The 20th Indian Infantry Brigade was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. ...

formation of the

Indian Army during World War II The Indian Army during World War II, a British force also referred to as the British Indian Army, began the war, in 1939, numbering just under 200,000 men.Sumner, p.25 By the end of the war, it had become the largest volunteer army in history, ...

History

The brigade was formed in September 1940, by the conversion of the Khojak Brigade and assigned to the

9th Indian Infantry Division The 9th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. The division formed part of Indian III Corps in the Malaya Command during the Battle of Malaya. It was commanded by Major-General Arthur Edward Ba ...

. In April 1941, they were transferred to the

10th Indian Infantry Division The 10th Indian Infantry Division was a war formed infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. In four years, the division travelled over from Tehran to Trieste, fought three small wars, and fought two great campaigns: the ...

and took part in the

Anglo-Iraqi War The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq under Rashid Gaylani, who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état, with assistance from Germany and Italy. The ca ...

, Syria-Lebanon campaign and the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. Moving to Egypt in June 1942, the brigade was overrun and largely destroyed at Gambut 18 June 1942. The brigade was reformed in the Nile Delta and returned to the 10th Division. The brigade then took part in the Italian Campaign with 10th Division and ended the war in Italy.

Order of battle

*2nd Battalion,

7th Gurkha Rifles The 7th Gurkha Rifles was a rifle regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army, following India's independence in 1947 and after 1959 designated as the 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles. History ...

September 1940 to July 1941 and September 1941 to April 1942 *3rd Battalion, 11th Sikh Regiment September 1940 to June 1941 *2nd Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles October 1940 to June 1941, July 1941 to January 1942 and October to November 1944 *1st Battalion,

King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. It served under various titles and fought in many wars and conflicts, including both the First and the Second World Wars, from 1680 to 1959. In 1959, the r ...

June 1941 *2nd Battalion,

4th Gurkha Rifles The 4th Gorkha Rifles or the Fourth Gorkha Rifles, abbreviated as 4 GR, is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese nationality, especially Magars and Gurungs hill tribes of Nepal. The Fourth Gorkha Rifles h ...

June 1941 *3rd Field Regiment,

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

June to September 1941 *5th Battalion,

13th Frontier Force Rifles The 13th Frontier Force Rifles was part of the British Indian Army, and after 1947, Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1922 by amalgamation of five existing regiments and consisted of five regular battalions. History The 13th Frontier Force Rifles' ...

June to July 1941 *3rd Battalion, 11th Sikh Regiment August 1941 to March 1942 *1st Battalion,

South Wales Borderers The South Wales Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for 280 years. It came into existence in England in 1689, as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot, and afterwards had a variety of names and headquarters. I ...

December 1941 to August 1942 *3rd Battalion,

18th Royal Garhwal Rifles The 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, after the Indian government decided to reform the army, moving away from single-battalion regiments to multi-battalion regiments. They were th ...

March to July 1942 *1st Battalion,

6th Rajputana Rifles The 6th Rajputana Rifles were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They were formed in 1922, after the Indian government reformed the army. They moved away from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The regiment se ...

April to June 1942 *2nd Battalion, 11th Sikh Regiment August 1942 to October 1943 *2nd Battalion, 3rd Gurkha Rifles January 1943 to August 1945 *4th Battalion,

February to June 1943 *

Mewar Bhopal Infantry Mewar or Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasthan, Neemuch and Man ...

June 1943 *3rd Battalion,

5th Mahratta Light Infantry The 5th Mahratta Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, when the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The regiment fought in World Wa ...

June 1943 to August 1945 *8th Battalion,

Manchester Regiment The Manchester Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1958. The regiment was created during the 1881 Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot and the 96th ...

July 1943 to September 1944 * 1st Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (machine gun) attached 30 October to 19 November 1943 for training on Cyprus *1st Battalion,

2nd Punjab Regiment The 2nd Punjab Regiment was a British Indian Army regiment from 1922 to the partition of India in 1947. The regiment was formed by the amalgamation of other regiments: *1st Battalion, from the 67th Punjabis, formerly the 7th Regiment of Madras N ...

October 1944 to May 1945 * Nabha Akal Infantry October 1944 to August 1945 *2nd Battalion, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) May to August 1945

Officers commanding

The following officers commended the brigade during the war. :Brigadier D. Powell (September 1940 to March 1942) :Brigadier L.E. MacGregor (March 1942 to June 1943) :Brigadier J.B. MacDonald (June 1943 to end of war)

References

British Indian Army brigades {{WWII-stub

History

Order of battle

Officers commanding

See also

References