The Ferozepore Brigade 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 mar ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

of the British Indian Army that formed part 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 1914 as part of the 3rd Lahore Divisional Area for service on the North West Frontier and renamed as 44th (Ferozepore) Brigade in August 1915. It remained in India throughout 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 ...

but saw active service in the

Third Anglo-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 ...

with the 16th Indian Division. Post-war, the brigade underwent a number of changes in designation before settling on Ferozepore Brigade Area by the outbreak of 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 opposi ...

. It was broken up in February 1942.

History

At the outbreak of the

, the Ferozepore Brigade was part of the

3rd (Lahore) Division The 3rd (Lahore) Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army, first organised in 1852. It saw service during World War I as part of the Indian Corps in France before being moved to the Middle East where it fought against troops ...

. It was mobilized in August 1914 with the division as the 7th (Ferozepore) Brigade and sailed from

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

and

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

between 24 and 29 September for the Western Front. The 3rd Lahore Divisional Area was formed in September 1914 to take over the area responsibilities of the 3rd (Lahore) Division and in December 1914 a new Ferozepore Brigade was formed in 3rd Lahore Divisional Area to replace the original brigade. In August 1915 it was designated as 44th (Ferozepore) Brigade. From March 1916, it was intended to form a reserve division for the North West Frontier, but the urgent need to find troops for

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...

meant that the 16th Indian Division was not formed until December 1916. In February 1917 the brigade was transferred to the new division. The brigade remained on the North West Frontier throughout the

but was mobilized with 16th Indian Division to take part in the

. In September 1920, the brigade was redesignated as 12th Indian Infantry Brigade and as 16th Indian Infantry Brigade from October 1921not to be confused with an identically designated but unrelated

12th 12 (twelve) is the natural number following 11 and preceding 13. Twelve is a superior highly composite number, divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6. It is the number of years required for an orbital period of Jupiter. It is central to many systems ...

and

16th Indian Infantry Brigade The 2nd Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in Rawalpindi in September 1939. In October 1940, it was renamed 16th (Independent) Indian Infantry Brigade in November 1941, ...

s of the

. In 1923, the brigade was once again renamed Ferozepore Brigade. By the outbreak of the Second World War it was designated as Ferozepore Brigade Area and it was broken up in February 1942.

Orders of battle

Commanders

The 44th (Ferozepore) Brigade / 12th Indian Infantry Brigade / 16th Indian Infantry Brigade / Ferozepore Brigade Area had the following commanders:

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * *

External links

* *{{cite web, url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/16_ind_div.htm , title=16th Indian Division on ''The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918'' by PB Chappell , access-date=2015-06-30 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517084648/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/16_ind_div.htm , archive-date=17 May 2008 , df=dmy Brigades of India in World War I Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1942