The 7th Meerut Divisional Area 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 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 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 September 1914 to replace the original

7th (Meerut) Division The 7th (Meerut) Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army that saw active service during World War I. Pre-1857 The Meerut Division first appeared in the Indian Army List in 1829, under the command of Sir Jasper Nicolls, ...

that had been mobilized in August 1914 for service on the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

. It was renamed as Meerut Division in June 1917 and remained in India throughout the war. The division was broken up in 1920.

History

At the outbreak of 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 ...

, the

was mobilized in August 1914 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- ...

on 20 September for the

. 39th Royal Garhwal Rifles went with the 7th (Meerut) Division to fight in World War One on the Western Front. The 7th Meerut Divisional Area was formed in September 1914 to take over the area responsibilities of the 7th (Meerut) Division. It took over the units left behind by the original division and started to form brigades to control them: the

14th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade C14, C.XIV or C-14 may refer to: Time * The 14th century * Carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon ** C-14 dating, a method for dating events Science * IEC 60320 C14, a polarised, three pole socket electrical connector * Malignant neoplas ...

in November, the

Bareilly Bareilly () is a city in Bareilly district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is among the largest metropolises in Western Uttar Pradesh and is the centre of the Bareilly division as well as the historical region of Rohilkhand. The city ...

and

Delhi Brigade The 7th Meerut 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 7th (Meerut) Division that had been m ...

s in December 1914 and the Dehra Dun Brigade in March 1915. However, the

Garhwal Brigade The Garhwal Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that formed part of the Indian Army during the First World War. It was formed in April 1917 to replace the original Garhwal Brigade that had been mobilized in August 1914 as ...

was not reformed until April 1917. The division served with in India throughout the war (although the Meerut Cavalry Brigade was mobilized for the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919), initially under Northern Army, then Northern Command from January 1918. In 1918, the division was responsible for posts and stations at

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...

, Almora,

Bhim Tal Bhimtal ( Kumaoni: ''Bhīmtāl'') is a town and a nagar panchayat, near Nainital city in Nainital district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is situated at an altitude of 1370 meters above sea level and is about 22 kilometers from Nainita ...

, Chakrata, Chambattia,

Dehra Dun 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 Legislativ ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

, Gangora, Kailana,

Lansdowne Lansdowne or Lansdown may refer to: People * Lansdown Guilding (1797–1831), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines naturalist and engraver *Fenwick Lansdowne (1937–2008), Canadian wildlife artist * George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne (1666–1735) ...

, Meerut,

Moradabad Moradabad () is a city, commissionary and municipal corporation in Moradabad district of Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Moradabad is situated on the banks of the Ramganga river, at a distance of from the national capital, New Delhi and 344 ...

Muttra Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

, Ranikhet,

Rurki Rurki is a town located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located in Lahore District at 31°11'0N 73°11'0E with an altitude of 175 metres (577 feet). Neighbouring settlements include Ghator Ghator is a town located in the Punjab province ...

and Sitoli. It was renamed Meerut Division in June 1917 and was broken up in 1920.

Order of battle

The division commanded the following brigades in the

: * 14th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigadeformed in November 1914; renumbered

4th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade C4, C04, C.IV, C-4, or C-04 may refer to: Places * Caldwell 4 or NGC 7023 or Iris Nebula, a reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus * Circumferential Road 4 or C-4, an arterial road of Manila, Philippines * Ken-Ō Expressway (includes so ...

in February 1915 * Bareilly Brigadeformed in December 1914 * Delhi Brigadeformed in December 1914; broken up in February 1915; reformed in December 1918 * Dehra Dun Brigadeformed in March 1915; broken up in December 1918 * Garhwal Brigadeformed in April 1917 * Agra Brigadeformed in December 1918 * Nepalese Brigadeattached to the division from January 1916 ** Kali Bahadur Battalion ** Sabuj Barakh Battalion ** Mahindra Dal Battalion ** 2nd Rifle Battalion

Commanders

The 7th Meerut Divisional Area / Meerut Division had the following commanders:

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 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1920