The 4th Infantry Division, also known as the Red Eagle Division, is 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 ...

division of the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

. This division 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 ...

was formed in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

in 1939 during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. During the Second World War, it took part in campaigns in East Africa (

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

and

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, North Africa and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Post independence, the division is part of the I Corps and headquartered at

Prayagraj Prayagraj (, ; ISO 15919, ISO: ), formerly and colloquially known as Allahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi, Varanasi (Benar ...

History

North Africa

During the war, the 4th Indian Division was in the vanguard of nine campaigns in the Mediterranean theatre. Major-General The Hon. P. Gerald Scarlett appears to have been the division's first commander, from October 1939 to January 1940. The British 14th Infantry Brigade was attached to the division from 1 June to 20 July 1940; the British 16th Infantry Brigade was attached from 9 September 1940 to 14 December 1940. In the first of Archibald Wavell's operations in

, as part of the

Western Desert Force The Western Desert Force (WDF) was a British Army formation active in Egypt during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. On 17 June 1940, the headquarters of the British 6th Infantry Division was designated as the Western Des ...

, it took part in

Operation Compass Operation Compass (also ) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British metropolitan, Imperial and Commonwealth forces attacked the Italian and Libyan forces of ...

in December 1940. The division was involved in the battles of that campaign in the camps around

Sidi Barrani Sidi Barrani ( ) is a town in Egypt, near the Mediterranean Sea, about east of the Egypt–Libya border, and around from Tobruk, Libya. Named after Sidi es-Saadi el Barrani, a Senussi sheikh who was a head of its Zawiya, the village ...

. Along with the

7th Royal Tank Regiment The 7th Royal Tank Regiment (7th RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army from 1917 until disbandment in 1959. History The 7th Royal Tank Regiment was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. The regi ...

, the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade of the 4th Indian Infantry Division destroyed the Italian Maletti Group at the Nibiewa Camp.

East Africa

In December 1940, the division was rushed to the British

to join with the 5th Indian Infantry Division in order to prevent the numerically vastly superior Italian forces (ten divisions in total) from threatening

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

supply routes to Egypt as well as Egypt itself and 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 ...

from the south. The East African campaign culminated in March 1941 with the battles at Keren in Eritrea. It was at Keren that

Subadar Subedar ( ) is a military rank in the militaries of South Asia roughly equivalent to that of a warrant officer. Historically classed in the British Indian Army as a Viceroy's commissioned officer, the rank was retained in the Indian Army and P ...

Richhpal Ram of the 4/

6th Rajputana Rifles The 6th Rajputana Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. Formed in 1921, it initially consisted of five active battalions and one training battalion. History Formation and class composition In 1921, the British Indian Army ...

, 5th Indian Infantry Brigade, 4th Division, was awarded a posthumous

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

. In April 1941, Beresford-Peirse was promoted to command the

and Major General Frank Messervy assumed command.

North Africa and Syria

Having returned to Egypt, the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade was hurried across to

and participated in the advance on Damascus during the Syria-Lebanon campaign (June 1941). From 14 to 17 June 1941, the British 4th Armoured Brigade was attached to the division. The rest of the 4th Indian Division, having been rejoined by the 5th Brigade returning from Syria, was involved in the fighting, which ebbed and flowed past

Tobruk Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop� ...

from June 1941 into the autumn of 1941. For most of this period, the division was dispersed, with units temporarily attached to other formations, much to the disgust of Major General Francis Tuker, who had assumed command of the division in December 1941. Notable at this time was the break-out at the end of January by 7th Brigade, having been cut off at Benghazi during the Axis counter-offensive from Agheila and moving 200 miles avoiding the enemy to rejoin the new Eighth Army. Early in April 1942, the 4th Division was again dispersed, with the 7th Brigade going to

