Northern Command (India)

Northern Command's insignia today

The Northern Command was a formation of the British Indian Army from 1895 to 1942, and then from 1945 to 1947. Subsequently it was reformed in the post-Independence Indian Army in 1972.

North Western Army was formed from Northern Command in April 1942, formed to guard the North West Frontier. It controlled the Kohat, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Baluchistan and Waziristan Districts.^[1] Among these districts' subordinate formations was the 75th Indian Infantry Brigade, later renamed the Gardai Brigade.

Composition 1942-45

• 7th Indian Infantry Division, April 1942 to January 1943
• 84th Indian Infantry Brigade, May 1942 to October 1943
• 33rd Indian Infantry Brigade, July 1942 to December1942
• 55th Indian Infantry Brigade, July 1942 to September 1942
• Risalpur Training Brigade (15 Nov 1940-April 1944) then redesignated 155th Indian Infantry Brigade, April 1944 to August 1945^[1]

Major-General (Acting Lt. General.) C. W. Toovey, C.B., C.B.E., M.C., I.A., relinquished his appointment as (acting) General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, North Western Army, and the acting rank of Lt.-General, 22nd Oct. 1945. General Richard O'Connor arrived to replace him. North Western Army reverted to the title Northern Command in November 1945.^[2] Lieutenant-General Sir Frank Messervy, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., I.A., was appointed as G.O.C.-in-C. Northern Command, India, 15th Oct. 1946.

In 1947 Headquarters Northern Command became the new headquarters of the Pakistan Army. Messervy continued to serve as Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army from 1947-48.

Re-raising

The government of India decided to raise a separate command to oversee operations in the northern borders with Pakistan and China. Lt Gen P.S. Bhagat, VC was appointed as the first Army Commander in June 1972. Bhagat's main activities as Army Commander were the improvement of defences and the living and working condition of his troops.^[3]:286

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "North Western Army". Order of Battle. http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=8813&Tab=Sub. Retrieved 2009-10-14. 
2. ^ Major General Cecil Watton Toovey CB, CBE, MC, 2010
3. ^ Singh, V.K.. Leadership in the Indian army: biographies of twelve soldiers (Illustrated ed.). New Delhi: Sage. pp. 417. ISBN 9780761933229. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=cJDsk_g6tXUC. Retrieved 10 August 2010. 

External links

• British Military History Biographies T