The 81st (West African) Division was formed under British control during 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 ...

. It took part in the Burma Campaign.

History

The inspiration for the division's formation came from General

George Giffard General (United Kingdom), General Sir George James Giffard (27 September 1886 – 17 November 1964) was a British military officer, who had a distinguished career in command of African troops in World War I, rising to command an Army Group in S ...

, commander of the British Army's

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

Command, who subsequently commanded

India Command Following the Kitchener Reforms of 1903 during the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India, enjoyed control of the Army of India and answered to the civilian Viceroy of India. The Commander-in-Chief's staff was overseen by the Chief of the G ...

's Eastern Army, facing the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

army on the frontier between

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

. Giffard had wide experience with African troops, and was eager for them to participate in the war. The framework around which the division was formed was the

Royal West African Frontier Force The West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia. In 1928, it received royal recognition ...

. One of the brigades (the 3rd West African) and several of the supporting units which formed the division had already seen action with the

11th (African) Division 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

, against the Italians in

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

. The division was established as the 1st (West African) Division on 1 March 1943. Three days later it was renamed the 81st (West African) Division, taking the next vacant number in the list of British infantry divisions. The division's badge was a spider, in black on a yellow circular background. This spider was a reference to Ananse, a cunning character in Ashanti mythology, and drawn so that when a soldier raised his weapon to fire, the spider would appear to be going forwards. West African Casualties in Burma, August 1944 K7403

West African Casualties in Burma, August 1944 K7403

The division arrived in India on 14 August 1943. The movement of the 5th (West African) Brigade was delayed, however, after the troopship which was to carry it was lost in the German attack on

Convoy Faith Convoy Faith was a small, fast Allied convoy of World War II. It suffered heavy casualties when attacked by German long-range bombers while en route from Britain to West Africa in July 1943. The convoy comprised two large troopships and a frei ...

off Portugal on the night of 11/12 July 1943. The 3rd (West African) Brigade was detached to the

Chindits The Chindits, officially as Long Range Penetration Groups, were special operations units of the British and Indian armies which saw action in 1943–1944 during the Burma Campaign of World War II. The British Army Brigadier Orde Wingate form ...

, and was intended to garrison jungle bases for the raiding columns. The remainder of the division took part in the second Arakan campaign from February to May, 1944, operating in the

Kaladan Valley The Kaladan River ( my, ကုလားတန်မြစ်, ; also Kysapnadi, Beino, Bawinu and Kolodyne) is a river in eastern Mizoram State of India, and in Chin State and Rakhine State of western Myanmar. The Kaladan River is called the Ch ...

on the flank of Indian XV Corps. In late March, substantial Japanese reinforcements (with some troops from the

Indian National Army The Indian National Army (INA; ''Azad Hind Fauj'' ; 'Free Indian Army') was a collaborationist armed force formed by Indian collaborators and Imperial Japan on 1 September 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. Its aim was to secure In ...

) outflanked the division and forced it to retreat over a range of hills out of the Kaladan valley into that of the Kalapanzin. In August, the division re-entered the Kaladan valley, forcing the Japanese and Indian National Army to abandon Mowdok, a few miles east of the Indian / Burmese frontier. The division then advanced down the valley once again, reaching Myohaung near the mouth of the river on 28 January 1945. The division was withdrawn to India to rest on 22 April 1945. On 31 August, it was returned to West Africa and disbanded.

Character and organisation

The division was originally intended to operate on a pack basis, with porters carrying all equipment and supplies. Lieutenant General

William Slim William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

, then commanding XV Corps, commented on first inspecting units of the division in late 1943:

Their discipline and smartness were impressive, and they were more obviously at home in the jungle than any troops I had yet seen... I was at once struck by two things. First, by the horde of unarmed porters who were needed to carry supplies, ammunition, baggage and the heavier weapons, and secondly by the large number of white men in a unit, fifty or sixty to a battalion. Accustomed as I was to Indian battalions in the field with usually only seven or eight Europeans, it struck me as an unnecessarily generous supply.Defeat into Victory, William Slim, Cassell, 1956

Order of Battle

General Officers Commanding * Major General C G Woolner, from 3 March 1943 * Major General Frederick Joseph Loftus-Tottenham, from 3 August 1943 to 31 August 1945 **except for ** 15 to 26 August 1944, Brigadier E Collins ** 31 January to 2 March 1945, Brigadier A Crook

Formation and North Arakan

From formation to reorganisation during September 1944. Infantry *3rd (West African) Infantry Brigade GroupJoslen p. 436 Detached to ''Special Force'' on 8 November 1943Joslen 123-124 ** 6th Battalion,

Nigeria Regiment The Nigeria Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force, was formed by the amalgamation of the Northern Nigeria Regiment and the Southern Nigeria Regiment on 1 January 1914. At that time, the regiment consisted of five battalions: *1st Battalio ...

** 7th Battalion, Nigeria Regiment ** 12th Battalion, Nigeria Regiment ** 1st (West African) Auxiliary Group ''(Nigeria Regiment)'' **3rd (West African) Light Battery, West African Artillery (WAA)''(left 14 May 1943)'' **7th (West African) Field Company, West African Engineers (WAE) **3rd (West African) Field Ambulance, West African Army Medical Corps (WAAMC) **3rd (West African) Infantry Brigade Provost Section **details from West African Army Service Corps (WAASC) *5th (West African) Infantry Brigade Group Reorganised as an infantry brigade on 31 August 1944. **5th Battalion,

Gold Coast Regiment The Ghana Regiment is an infantry regiment that forms the main fighting element of the Ghanaian Army (GA). History The regiment was formed in 1879 as the Gold Coast Constabulary, from personnel of the Hausa Constabulary of Southern Nigeria, to per ...