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

, the 5th Brigade to Syria, the 11th Brigade to the

Zone for training and the Central India Horse to

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

after a period of training. By May 1942, the 11th Brigade was back in the fighting at Tobruk (attached to the 5th Indian Infantry Division). The 11th Brigade was caught in the siege of Tobruk, which fell on 21 June, and disappeared from the

order of battle Order of battle of an armed force participating in a military operation or campaign shows the hierarchical organization, command structure, strength, disposition of personnel, and equipment of units and formations of the armed force. Various abbr ...

for the next 18 months. The 5th Brigade was rushed to the desert in June 1942; after escaping from Mersa Matruh, the brigade held the vital Ruweisat Ridge during the First Battle of El Alamein in July–August 1942. The situation had become so confused that General

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (; 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox (, ), was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) during World War II. He served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of ...

, also known as the Desert Fox, lost his way and was forced to spend a night in the open. With the dawn came the realization that he was in the company of 4th Division. With a sigh of relief, he slipped away, undetected. Shortly before the

Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian Railway station, railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa ...

in October 1942, the 4th Indian Division was reunited with the 7th Brigade returning from Cyprus and the 161st Indian Infantry Brigade was attached (until December 1942) to replace the lost 11th Brigade. The division had a relatively subsidiary role in the battle, holding in stiff fighting, as a diversionary tactic, the Ruweisat Ridge, which was at the centre of the Allied front, whilst the breakthrough was planned further north. By December 1942, the division was dispersed again but strong representations by its

General Officer Commanding General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC ...

(GOC), Major-General Tuker (including his asking to be relieved of command), resulted in the 4th Indian Division being brought together as a fighting entity in March 1943. It fought with distinction in the

Tunisia Campaign The Tunisian campaign (also known as the battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces from 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943. The ...

, right through to the fall of Tunis in May 1943, gaining a particular reputation for its prowess in mountainous country. The division had the honour of capturing General

Hans-Jürgen von Arnim Hans-Jürgen Bernard Theodor von Arnim (; 4 April 1889 – 1 September 1962) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several armies and was the last commander of Axis forces in North Africa. He was a recipi ...

in Tunisia, bringing an end to the war in North Africa. Its major battles in North Africa were

Benghazi Benghazi () () is the List of cities in Libya, second-most-populous city in Libya as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica, with an estimated population of 859,000 in 2023. Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, Ben ...

, Wadi Akarit, Enfidaville and

Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

Italy

The division then moved in January 1944 to Italy (joined by the re-constituted 11th Brigade), where it took part in the Italian Campaign. It fought in the second

Battle of Monte Cassino The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...

and suffered many casualties (in Tuker's absence through illness it was commanded by Brigadier Harry Dimoline, the divisional Commander

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 ...

). During the battle, the division was to attack in an arc towards the south and south-west, taking Point 593 and then moving south-east, up the heights towards the Abbey. The Indian Division would only advance on the Abbey once the

2nd New Zealand Division The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry division of the New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the Second World War. The division was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-G ...

had attacked south and south-east, taking the town of Cassino. The main attack eventually commenced just after last light with the NZ Division's 28 (Maori) Battalion to cross the Rapido River and to seize the station south of Cassino town, establishing a bridgehead for the corps armour to move into the town and to the foot of the Cassino massif—the attack starting at 2:130. The 28th Battalion attack failed and so did the 4th Indian Division attack on Point 593. Archbishop Damaskinos inspects Indian troops in Salonika 1945

Archbishop Damaskinos inspects Indian troops in Salonika 1945

The division also suffered many casualties during the third battle (in March 1944), when it was commanded by Major-General Alexander Galloway, who had been released from command of the British 1st Armoured Division. Command of the division was assumed by Major-General Arthur Holworthy late in March 1944 and the division took part in the advance from Cassino after the fourth battle in May 1944 to the

Trasimene Line The Trasimene Line (so-named for Lake Trasimene, the site of a major battle of the Second Punic War in 217 BC) was a German defensive line during the Italian Campaign of World War II. It was sometimes known as the Albert Line. The German Com ...

in Central Italy and then the

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (; ) was a German and Italian defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of the Apennine Mountains du ...

