The 9th Indian Infantry 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

Indian Army during World War II The Indian Army during World War II, a British force also referred to as the British Indian Army, began the war, in 1939, numbering just under 200,000 men.Sumner, p.25 By the end of the war, it had become the largest volunteer army in history, ...

. The division formed part of

Indian III Corps The III Corps is a formation of the Indian Army that was formed during World War I in Mesopotamia during its respective campaign. Prior to the reorganization of the British and Indian forces in Mesopotamia, it was designated as the Tigris Corps. ...

in the

Malaya Command The Malaya Command was a Command (military formation), formation of the British Army formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of British Malaya, which comprised the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States and the Unfederat ...

during the

Battle of Malaya The Malayan campaign, referred to by Japanese sources as the , was a military campaign fought by Allied and Axis forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 15 February 1942 during the Second World War. It was dominated by land battles between ...

. It was commanded by

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 ...

Arthur Edward Barstow Major-General Arthur Edward "Bustling Bill" Barstow, (17 March 1888 – 28 January 1942) was a British Indian Army officer who commanded the 9th Indian Division during the Battle of Malaya. He was killed by the Japanese on active service in 194 ...

History

The 9th Indian Infantry Division was formed on 15 September 1940 at

Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in Geography of Pakistan, south-west of the country close to the ...

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 ...

before being transferred to Malaya. On 15 September 1940 the three original brigades of the division were the 15th, 20th, and 21st Indian Infantry Brigades. The 3/17th Dogra Regiment from the 9th Division was the first British Commonwealth Army unit to see action against the Japanese at the

Battle of Kota Bharu The Battle of Kota Bharu began just after midnight on 8 December 1941 (local time) before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was the first major battle of the Pacific War, and was fought between ground forces of the British Indian Army and the E ...

on 8 December 1941.Smith The 9th Indian Division fought a relatively successful defensive retreat down Malaya's east coast until the 22nd Brigade was cut off from the rest of the division at a demolished railway bridge near the village of Layang Layang in the state of Johore. Major-General Barstow was killed crossing the bridge, while attempting to contact the brigade. The 22nd Brigade was destroyed whilst trying to find another way to Singapore. What was left of the division was amalgamated with the 11th Indian Division.

Component Units 1941 – 1942

8th Indian Infantry Brigade – Brigadier Berthold Wells (Billy) Key *3/

17th Dogra Regiment The 17th Dogra Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, after the Indian government decided to reform the army moving away from single battalion regiments to multi-battalion regiments. After the part ...

– Lieut.Col George Alan Preston DSO ( WIA at Kota Bharu) *2/

10th Baluch Regiment The 10th Baluch or Baluch Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. After Partition of India, independence, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was amalgamated with the 8th Punjab Regiment, 8th Punja ...

– Lieut.Col James Frith *2/

12th Frontier Force Regiment The 12th Frontier Force Regiment was formed in 1922 as part of the British Indian Army. It consisted of five regular battalions; numbered 1 to 5 and the 10th (Training) Battalion. During the Second World War a further ten battalions were raised. ...

(2nd Sikhs) – Lieut.Col Arthur Cumming V.C. *1st

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

Infantry (

Indian States Forces The Imperial Service Troops were forces raised by the princely states of the British Indian Empire. These troops were available for service alongside the Indian Army when such service was requested by the British government. At the beginning of ...

) – Lieut.Col K.H.Preston *1st

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

Infantry (Indian States Forces) – Lt.Col Charles Albert "Clive" Hendrick (

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at Kota Bharu) 22nd Indian Infantry Brigade – Brigadier George Painter *Brigadier Painter *2/

18th Royal Garhwal Rifles The 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, after the Indian government decided to reform the army, moving away from single-battalion regiments to multi-battalion regiments. They were th ...

– Lt.Col L.H.Cockram/ Lt.Col G.E.R.S.Hartigan *5/11th Sikh Regiment – Lieut.Col John Parkin/ MacAdam *1/13th Frontier Force Rifles – Lieut.Col Clarence Gilbert

Support Units

*CRA – Brigadier E.W. Goodman *5th Field Regt. – Lieut.Col E.W.F.Jephson Royal Artillery (16xQF 4.5 inch Howitzer, 4.5-inch Howitzers) *88th Field Regt. – Lieut.Col Sylvain Claude D'Aubuz Royal Artillery (24xOrdnance QF 25 pounder, 25pdrs) *80th Anti-Tank Regt. – Lieut.Col W.Napier Royal Artillery (48xOrdnance QF 2 pounder, 2pdrs/Cannone da 47/32 M35, 47mm Bredas) *21st Mountain Battery, Indian Artillery, IA – Major J.B.Soper IA (4xQF 3.7-inch mountain howitzers)

Footnotes

Books

* * * *

External links

Malaya Conflict Site

9 Indian Infantry Division (1941–42)
{{DEFAULTSORT:09 Indian Infantry Division Indian World War II divisions British Indian Army divisions Military units and formations of the British Empire in World War II Military units and formations in British Malaya in World War II, D Military units and formations established in 1940