The 29th Indian Brigade was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, 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 ...

of the

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. Formed in October 1914, it raided Sheik Saiad en route to Egypt, defended the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...

in early 1915, before taking part in the Gallipoli Campaign (April to December 1915). On returning to Egypt it acted as an independent formation being broken up in June 1917.

History

;Formation The 29th Indian Brigade was formed in October 1914 as part of Indian Expeditionary Force F (along with the 28th and 30th Indian Brigades) and sent to Egypt. En route to Egypt it raided Sheik Saiad (10–11 November). The

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

maintained a small fort at Sheik Saiad guarding the entrance to the Red Sea. Having destroyed the Ottoman fortifications, the brigade re-embarked and continued on to

Suez Suez (, , , ) is a Port#Seaport, seaport city with a population of about 800,000 in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez on the Red Sea, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal. It is the capital and largest c ...

. ;10th Indian Division After arriving in Egypt, it joined the 10th Indian Division when it was formed on 24 December. It served on the

Defences, notably taking part in the Actions on the Suez Canal on 3–4 February 1915. After the defeat of the Turkish attempts to cross the canal, the division was dispersed and the brigade was sent to

Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...

in April 1915. Gurkha soldiers of 29th Indian Brigade in Gallipoli 1915

;Gallipoli Sikh soldiers of 29th Indian Infantry Brigade rest in a trench

The brigade formed Indian Expeditionary Force G for service in Gallipoli, the only Indian Army formation to serve on the peninsula. From 1 May to 7 July 1915 it was attached to the British 29th Division at Cape Helles. While with the division, it was in reserve for the Second Battle of Krithia (6–8 May), but played a more major role at Gurkha Bluff (12 May), the Third Battle of Krithia (4 June) and the Battle of Gully Ravine (28 June–2 July). The brigade was switched to ANZAC Cove where it was attached to the

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was originally a First World War army corps of the British Empire under the command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the ...

, with which it took part in the Battle of Sari Bair (6–21 August 1915). 1st Battalion,

6th Gurkha Rifles The 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles was a rifle regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence. Originally raised in 1817 as part of the army of the British East India Compa ...

was the only unit to reach the top of the ridge and see the Dardanelles; shelled by the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

, a Turkish counter-attack drove them off. The brigade's involvement at Gallipoli came at a high price: the 14th Sikhs, alone, suffered 264 killed and 840 wounded while serving at Gallipoli. ;Independent On 7 January 1916, the 10th Indian Division was reformed as part of the Suez Canal District, and the brigade joined it. The need to return depleted units that had served in France to India meant that this was short-lived. The division was broken up on 7 March and the brigade became an independent formation. It continued to serve on the Suez Canal Defences. In March 1917, the

Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a military formation of the British Empire, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–1915), at the ...

started forming the British 75th Division, originally to be made up of

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...

battalions arriving from India. In May 1917, to speed up the formation of the division, it was decided to incorporate Indian battalions. To this end, the 29th Indian Brigade was broken up in June 1917 and its battalions posted to 75th Division.

Orders of battle

Commanders

The brigade had the following commanders:

Notes

References

Bibliography

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External links

* * {{Indian Expeditionary Forces Brigades of India in World War I Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1917