The 15th Indian Division 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 marine i ...

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

that saw active service in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. It served in the

Mesopotamian Campaign The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, troops from Britain, Australia and the vast majority from British India, against the Central Powe ...

on the Euphrates Front throughout its existence. It did not serve in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, but was reformed at

Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...

in 1964 as part of the post-independence

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

History

;World War I The division was formed on 7 May 1916 to replace the

12th Indian Division The 12th Indian Division was formed in March 1915 from units of the British Indian Army. It formed part of the Tigris Corps, for service during the Mesopotamia Campaign of World War I. The Division arrived in Mesopotamia in April 1915 and remai ...

on the Euphrates Front. It remained on the Euphrates Front until the end of the war. It took part in the action of As Sahilan (11 September 1916), the Capture of Ramadi (28 and 29 September 1917), the Occupation of

Hīt Hīt, also spelled ''Heet'' ( ar, هيت), ancient name ''Is'', is an Iraqi city in Al-Anbar province. Hīt lies northwest of Ramadi, the provincial capital. Straddling the Euphrates River, the city of Hīt was originally a small walled town sur ...

(9 March 1918) and the action of Khan Baghdadi (26 and 27 March 1918). The division was not attached to either of the army corps operating in Mesopotamia, the

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...

and III Corps. The division was commanded from formation on 7 May 1916 by

Brigadier-General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Harry T Brooking. Brooking was promoted to

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

on 5 June 1916. At the end of the war, the division was rapidly run down and it was disbanded in March 1919. ;Post Independence The division was re-raised on 1 October 1964 at Clement Town,

under Major General Niranjan Prasad and assigned to

XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to: * 11th Army Corps (France) * XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * ...

. The divisional headquarters has been located at

Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...

since 1965.

Order of battle, First World War

The division commanded the following units, although not all of them served at the same time:

12th Indian Brigade The 12th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the First World War. It served in the Mesopotamian Campaign on the Euphrates Front throughout its existence. History The 12th Indian Brigade ...

* 1/5th Battalion,

Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) was a line infantry regiment of the English and later the British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Arm ...

* 2nd Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles * 1st Battalion, 43rd Erinpura Infantry *

90th Punjabis The 90th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment was raised in 1799 as a battalion of Madras Native Infantry. It was designated as the 90th Punjabis in 1903 and became 2nd Battalion 8th Punjab Regiment in 1922. ...

* 128th Machine Gun Company * 12th Light

Trench Mortar ''Minenwerfer'' ("mine launcher" or "mine thrower") is the German name for a class of short range mine shell launching mortars used extensively during the First World War by the Imperial German Army. The weapons were intended to be used by engin ...

Battery

34th Indian Brigade

:''Joined the division on formation and left for the 17th Indian Division in August 1917'' * 2nd Battalion,

Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army based in the county of Kent in existence from 1881 to 1961. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, originally as the Queen' ...

* 31st Punjabis * 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry * 114th Mahrattas * 129th Machine Gun Company

42nd Indian Brigade The 42nd Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It served in the Mesopotamian Campaign on the Euphrates Front throughout its existence. It was ...

* 1/4th Battalion,

Devonshire Regiment The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 ...

* 1/4th Battalion,

Dorsetshire Regiment The Dorset Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958, being the county regiment of Dorset. Until 1951, it was formally called the Dorsetshire Regiment, although usually known as "The Dorsets". In 19 ...

* 1st Battalion, 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) * 2nd Battalion, 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) * 2nd 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 ...

* 130th Machine Gun Company * 42nd Light Trench Mortar Battery

50th Indian Brigade The 50th Indian Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It served in the Mesopotamian Campaign on the Euphrates Front throughout its existence. It was ...

:''Joined from the 17th Indian Division in September 1917'' * 1st Battalion,

Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was a light infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1958, serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. The regiment was formed as a consequence of th ...

6th Jat Light Infantry The6th Jat Light Infantry were an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, later of the united British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1803, when they were the 1st Battalion, 22nd Bengal Native Infantry. Over the years they were known ...

14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs The 14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs was a regiment of the British Indian Army; they can trace their origins to the ''Regiment of Ferozepore'' formed in 1846. The regiment had a number of different titles over the following years: the 14th ...

* 24th Punjabis * 1st Battalion, 97th Deccan Infantry * 256th Machine Gun Company * 50th Light Trench Mortar Battery

Divisional Artillery

* VII Mountain Brigade,

Indian Mountain Artillery Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

( 21st Kohat and 26th Jacob's Mountain Batteries) * CCXXII Brigade,

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of t ...