. As part of the attachments and detachments for the campaign, the British 9th Armoured Brigade was attached to the division from 8 July 1944 to 19 July 1944. In November 1944, the division was shipped to

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

to help stabilise the country after the

Axis An axis (: axes) may refer to: Mathematics *A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular: ** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system *** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...

withdrawal. Holworthy was succeeded by Major-General Charles Hamilton Boucher in January 1945 who commanded the division until the end of hostilities.

Conclusion

According to author Chand Das, during the Second World War, the "division captured 150,000 prisoners and suffered 25,000 casualties, more than the strength of a whole division. It won over 1,000 honours and awards which included four Victoria Crosses and three George Crosses". Field Marshal Lord Wavell wrote: "The fame of this Division will surely go down as one of the greatest fighting formations in military history, to be spoken of with such as The

Legio X Equestris Legio was a Roman military camp south of Tel Megiddo in the Roman province of Galilee. History Following the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-136 CE), Legio VI Ferrata was stationed at Legio near Caparcotna. The approximate location of the camp of the L ...

(Tenth Legion), The

Light Division The Light Division is a light infantry Division (military), division of the British Army. It was reformed in 2022, as part of Future Soldier (British Army), Future Soldier reforms. Its origins lay in "Light Companies" formed during the late 1 ...

of the Peninsular War and Napoleon's Old Guard". Das wrote, "Even beyond its fighting reputation, it will be remembered for the spirit of mutual trust and fellowship maintained between all ranks coming from so many different races and creeds".

Formation during World War II

The unit listing is from a booklet issued to mark the inauguration of the Indian Divisions' Memorial 1939–1945 at RMA Sandhurst in June 1982. General Officer Commanding: * Major-General The Hon. P. Gerald Scarlett (Oct 1939 – Jan 1940) * Major-General Philip Neame (Feb – Aug 1940) * Major-General

Noel Beresford-Peirse Lieutenant-General Sir Noel Monson de la Poer Beresford-Peirse KBE, CB, DSO (22 December 1887 – 14 January 1953) was a British Army officer. Family background Beresford-Peirse was the son of Colonel William John de la Poer Beresford-Pei ...

(Aug 1940 – Apr 1941) * Major-General Frank Messervy (Apr – Dec 1941) * Major-General Francis Tuker (Dec 1941 – Feb 1944) * Brigadier Harry Dimoline (Feb – Mar 1944) * Major-General Alexander Galloway (Mar 1944) * Major-General Arthur Holworthy (Mar 1944 – Jan 1945) * Major-General Charles Boucher (Jan – Aug 1945)

Headquarters

* Central India Horse ''(''up to April 1942 and from July 1944) (Divisional Reconnaissance Regiment) *

Commanders divisional artillery: * Brigadier

* Brigadier P. Maxwell ''(''Jun – Sep 1940) * Brigadier William H.B. Mirrless (Sep 1940 – Mar 1942) * Brigadier Harry Kenneth Dimoline (Mar 1942 – Feb 1944) * Brigadier John F. Adye (Feb 1944 – Mar 1944) * Brigadier Henry C.W. Eastman (Apr 1944 – ) ** HQ ** 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery ** 1st, 4th, 11th, 25th, 31st and 32nd Field Regiments, RA ** 57th (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) Light A.A. Regiment, RA ** 35th and 149th Anti-Tank Regiments, RA * Indian Engineers: Sappers and Miners ** 4th Field Company, King George's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners ** 12th Field Company, Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners ** 18th and 21st Field Company,

Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners The Bombay Engineer Group, or the ''Bombay Sappers'' as they are informally known, are a regiment of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. The Bombay Sappers draw their origin from the erstwhile Bombay Presidency army of the British Raj ...

** 11th Field Park Company, Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners * 4th Indian Division Signals * 1st Battalion,

Royal Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution and ...