**7th Battalion, Gold Coast Regiment **8th Battalion, Gold Coast Regiment **3rd (West African) Auxiliary Group ''(Gold Coast Regiment)'' **5th Light Battery, (WAA) ''(left 24 May 1944)'' ***2x

Troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troop Ro ...

s 3.7 inch mountain guns ***1 Troop 4 x 3 inch Mortars **3rd Field Company, (WAE) **4th Survey Section **4th (West African) Field Butchery, (WAASC) **5th (West African) Field Ambulance,(WAAMC) **5th (West African) Field Hygiene Section, (WAAMC) **5th (West African) Infantry Brigade Provost Section *6th (West African) Infantry Brigade Group Reorganised as an infantry brigade on 31 August 1944. **1st Battalion,

Gambia Regiment The Gambia Regiment was a British Army colonial regiment drawn from the Gambia Colony and Protectorate that existed between 1901 and 1958. Known as the Gambia Company from 1901 to 1939, and from 1945 to 1950, its strength fluctuated from peaceti ...

**1st Battalion, Sierra Leone Regiment **4th Battalion, Nigeria Regiment **4th (West African) Auxiliary Group ''(Sierra Leone Regiment)'' ** 3rd Light Battery, (WAA) ''(left 24 May 1944)'' ***2x Troops 3.7 inch mountain guns ***1 Troop 4 x 3 inch Mortars **6th Field Company, (WAE) **3rd Survey Section **6th (West African) Brigade Group Company, (WAASC) **8th (West African) Field Butchery,(WAASC) **6th (West African) Field Ambulance, (WAAMC) **6th (West African) Field Hygiene Section, (WAAMC) **6th (West African) Infantry Brigade Provost Section Divisional Troops *Artillery ** 1st Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiment, (WAA) ''(joined 6 May 1943)'' ** 101st Light Regiment,(WAA) ''(formed 24 May 1944, formed from the 3rd, 5th and 6th Light Batteries 3.7 inch guns)'' ***3rd, 5th and 6th Light Batteries **41st Mortar Regiment, (WAA) ''(formed 24 May 1944, formed from the mortar troops of the 3rd, 5th and 6th Light Batteries, and strengthened)'' ***101st, 102nd, 103rd Mortar Batteries ''(8 x 3 inch mortars)'' *Reconnaissance **81st (West African) Division Regiment, West African Armoured Corps ''(re-rolled on 1 January 1944, left February 1944, for XV Corps)'' **11th (East African) Division Scouts ''(from 20 January 1944)'' *Engineers **3rd Field Company, (WAE) *Bearers **1st (West African) Auxiliary Group ''(Nigeria Regiment), from 17 January 1944'' *Service Corps (West African Army Service Corps) **81st (West African) Infantry Division Transport Regiment (WAASC) **81st (West African) Infantry Division Troops Company Composite Platoon (WAASC) **1st (West African) Field Butchery (WAASC) *Division Troops **81st (West African) Divisional Signals **Air Support Liaison Section **26th Motor Ambulance Convoy **5th Platoon, Burma Intelligence Corps **16th Provost Section **6th Field Security Section

Reorganisation and Arakan beaches

On reorganisation to a standard divisional establishment. Infantry *5th (West African) Infantry Brigade As a standard infantry brigade from 31 August 1944. **5th Battalion, Gold Coast Regiment **7th Battalion, Gold Coast Regiment **8th Battalion, Gold Coast Regiment **3rd (West African) Auxiliary Group ''(Gold Coast Regiment)'' **5th (West African) Field Ambulance, (WAAMC) **1780 Composite Platoon, (WAASC) **1001st Detachment (West African) Mobile Workshops, West African Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (WAEME) *6th (West African) Infantry Brigade As a standard infantry brigade from 31 August 1944. **1st Battalion, Gambia Regiment **1st Battalion, Sierra Leone Regiment **4th Battalion, Nigeria Regiment **4th (West African) Auxiliary Group ''(Sierra Leone Regiment)'' **6th (West African) Field Ambulance, (WAAMC) **1781 Composite Platoon, (WAASC) **1002nd Detachment (West African) Mobile Workshops, (WAEME) Divisional Troops *Artillery **1st Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiment, (WAA) ''(reorganised as an anti-tank regiment on 1 October, renamed 22 October 1944)'' **21st Anti-Tank Regiment, (WAA) ''renamed from the 1st Anti-Tank Regiment, (WAA)'' **101st Light Regiment, (WAA) ***3rd, 5th and 6th Light Batteries **41st Mortar Regiment, (WAA) ***101st, 102nd, 103rd Mortar Batteries ''(8 x 3 inch mortars)'' *Reconnaissance **81st (West African) Reconnaissance Regiment, West African Armoured Corps ''(organised as infantry)'' **11th (East African) Division Scouts *Engineers **3rd Field Company, (WAE) **5th Field Company, (WAE) **6th Field Company, (WAE) **8th Field Park Company, (WAE) *Bearers **1st (West African) Auxiliary Group (Nigeria Regiment) *Division Troops ** 81st (West African) Divisional Signals

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

*
Burma Star organisation page

British Military History
{{DEFAULTSORT:81 West African Infantry Division British World War II divisions Infantry divisions of the United Kingdom Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations of the British Empire in World War II D Military history of the Gambia Military units and formations disestablished in 1945