39th Infantry Division (India)
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| 39th Indian Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 14 July 1941–1945 |
| Country | British India |
| Allegiance | British Crown |
| Branch | British Indian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | Burma Campaign |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Major General James Bruce Scott |
39th Indian Infantry Division (originally the 1st Burma Division) was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II, which became a Training Division in 1943 after its recovery into India from Burma.
Contents
History
The 1st Burma Infantry Division was formed 14 July 1941 at Toungoo in Burma. The Division was part of the British Burma Army.
On the outbreak of war, the division was commanded by Major-General James Bruce Scott. It consisted of the 1st and 2nd Burma Infantry Brigades, and the 13th Indian Infantry Brigade. Throughout the Japanese conquest of Burma, the division interchanged many units with its fellow Burma Corps component, 17th Indian Infantry Division. At various times the 7th Armoured Brigade, 16th Indian Infantry Brigade, 48th Indian Infantry Brigade, and 63rd Indian Infantry Brigade came under command of the division, though only the original three brigades finally entered India as part of the division at the end of the arduous retreat, reduced to fractions of their original strength.
The 1st Burma Division changed to an Indian formation at the end of the 1942 campaign. While the majority of the Burma Army was reconstituted elsewhere in India, the division headquarters was retained at the front.
The 39th division was soon re-roled as a Light Division with two infantry brigades and Mule and jeep transport companies. However this change happened more in name than in anything else as it never actually began to convert to an entirely mule and jeep based transport and supply system.
The decision to convert the division to a training role was undertaken in June 1943[1] after the poorly executed Arakan offensive when it was realised that the troops being sent into the field, both British and Indian, while not lacking conventional military fighting skills, lacked the necessary knowledge and training to operate in the Burmese jungle. The 39th was joined in its training role by the 14th Indian Infantry Division which had been the main operational unit during the Arakan offensive and had suffered badly both in terms of casualties and morale as a result.
Formation
106th Indian Infantry Brigade
- 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment
- 1st Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment
- 1st Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles
- 5th Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment
- 7th Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment
- 9th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment
- 15th Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment
113th Indian Infantry Brigade
- 1st Battalion, 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles
- 2nd Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
- 5th Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles
- 29th Gurkha Rifles Training Battalion
- 7th Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment
- 7th Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment
- 17/18th Combined Training Unit
- Indian State Forces Training Unit
Divisional troops
- 7th Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
- 24th Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery
- 9th Field Regiment Royal Artillery
- 145th (Berkshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- Malerkotla Field Company, Indian State Forces
- 26th Field Company, Indian Engineers
- 82nd Field Company, Indian Engineers
Assigned brigades
All theses brigades were assigned or attached to the division at some time during World War II
Under command when Burma Division
- 1st Burma Infantry Brigade (July 1941 - May 1942)
- 2nd Burma Infantry Brigade (July 1942 - December 1942, March 1942 - April 1942)
- 13th Indian Infantry Brigade (July 1941 - February 1942, April 1942 - May 1942)
- 48th Indian Infantry Brigade (April 1942)
- 7th Armoured Brigade (April 1942)
- 63rd Indian Infantry Brigade (May 1942)[2]
- Magforce (ad-hoc brigade-sized combat force) (April 1942)[3]
Attached when light division
Attached when a training division
- 106th Indian Infantry Brigade (June 1942 - March 1946)
- 113th Indian Infantry Brigade (June 1942 - March 1946)
- 115th Indian Infantry Brigade (September 1943 - March 1946)[1]
References
Sources
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