''(Machine Gun) (April–December 1940)'' * Machine Gun Battalion,

''(1942–1945)''

5 Indian Infantry Brigade

* HQ 5th Indian Infantry Brigade * 1st Battalion,

Royal Fusiliers The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many war ...

''(''up to Sept 1941) * 1st Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) (from Sept 1941 to Dec 1941)) * 1st Battalion, Welch Regiment (from Dec 1941 up to April 1942) * 1/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment (from April 1942) * 1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment (up to April 1942) * 3rd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment * 4th Battalion (Outram's), 6th Rajputana Rifles (with 11th Indian Infantry Brigade in Italy) * 3rd Battalion (Queen Mary's Own), 10th Baluch Regiment (from April 1942) * 1st Battalion, 9th Gurkha Rifles

7 Indian Infantry Brigade

* HQ 7th Indian Infantry Brigade * 1st Battalion,

Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foo ...

* 2nd (Royal) Battalion,

11th Sikh Regiment The 11th Sikh Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1922, when after World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments.S ...

* 4th Battalion, 11th Sikh Regiment ''(''up to April 1942'')'' * 4th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment * 1st Battalion,

2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India's independence in 1947. The 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Bat ...

(from April 1942)

11 Indian Infantry Brigade (1939–1942 and 1944–1945)

* HQ 11th Indian Infantry Brigade * 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders * 2nd Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry (up to June 1942) * 1st Battalion (Wellesley's), 6th Rajputana Rifles (up to April 1942)(with 5th Indian Infantry Brigade in Italy) * 4th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment (up to January 1942) * 3rd (Royal) Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment * 3rd Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment (from January 1942) * 2nd Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles (from April 1942) * 1st Battalion, Royal Yugoslav Guards (from March 1942) *

Lovat Scouts The Lovat Scouts was a British Army unit first formed during the Second Boer War as a Scottish Highland yeomanry regiment. They were the first known military unit to wear a ghillie suit, and were renowned for their elite reconnaissance capabili ...

Support units

* Royal Indian Army Service Corps ** 4th Indian Division Troops Transport Company ** 5th, 7th and 11th Brigade Transport Companies ** 220th Indian DID * Medical Services ** I.M.S- RAMC-I.M.D-I.H.C-I.A.M.C ** 14th, 17th, 19th, 26th and 32nd Indian Field Ambulances ** 4th Indian Division Provost Unit * Indian Army Ordnance Corps ** 4th Indian Division Ordnance Field Park * Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers ** 117th, 118th and 119th Infantry Workshop Companies ** 4th Indian Division Recovery Company

Assigned brigades

All these brigades were assigned or attached to the division at some time during World War II. * 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade * 10th Indian Infantry Brigade * 22nd British Infantry Brigade * 23rd British Infantry Brigade * 161st British Infantry Brigade * 1st South African Infantry Brigade * 161st Indian Infantry Brigade * 201st Guards Motor Brigade * 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade

Post war

The division, known as Red Eagle due to its badge of a red eagle on a black background, is now a part of the Indian Army. Immediately after the war ended, it was in Greece, but returned to India later in 1945. In 1947 the division became the nucleus of the Punjab Boundary Force under Major-General T.W. Rees. The Boundary Force was established on 17 July 1947, with its headquarters at Lahore. It became operational 1 August 1947, but was disbanded on 1 September because of its ineffectiveness in controlling the riots breaking out as a consequence of Partition. It had approximately 15 Indian and 10 Pakistani battalions, and comprised 5th Indian Infantry Brigade, 11th Indian Infantry Brigade, 14 Parachute Brigade, which became part of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

, 43 Lorry Brigade (ex 1 Armoured Division) and 114th Indian Infantry Brigade. Also attached were 50th Parachute Brigade and 77th Parachute Brigade (both formerly with 2nd Airborne Division), and 123rd Indian Infantry Brigade. After Rees handed over, Major-General K. S. Thimayya reportedly took over command of the Boundary Force. The division moved to Jullunder after the Boundary Force was disbanded.