(375th, 1070th, 1072th, 77th ( H) and 429th (H) Batteries) * CCXV Brigade, Royal Field Artillery ( 816th, 1087th, 1088th and 524th (H) Batteries} * Volunteer Battery * M, N and O Light Trench Mortar Batteries * X.15 Medium Trench Mortar Battery * 15th Divisional Ammunition Column

Engineers and Pioneers

* 4th Field Company,

1st King George's Own Sappers and Miners First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

Malerkotla Malerkotla is a city and district headquarters of Malerkotla district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was the seat of the eponymous princely state during the British Raj. The state acceded to the union of India in 1947 and was merged with ...

Sappers and Miners, ISF * 448th (Northumbrian) Field Company, Royal Engineers * 450th (Northumbrian) Field Company, Royal Engineers * 451st (Northumbrian) Field Company, Royal Engineers * 15th Division Signal Company,

Royal Engineers Signal Service The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

* 48th Pioneers

Divisional troops

* D Squadron 1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry (6 August 1917 to May 1918) * 275th Machine Gun Company * 3rd, 19th, 23rd, 24th, 34th, 105th and 108th Combined Field Ambulances,

RAMC The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

* No. 16 (renumbered No. 6) Mobile Veterinary Section, AVC * 15th Division Train, ASC

Battles and engagements during World War I

The division was involved in the following actions: * Action of As Sahilan ''(11 September 1916)'' * Capture of Ramadi ''(2829 September 1917)'' * Occupation of

''(9 March 1918)'' * Action of Khan Baghdadi ''(2627 March 1918)''

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

The division was fully operational on 31 March 1965 and moved to its headquarters in Amritsar by 1 April 1965. It took part in Operation Ablaze and the

Battle of Dograi The Battle of Dograi was a military engagement from 20 to 22 September 1965, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It took place in the area of Dograi village on the outskirts of Lahore in Pakistani Punjab. Background Dograi is a strategical ...

. The division consisted of 38 Infantry Brigade, 54 Infantry Brigade and 15 Artillery Brigade. 38 Infantry Brigade consisted of 1

Jat The Jat people ((), ()) are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and su ...

, 1/ 3 Gorkha Rifles and 3

Garhwal Rifles The Garhwal Rifles, formerly known as the Royal 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 part of the British Indian Army, and a ...

. 54 Infantry Brigade consisted of 3

, 15

Dogra The Dogras or Dogra people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group in India and Pakistan consisting of the Dogri language speakers. They live predominantly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, and in adjoining areas of Punjab, Himachal ...

, 13

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

. In addition to the two infantry brigades, the division consisted of 14 Horse (Scinde Horse), 60 Heavy Regiment and 71 Field Company. 96 Infantry Brigade, consisting of 6

Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to: * Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran * , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII See also ...

, 7

and 16

was initially part of the XI Corps reserve, but subsequently placed under the division's operational command. 50 (Independent) Parachute Brigade was placed under the division on 11 September. It was tasked to capture the road and rail bridges in Jallo area, but suffered heavy casualties during 16 and 17 September and had to be withdrawn. The division was given the task to advance on the

Grand Trunk Road The Grand Trunk Road (formerly known as Uttarapath, Sarak-e-Azam, Shah Rah-e-Azam, Badshahi Sarak, and Long Walk) is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. ...

axis and capture the bridge on the

Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian Canal __NOTOC__ Bambanwala-Ravi-Bedian Canal (BRB Canal), also called Ichogil Canal, is a manmade waterway in Pakistan that takes off from the Upper Chenab Canal near the Bambanwala village (to the west of Daska), runs southeast until reaching close ...

(also called Ichhogil Canal) in Dograi east of

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

. 3 Jat under Lieutenant Colonel

Desmond Hayde Brigadier Desmond Hayde MVC (1926-2013) was an officer in the Indian Army. He was the commanding officer of the 3rd battalion of the Jat Regiment (3 Jat) in the Battle of Dograi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He led his battalion of 55 ...

captured Dograi on the eastern bank of the Canal on 6 September 1965. The same day, 3 Jat captured the Batapore and Attokeawan localities on the west bank of the Canal. Due to lack of support, the unit had to fall back. 1 Jat managed to reach Bhaini Dhilwan bridge, but could not secure it due to armour and artillery fire and had to withdraw. This bridge was subsequently captured by 96 Infantry Brigade. Following the initial reverses faced by the division, Major General Niranjan Prasad was replaced by Major General Mohindar Singh on 9 September 1965. The period of 11 to 18 September was characterised by a series of unproductive actions. The division subsequently plunged in the battle for the Ichhogil canal with zeal and determination. On 21 and 22 September, 3 Jat of the 54 Brigade captured Dograi. The unit won 3 Maha Vir Chakras, 4

Vir Chakra Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy on the battlefield and is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards a ...

s, 7

Sena Medal The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for s ...

s, 12

Mention in Dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

and 11 COAS Commendation Cards. At the end of the war, 15 Division saw 486 killed (26 Officers, 9 JCOs, 451 ORs), 1569 wounded (60 Officers, 57 JCOs, 1450 ORs, 2 NCEs) and 85 missing (3 Officers, 2 JCOs, 79 ORs, 1 NCE).

