The 16th Indian Division was an infantry division of the

Indian Army during the First World War The Indian Army during World War I was involved World War I. Over one million Indian troops served overseas, of whom 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war. In World War I the ...

. It was formed in December 1916, during 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 was the only war formed division 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 was not sent overseas, instead it was sent to guard the North West Frontier. The division took over the responsibilities of the

3rd Lahore Divisional Area The 3rd Lahore Divisional Area was an infantry division of the British Indian Army that formed part of the Indian Army during the First World War. It was formed in September 1914 to replace the original 3rd (Lahore) Division that had been mobi ...

when it was disbanded in May 1917. The 16th Division was called into action for the Waziristan Campaign in 1917, the 45th (Jullundur) Brigade under command of Brigadier

Reginald Dyer Colonel Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, CB (9 October 1864 – 23 July 1927) was an officer of the Bengal Army and later the newly constituted British Indian Army. His military career began serving briefly in the regular British Army before tra ...

were responsible for the

Jallianwala Bagh massacre The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919. A large peaceful crowd had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab, to protest against the Rowlatt Act and arrest of pro-independence ...

. In 1919, they were sent into Afghanistan during the

Third Afghan War The Third Anglo-Afghan War; fa, جنگ سوم افغان-انگلیس), also known as the Third Afghan War, the British-Afghan War of 1919, or in Afghanistan as the War of Independence, began on 6 May 1919 when the Emirate of Afghanistan inv ...

. The division was not reformed for 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 ...

Order of Battle

The division was composed as follows:

43rd Indian Brigade

* 2/6th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment * 2nd Battalion

12th Pioneers The 12th Pioneers (The Kelat-i-Ghilzie Regiment) were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1838, when they were raised as the 3rd Battalion, Shah Shuja's Force. In 1842 the battalion distinguished itse ...

* 1st Battalion 124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan * 1st Battalion

4th Gurkha Rifles The 4th Gorkha Rifles or the Fourth Gorkha Rifles, abbreviated as 4 GR, is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese nationality, especially Magars and Gurungs hill tribes of Nepal. The Fourth Gorkha Rifles h ...

44th (Ferozepore) Brigade

Joined the division in February 1917: * 1/9th Battalion

Hampshire Regiment The Hampshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot. The regi ...

* 2nd Battalion

17th Infantry The 17th Infantry (The Loyal Regiment) was an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, later of the united British Indian Army. It was formed at Phillour in 1858 by Major J. C. Innes from men of the 3rd, 36th and 61st Bengal Native Infantry regiment ...

* 2nd Battalion

30th Punjabis The 30th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 22nd Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 30th Punjabis in 1903 and became 1st Battalion 16th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, ...

(Replaced by the 3rd battalion August 1918)

45th (Jullundur) Brigade

Joined the division in May 1917: * 1/25th Battalion London Regiment * 3rd Battalion

23rd Sikh Pioneers The 23rd Sikh Pioneers were a regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1857, when they were known as the 15th (Pioneer) Regiment of Punjab Infantry. The regiment recruited the Mazhabi Sikhs and Ramdasia Sikhs of Pu ...

55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force) The 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force) was a regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1849 as the 1st Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force) in 1903 and became 1st Battalion (Coke's ...

* 2nd Battalion 151st Sikh Infantry In the Third Afghan War the formation was: * 1 Squadron 37th Lancers (Baluch Horse) * 1/25th Battalion London Regiment * 2nd Battalion

41st Dogras The 41st Dogras were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1900, when they were raised as the 41st (Dogra) Bengal Infantry. They went to China in 1904 to join an international force, staying there unt ...

* 2nd Battalion

69th Punjabis The 69th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1759, when they were raised as the 10th Battalion Coast Sepoys. The regiment's first engagement was during the Carnatic Wars, this was foll ...

* 2nd Battalion 150th Infantry *

57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier Force) The 4th Punjab Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army formed on 18 April 1849 by Captain GG Denniss at Lahore as part of the Transfrontier Brigade, which became the Punjab Irregular Force (PIF) in 1851. The regiment ...

* 1 Company 2/4th Battalion

Border Regiment The Border Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot and the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot. After service ...

* 23rd (Peshawar) Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)Collett, pp.301–302

Ambala Brigade

Joined the division in May 1917: * 1/9th Battalion Middlesex Regiment * 4th Battalion

Divisional troops

* 23rd Battalion

Rifle Brigade The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

* 2nd Battalion

10th Jats The 10th Jats were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1823, when they were known as the 1st Battalion, 33rd Bengal Native Infantry. Over the years they became known by a number of different titles. T ...

Divisional Artillery

* VI 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 ...

(RFA) * CCXVII Brigade, RFA * CCXVIII Brigade, RFA * CCXXI Brigade, RFA

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

* {{Indian Divisions in World War I British Indian Army divisions Indian World War I divisions Military units and formations established in 1916 Military units and formations disestablished in 1922

Order of Battle

43rd Indian Brigade

44th (Ferozepore) Brigade

45th (Jullundur) Brigade

Ambala Brigade

Divisional troops

Divisional Artillery

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links