Sino-Indian War of 1962

Headquarters 4 Infantry Division, which was located in

Ambala Ambala () is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab (India), Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala ...

prior to the worsening Sino-Indian relations, was moved to the North East in 1959 and was located initially at Tezpur. During the war, its tactical headquarters was based at Zemithang and at Dirang Dzong in Kameng Frontier Division of North East Frontier Agency (NEFA). It was commanded by Major General Niranjan Prasad. Following the defeat at Namka Chu, he was replaced by Major General Anant Singh Pathania. The constituent brigades of the division before the war were 5, 7, and 11 Infantry Brigades. 11 Brigade was detached for counter-insurgency operations in

Nagaland Nagaland () is a States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, north-eastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south, and the Naga Sel ...

. During the war, the division consisted of - * 7 Infantry Brigade (Brigadier John Parashuram Dalvi). It consisted of 9

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

and 1

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

, both at Tawang and 1/ 9 Gorkha Rifles – at Misamari. 2

Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...

, 4

Grenadiers A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...

, 5 Assam Rifles and a company of 6

Mahar Mahar is one of the Indian caste found largely in the state of Maharashtra and neighbouring areas. Most of the Mahar community followed B. R. Ambedkar in converting to Buddhism in the middle of the 20th century. As of 2017 the Mahar caste w ...

also saw operations under the brigade. *5 Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Shiv Charan Singh) of the division was removed from operational control of 4 Division and was directly under Headquarters, 33 Corps. It arrived in the foothills of the sector only on 19 November 1962. *4 Artillery Brigade (Brigadier Kalyan Singh , replaced by Brigadier GS Gill). Artillery units which were part of the war include elements from 34 Heavy Mortar Battery (from 36 (Maratha) Heavy Mortar Regiment), 17 Parachute Field Regiment, 5 Field Regiment (95, 96 and 97 Field Batteries), 6 Field Regiment (86, 87 and 88 Field Batteries), 22 Mountain Regiment (7 (Bengal) and 2 (Derajat) Mountain Batteries) and 116 Heavy Mortar Battery (from 33 Medium Regiment). Other brigades involved in the operations in this sector included - * 62 Infantry Brigade (Brigadier N.K. Lal, replaced by Brigadier Hoshiar Singh) - Part of 20 Infantry Division (

Ranchi Ranchi (; ) is the capital city and also the largest district by population of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern ...

) and was stationed at Ramgarh before the war; with 1

, 2 Sikh LI, 4 Sikh LI, 13

Dogra __NOTOC__ Dogras, or Dogra people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic community of Pakistan and India. Dogra, Dogras or Dogri may also refer to: * Dogra dynasty, a Hindu dynasty of Kashmir * Dogri language, a language spoken by Dogras and other ethnic commu ...

, 4

Garhwal Rifles The Garhwal Rifles, are an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1887 as the 39th (Garhwal) Regiment of the Bengal Army. It then became "The Royal Garhwal Rifles" as part of the British Indian Army, and after the Inde ...

, (2/ 8 Gorkha Rifles to 5 Infantry Brigade and 4

to 11 Infantry Brigade in Walong sector). *65 Infantry Brigade (Brigadier G.M. Saeed, replaced by Brigadier A.S. Cheema) - From

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

; with 19 Maratha LI, 4

and a platoon of 7

machine-gunners. * 48 Infantry Brigade ( Brigadier Gurbux Singh) - From 17 Infantry Division at Ambala; with 5 Guards, 1 Sikh LI, 1