Awards and honours

*The following regiments won the battle honour ''Dograi''- **14 Horse **3 Jat **15 Dogra **7 Punjab **13 Punjab *During the campaign, four

Maha Vir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the B ...

s were awarded for conspicuous bravery- **Major General Mohinder Singh, GOC 15 Infantry Division **Lieutenant Colonel Desmond E Hayde, Commanding Officer, 3 Jat **Major AR Tyagi (Posthumous), 3 Jat **Captain Kapil Singh Thapa (Posthumous), 3 Jat

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

The division was under Major General BM Bhattacharjee during the 1971 war and was responsible for the area between

Gurdaspur Gurdaspur is a city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, between the rivers Beas River, Beas and Ravi River, Ravi. It houses the administrative headquarters of Gurdaspur District and is in the geographical centre of the distr ...

and the Grand Trunk road opposite Amritsar. It took part in the battles of

Dera Baba Nanak Dera Baba Nanak is a town and a municipal council in Gurdaspur district, in the state of Punjab, India. It is 36km away from Gurdaspur city, the capital of the district. Since November 2019, a corridor between India and Pakistan has been establ ...

and Fatehpur - Burj.

Order of battle

* 66 Armoured Regiment *86 Infantry Brigade ** 71 Armoured Regiment (from 14 (Independent) Armoured Brigade) **10

**1/

9 Gorkha Rifles The 9th Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha infantry regiment of the Indian Army and, previously, the British Army. The regiment was initially formed by the British in 1817, and was one of the Gurkha regiments transferred to the Indian Army after independe ...

**4/

8 Gorkha Rifles The 8th Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha regiment of the Indian Army. It was raised in 1824 as part of the British East India Company and later transferred to the British Indian Army after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The regiment served in World War I ...

**17

Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...

**21 BSF *58 Infantry Brigade (detached from 14 Infantry Division) **24

*96 Infantry Brigade **15

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. The class composition of the regiment ...

**8

Sikh Light Infantry The Sikh Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army.Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

**9 Punjab **11 Grenadiers **23 BSF **27 BSF *38 Infantry Brigade **16 Grenadiers **4

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

**8

*15 Artillery Brigade **42 Field Regiment **175 Field Regiment **177 Field Regiment **74 Medium Regiment **84 Light Regiment **202 Divisional Locating Battery *Additional Artillery Regiments **163 Field Regiment **71 Medium Regiment **76 Medium Regiment **49 AD Regiment (two troops) **3 Air Observation Post Flight ** 20 Locating Regiment

Awards and honours

15 Infantry Division won numerous gallantry awards during the war. Prominent among them are - ;

Param Vishisht Seva Medal Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (IAST: ) is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then it is awarded in recognition to peace-time service of the most exceptional order and may be awarded posthumously. All ranks of the ...

awardee- *Major General BM Bhattacharjee ;

awardees- *Battle of Dera Baba Nanak **Brigadier Krishnaswamy Gowri Shankar, Commander of 86 Infantry Brigade **Lieutenant Colonel Narinder Singh Sandhu of 10 Dogra **Captain Devinder Singh Ahlawat of 10 Dogra *Battle of Burj **Sepoy Pandurang Salunkhe of 15 Maratha Light Infantry *Ranian **Major Basidev Singh Makotia of 9 Punjab *Fathepur **Lieutenant Colonel Harish Chandra Pathak of 8 Sikh Light Infantry *Pul Kanjiri **Lance Naik Shangara Singh of 2 Sikh ;Battle Honours *86 Infantry Brigade was awarded the battle honour ''Dera Baba Nanak''. *15 Maratha Light Infantry was awarded the battle honour ''Burj'' and the theatre honour ''Punjab''. It was declared as the ‘Best Performing Battalion’ during the 1971 Indo-Pak War in the XI Corps Zone by the GOC, Lieutenant General N. C. Rawlley . *10 Dogra was awarded the battle honour ''Dera Baba Nanak''. *1/9 Gorkha Rifles was awarded the battle honour ''Dera Baba Nanak'' and theatre honour ''Punjab''.

Other Operations

Operation Blue Star Operation Blue Star was the codename of a military operation which was carried out by Indian security forces between 1 and 10 June 1984 in order to remove Damdami Taksal leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from the buildings of ...

* Operation Vijay *

Operation Parakram Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

*
British Empire
has list of all Indian Army regiments with pictures of their regimental badges. {{Indian Expeditionary Forces Divisions of the Indian Army British Indian Army divisions Indian World War I divisions Military units and formations established in 1916