singapore was surrendered.

Formation

On 10 December 1941, for more details of the brigade units see the individual brigade articles

6th Indian Infantry Brigade

Brig. William Oswald Lay

• 1st Battalion, 8th Punjab Regiment - Lieut.Col. R.C.S.Bates
• 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment - Lieut.Col. G.E. Swinton MC
• 2nd Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment - Lieut.Col. Henry Sloane Larkin^[1]

15th Indian Infantry Brigade

Brig. K.A. Garrett/ W. St. John Carpendale

• 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment - Lieut.Col. Esmond Morrison (Later commanded the British Battalion)
• 1st Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment - Lieut.Col.James Fitzpatrick (Wounded at Asun)
• 2nd Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment - Lt.Col. Charles Knowler Tester^[2]

28th Indian Infantry Brigade

Brig. W.St.John Carpendale/ Ray Selby

• 2nd Battalion, 1st Gurkha Rifles - Lieut.Col.Jack Fulton (Died of wounds as a P.O.W)
• 2nd Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles - Lieut.Col. G.H.D. Woollcombe
• 2nd Battalion, 9th Gurkha Rifles - Lieut.Col.W.R.(Ray) Selby^[3]

Support units

• 3rd Cavalry - Lieut.Col. C.P.G.De Winton
• 1st Battalion, Bahawalpur Infantry, Indian State Forces - Lieut.Col. H.E.Tyrell
• 137th Field Regiment - Lieut. Col. Charles Holmes Royal Artillery (RA) (24x25pdrs)
• 155th (Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - Lieut. Col. Augustus Murdoch (16x4.5 inch Howitzers)
• 22nd Mountain Regiment - Lieut. Col. G.L.Hughes Indian Artillery (IA) (12x3.7 inch Howitzers)
• 80th Anti-Tank Regiment RA - Lieut. Col. W.E.S.Napier (48x2pdrs/47mm Breda)
• 3rd Field Company, Indian Engineers (IE)
• 17th Field Company IE
• 23rd Field Company IE
• 46th Army Troops Company IE
• 43rd Field Park Company IE^[4]

Assigned brigades

All theses brigades were assigned or attached to the division at some time during World War II

• 8th Indian Infantry Brigade
• 12th Indian Infantry Brigade
• 27th Australian Infantry Brigade
• British 53rd Infantry Brigade^[4]

Re-raising

11 Infantry Division was re-raised by the Indian Army, and is headquartered at Gandhinagar (Gujarat).

References

Further reading

• Colin Smith (2006). Singapore Burning. England: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-101036-6. 

External links

• British Military History Far East 1930 - 47