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

, a platoon of 7 Mahar machine-gunners and two tanks from 7 Light Cavalry. *67 Infantry Brigade (Brigadier M.S. Chatterjee) - from Nagaland; with JAK LI, 6/ 8 Gorkha Rifles The forces of the division were ill prepared for the warfare in the mountains and poorly equipped to weather out in the cold climate. Poor leadership and refusal to acknowledge feedback from the forces on the ground (including multiple requests by Brigadier Dalvi for a tactical withdrawal) led to the rout of the Indian forces. 7 Infantry Brigade was effectively destroyed at the Namka Chu ridge on 20 October 1962 during the war. The tactical Headquarters of 4 Infantry Division withdrew from Zemithang on the morning of 21 October 1962. Tawang Garrison with two infantry Battalions and three artillery batteries was abandoned on 23 October 1962. The second phase of the Chinese attack commenced on 17 November 1962, after a lull of 23 days. The division faced further defeat and withdrew from Dirang Dzong in the forenoon of 18 November. The Chinese announced a unilateral cease-fire on 20 November, effective from the midnight of 21/22 November. Prominent gallantry awards during the war include- *4

- was awarded the Battle Honour ''Nuranang'', the only battle honour awarded to any army unit in eastern sector during the 1962 war. *

Param Vir Chakra The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest Awards and Decorations of the Indian Armed Forces, military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valour during wartime. Param Vir Chakra translates roughly as the "Wheel of Supre ...

**Subedar Joginder Singh, 1

* Maha Vir Chakra **Lieutenant Colonel Bejoy Mohan Bhattacharjea, 4 Garhwal Rifles **Major Gurdial Singh, 2 Rajput **Major Mahander Singh Chaudhary, Punjab **Major Sher Pratap Singh Shrikent, 1/9 Gorkha Rifles **Captain Mahabir Prasad, (Sikh Regiment) attached to Gorkha Rifles **Second Lieutenant Bhagwan Dutt Dogra, 1/9 Gorkha Rifles **Second Lieutenant Gopalkrishna Venkatesa Prasanna Rao, 4 Grenadiers **Naik Chain Singh, 9 Punjab **Sepoy Kanshi Ram, 9 Punjab **Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, 4 Garhwal Rifles **Sepoy Kewal Singh, (Sikh Regiment) attached to Gorkha Rifles It was converted to a mountain division in 1963.

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

The Red Eagles, less 33 Mountain Brigade were part of the XI Corps tasked to defend

. Being a mountain division, it was inadequately equipped for warfare in the plains. The divisional plan was as under - *62 Mountain Brigade - advance on Khemkaran-

Kasur Kasur (Punjabi language, Punjabi / ; ; also Romanization, romanized as Qasūr; from pluralized Arabic word ''Qasr'' meaning "palaces" or "forts") is a city to the south of Lahore, in the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. The city s ...

Road and capture Rohi Nallah area, cover Khemkaran, secure the Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian Canal (Ichogil Canal) between Ballanwala and Ganda Singh Wala *7 Mountain Brigade - to secure the East bank of Ichogil Canal between Bedian and Ballanwala The order of battle of the division was as follows - 4 Mountain Division (Major General Gurbaksh Singh) * 9 Horse (Deccan Horse) *37 Battalion Punjab Armed Police 7 Mountain Brigade (Brigadier DS Sidhu) *1/ 9 Gorkha Rifles *4

(after 12 September) *2

(after 12 September) 62 Mountain Brigade (Brigadier HC Gahlaut) *13

*9 JAK LI *18 Rajputana Rifles 4 Mountain Artillery Brigade (Brigadier Jhanda Singh Sandhu) * 1 Field Regiment (Self Propelled) (from 2 Independent Armoured Brigade) * 40 Medium Regiment (from 21 Independent Artillery Brigade) * 91 Mountain Composite (Towed) Regiment * 84 Light Regiment *B Troop, 72 Composite Battery, 20 Locating Regiment *Battery, 45 Air Defence Regiment *Air OP Engineers *1 Field Company *77 Field Company *100 Field Company *41 Field Park Company 2 Independent Armoured Brigade (Brigadier TK Theogaraj) (XI Corps reserve) * 3 Cavalry * 7 Light Cavalry * 8 Light Cavalry * 1 Field Regiment (Self Propelled) *74 Assault Field Company *1

29 Infantry Brigade (from 16 September 1965) (7 Infantry Division) *2

Maratha Light Infantry The Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It traces its lineage to the Bombay Sepoys, raised in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment in the Indian Army. Recruitment The class composition o ...

