- 17th Infantry Division (India)
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 17th Infantry Division
caption=
dates= 1941 - 19461960 -
country=India
allegiance=
branch=British Indian Army Indian Army
type=Infantry
role=
size=
command_structure=
garrison=
current_commander=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
notable_commanders=Maj. Gen. Jackie Smyth VC
Maj. Gen. "Punch" Cowan DSO
Maj. Gen. W A Crowther DSO
Brig. Gen. Herbert Duncan
Lt. Col. Charles Anderson VC MC
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_2=
nickname= The Black Cat Division
patron=
battles=Battle of Imphal
Battle of Meiktila
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours= BurmaThe Indian 17th Infantry Division was a formation of the
British Indian Army raised duringWorld War II . It had the distinction of being continually in combat during the three-year longBurma Campaign (except for brief periods of refit).History
Formation
It was first formed in
1941 inAhmednagar inIndia . It consisted then of the Indian 44th, 45th and 46th Brigades, and was intended to garrisonIraq . At the end of the year, war withImperial Japan broke out and the division was split; 44th and 45th Brigades were despatched to Malaya where 45th Brigade fought in theBattle of Muar before both brigades were lost in theBattle of Singapore ; 46th Brigade and the division HQ went to Burma, where the Division was reinforced byIndian 16th Infantry Brigade and took 2nd Burma Infantry Brigade under command.1942
The Japanese attacked Burma on
January 22 ,1942 . It was soon apparent that the British and Indian troops in Burma were too few in number, wrongly equipped and inadequately trained for the terrain and conditions. After failing to hold the Kawkareik Pass and Moulmein, the division fell back to theBilin River , where it was joined byIndian 48th Infantry Brigade .The Bilin was not a proper defensive position, and the division tried to retreat over the
Sittang River . Air attacks, poor organization and vehicle breakdowns delayed the division, and Japanese parties infiltrated around them to threaten the vital bridge over the Sittang. The division's commander, Major General "Jackie" Smyth VC , was forced to order the bridge to be destroyed, with most of the division cut off on the far side of the river. Only a few thousand men without equipment succeeded in crossing the river. Smyth was dismissed and replaced by Major General Cowan.The division was reinforced with
Indian 63rd Infantry Brigade , and narrowly escaped being trapped inRangoon . After trying to hold a front in theIrrawaddy River valley, it subsequently retreated north intoAssam just before the monsoon broke, fighting off a Japanese attempt to trap it atKalewa .1943
For the campaigning season of
1943 , the division was reorganised as a "Light" formation, with two brigades only (48th and 63rd), supported by mountain artillery, and with mules and jeeps only for transport. It disputed the mountainous and jungle-covered region aroundTiddim , with mixed success. The division was at the end of a long and precarious supply line, and the "light" establishment was found to be inadequate in some respects. Some heavier equipment and transport was restored.1944
In
1944 , the Japanese launched a major invasion of India. During the longBattle of Imphal , 17th Division first successfully fought its way out of encirclement at Tiddim, and then disputed the vital Bishenpur sector south of Imphal (withIndian 32nd Infantry Brigade temporarily under command). In July, the Japanese were broken by heavy casualties and starvation, and retreated. Some units of 17th Division had suffered nearly 100% casualties.During the late monsoon season, the division was temporarily withdrawn to India and reorganised once again. 48th and 63rd Brigades were fully equipped with vehicles to become
Motorized infantry .Indian 99th Infantry Brigade was added to the division, equipped to be transported byDouglas DC-3 aircraft.1945
In late February.
1945 , the motor elements of the division, with the bulk of255th Indian Tank Brigade under command, crossed theIrrawaddy River and advanced on the vital Japanese communications centre ofMeiktila . Joined by 99th Brigade which was flown into the captured airfield atThabutkon , they captured Meiktila in only four days. Reinforced byIndian 9th Infantry Brigade which was flown into the airfields around Meiktila, they subsequently withstood a Japanese siege. This Battle of Meiktila largely destroyed the Japanese armies in Central Burma.The division now broke the last Japanese defensive position at
Pyawbwe , and advanced south onRangoon . AtPegu , it pushed Japanese rearguards aside, but was still short of its objective when themonsoon broke. Rangoon fell to an assault from the sea,Operation Dracula .In the last months of the campaign, the division participated in the mopping up of Japanese stragglers in Burma. After the war ended, elements of it formed part of the Commonwealth Occupation force in Japan (under Cowan).
1946
The division was disbanded in India
1960
The division was re-raised at Ambala (India) on November 15, 1960. It was under the command of Major General K.S. Katoch, MC.
1961
Under the command of Major General
Candeth , the division participated in theGoa military operations of that year.1963
On November 15, 1963, the division relocated to Sikkim and took on the role of guarding a portion of the Tibet-India border.
Notes
The division had two different formation signs. The first was a lightning bolt (white) on a blue background. This was used until the middle of 1942. Afterward, the formation sign was changed to a black cat on a yellow/orange background.
The division was sometimes called, "The Black Cat Division" based on its second formation sign.
Order of Battle, as of
May 1 1944 :General Officer Commanding - "Major General
David Tennent Cowan ":Commander, Royal Artillery - "Brigadier the Baron de Robeck"::17 Division HQ and Signals
:
Indian 48th Infantry Brigade - "(Brigadier Ronald Thomas Cameron)"::9th Bn.Border Regiment ::2nd Bn.5th Gurkha Rifles ::1st Bn.7th Gurkha Rifles :
Indian 63rd Infantry Brigade - "(BrigadierArthur Edward Cumming )"::1st Bn.3rd Gurkha Rifles ::1st Bn.4th Gurkha Rifles ::1st Bn.10th Gurkha Rifles :Divisional Units::1st Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment "(attached)"::4th Bn.
12th Frontier Force Regiment "(Divisional reconnaissance unit)"::7th Bn.10th Baluch Regiment "(Divisional defence / machine gun unit)"::129 Field Regiment RA::21 Mountain Regiment IA::29 Mountain Regiment IA::82 Light Anti-aircraft / Anti-tank Regiment RA
::60 Field Company IE::70 Field Company IE::Tehri Garhwal Field Company::414 Field Park Company IE
External links
*
Further reading
* Jon Latimer, "Burma: The Forgotten War", London: John Murray, 2004 ISBN 0-7195-6576-6
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