*3/ 9 Gorkha Rifles *4 (Independent) Squadron *144 Field Regiment (TA) 62 Brigade commenced its attacks on 6 September and secured its objectives, except for the far bund in Rohi Nallah area. 7 Brigade met with stiff opposition. 4 Grenadiers secured the line of Ichhogil canal, but 7 Grenadiers could not secure its objective of capturing Ballanwala. This was followed by heavy enemy shelling. Some units suffered heavy casualties and desertions. Anticipating an armour thrust, the GOC decided to pull back to Asal Uttar on 7 September and hold the enemy. It assumed a ‘horse shoe’ shaped defensive position with Asal Uttar as its focal point. The Pakistani forces, consisting of the 1 Armoured Division and 11 Infantry Division attacked on 8 September. Though some positions of 1/9 Gorkhas and 18 Rajputana Rifles were overrun, 7 and 62 Brigades supported by Deccan Horse and 3 Cavalry were able to repulse the attacks. The Pakistanis launched a second attack on the night of 8 September. This attack was held back by the units of 7 Brigade, supported by armour and artillery and the enemy lost many tanks. Anticipating a wide outflanking manoeuvre from the west, Brigadier Theogaraj moved the major part of his brigade to cover the Lakhna-Mahmudpura-Chima area and flooded part of the approaches to guide the enemy tanks to a trap. As expected, in the morning of 10 September, the Pakistani M-47 and

M48 Patton The M48 Patton is an American first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun M48, armored, full-tracked, combat vehicle of the medium-gun tank class. It was designed as a replacement for ...

tanks were lured inside the horse-shoe shaped defensive position. They were first held back by the 4 Grenadiers. The battalion held out with great gallantry. This was when Company Quartermaster Havildar

Abdul Hamid ʻAbd al-Ḥamīd (ALA-LC romanization of ; ; ), also spelled as Abdulhamid, Abdelhamid, Abd-ul Hamid, and Abd ol-Hamid, is a Muslim male given name and, in modern usage, surname. It is a Muslim theophoric name built from the Arabic words '' ʻabd' ...

destroyed three tanks with his recoilless gun (for which he was awarded the

). The Pakistanis made multiple attempts to overrun the Indian defences. However, the swampy grounds and the tactical planning of the Indians meant that they suffered heavy losses - which included a total of 97 tanks and many men and senior officers. At the same time, the Indian Army lost only 10 tanks. The bulk of the Pakistani offense withdrew to Khemkaran. The division then made many unsuccessful attempts to capture Khemkaran, without success. 4 Mountain Division suffered 60 killed, 206 wounded and 93 missing in action. The major gallantry awards won during the battle were - *

**Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid, 4 Grenadiers * Maha Vir Chakra **Major General Gurbaksh Singh, GOC 4 Mountain Division. **Brigadier TK Theograj, Commander, 2 Independent Armoured Brigade **Lieutenant Colonel Raghubir Singh, Commanding Officer, 18 Rajputana Rifles. **Lieutenant Colonel Salim Caleb, Commandant, 3 Cavalry. **Lieutenant Colonel AS Vaidya, Commandant, 9 Horse. *The battle honour '' Asal Uttar'' was awarded for the period 9 to 11 September to the following units- ** 9 Horse (Deccan Horse) ** 3 Cavalry ** 91 Mountain Regiment ** 40 Medium Regiment ** 4 Grenadiers ** 18 Rajputana Rifles (now 11 Mechanised Infantry Regiment) ** 1 Dogra (now 7 Mechanised Infantry Regiment) ** 2 Mahar ** 9 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

The division along with 9 Infantry Division was part of the II Corps on the eastern sector. The order of battle (ORBAT) for the division was as follows- 4 Mountain Division (Major General Mohinder Singh Barar) * 45 Cavalry (A Squadron) 7 Mountain Brigade (Brigadier Zail Singh) *22

*5 Jat *1 Naga Regiment 41 Mountain Brigade (Brigadier A.H.E. "Tony" Michigan) *5 Guards *9

*5/

1 Gorkha Rifles 1st Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment), often referred to as the 1st Gorkha Rifles, or 1 GR in abbreviation, is the most senior Gorkha Infantry regiment of the Indian Army, comprising Gurkha soldiers of Indian Gorkha or Nepalese nationality, pa ...

62 Mountain Brigade (Brigadier Rajendra Nath) *5

Sikh Light Infantry The Sikh Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army.9 Gorkha Rifles 4 Mountain Artillery Brigade (Brigadier Baljeet Singh) * 22 Mountain Regiment * 194 Mountain Regiment *7 Field Regiment * 181 Light Regiment * 78 Medium Regiment (1 battery) Engineers *63 Engineer Regiment Before the outbreak of full-fledged war, 4 Mountain Division had captured the border areas of Jibannagar, Uthali (by 62 Brigade) and Darshana (by 41 Brigade). The divisional plan was to advance on Magura by way of Majdia, Jibannagar, Kotchandpur and Jhenaidah, so as to secure the ferry on the

Madhumati river The Gorai-Madhumati ( , ''Gôŗai-Modhumoti'') is one of the longest rivers in Bangladesh and a distributary of the Ganges. In its upper reaches, it is called the Gorai, and the name changes to Madhumati further downstream. The Madhumati flows ...

. After the commencement of operations, Kotchandpur was captured by 62 Brigade on 4 December 1971, though they suffered heavy casualties. 41 Mountain Brigade was tasked to form a block between Chuadanga and Jhenaidah, preventing two Pakistani battalions from moving towards Jhenaidah. 41 Mountain Brigade advanced and captured Jhenaidah and Kaliganj by 7 December. 62 Mountain Brigade captured Magura by 9 December. 7 Mountain Brigade, which had been entrusted to capture

Kushtia Kushtia () is a city located on the banks of the Gorai River in Bangladesh. It serves as the headquarters of Kushtia District and is considered the cultural capital of Bangladesh. The city is known for its Tiler Khaja (sesame sweets), kulf ...

in the North, met with stiff resistance on 9 December from the Pakistanis, which included armour. 41 Mountain Brigade and 62 Infantry Brigade therefore had to be sent to capture Kushtia. This delay led to 62 and 7 Mountain Brigades resuming their offensive towards Faridpur only on 15 December. By this time, IV Corps had reached

Dacca Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

, forcing a Pakistani surrender on 16 December 1971. On 16 December, Major General M.H. Ansari, GOC, Pakistan’s 9 Infantry Division and his divisional staff surrendered to Major General M.S. Barar at Kamarkhali, while his 3,000-strong garrison laid down arms before Brigadier Rajendra Nath at Faridpur. The major gallantry awards won during the battle were * Maha Vir Chakra **Brigadier A.H.E. Michigan **Lieutenant Colonel Chittoor Venugopal, 5/1 Gorkha Rifles **Havildar Bir Bahadur Pun, 5/1 Gorkha Rifles **Rifleman Pati Ram Gurung, 5/1 Gorkha Rifles *The battle honour ''Darsana'' was awarded to the following units- ** 45 Cavalry **5/

Present day

The 4 Infantry Division is under the I Corps and headquartered at

. The division presently consists of - *7 Infantry Brigade at

Kanpur Kanpur (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), originally named Kanhapur and formerly anglicized as Cawnpore, is the second largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow. It was the primary ...

*41 Infantry Brigade at

Lucknow Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is the administrative headquarters of the epon ...

*62 Infantry Brigade at

*4 Artillery Brigade at

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * *

External links

British Military History – British Troops in The Sudan 1930–47
{{DEFAULTSORT:04 Indian Infantry Division Indian World War II divisions Divisions of the Indian Army British Indian Army divisions Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations in British Somaliland in World War II