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The 17th Indian Infantry Brigade was an
It was formed in November 1940, at the Delhi Cantonment in
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.
...
formation 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, ...
.
History
It was formed in November 1940, at the Delhi Cantonment in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
and assigned to the 8th Indian Infantry Division
The 8th Mountain Division was raised as the 8th Indian Infantry division of the British Indian Army. It is now part of the Indian Army and specialises in mountain warfare.
The 8th Indian Infantry Division was formed as an infantry division in M ...
. They were sent to participate in the Anglo-Iraqi War
The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq under Rashid Gaylani, who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état, with assistance from Germany and Italy. The ca ...
and the Syria-Lebanon Campaign and came under command of the 10th Indian Infantry Division
The 10th Indian Infantry Division was a war formed infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. In four years, the division travelled over from Tehran to Trieste, fought three small wars, and fought two great campaigns: the ...
between July and August 1941. Returning to the 8th Indian Division in September 1941, at the end of the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, they were sent to Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
. They then spent 1942, as a garrison force in Syria. It then took part in the Italian Campaign from September 1943 to August 1945. It was briefly coming under command of the British 78th Infantry Division between 3 and 7 November 1943.
Units
*1st Battalion,5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force)
5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force), also abbreviated as 5 GR(FF) is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese origin. It was formed in 1858 as part of the British Indian Army.
The regiment's battalions serve ...
November 1940 to July 1941 and October 1941 to August 1945
*1st Battalion, 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. ...
May 1941 to June 1945
*32nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
July 1941
*1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. It served under various titles and fought in many wars and conflicts, including both the First and the Second World Wars, from 1680 to 1959. In 1959, the r ...
July to December 1941
*1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881.
The regiment served in many wars ...
December 1941 to June 1945
*144th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
July to August 1942
*50th Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as t ...
November 1943
*52nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
November 1943
*166th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
November 1943
*11th Canadian Armoured Regiment
The Ontario Regiment ( RCAC) is a Primary Reserve armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Army. The unit is based in downtown Oshawa, Ontario, and is named after Ontario County (1852–1973). Formed in 1866, and more commonly known as t ...
April to May 1944 and August 1944
*6th Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles
The 13th Frontier Force Rifles was part of the British Indian Army, and after 1947, Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1922 by amalgamation of five existing regiments and consisted of five regular battalions.
History
The 13th Frontier Force Rifles' ...
June 1944
*4th Anti Tank Regiment, Indian Artillery August 1944
*6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
The 6th Lancers is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. Previously, it was known as the 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse), and was a regular cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by amalgamati ...
August 1944
*5th Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
The 5th Mahratta Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, when
the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The regiment fought in World Wa ...
August 1944
*1st Battalion, Jaipur Infantry
Jaipur (; Hindi Language, Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Rajasthan. , the city had a pop ...
December 1944 to April 1945
Commanders
*Brigadier John Geoffrey Bruce (Nov 1940 – May 1941) *BrigadierDouglas Gracey
General Sir Douglas David Gracey & Bar (3 September 1894 – 5 June 1964) was a British Indian Army officer who fought in both the First and Second World Wars. He also fought in French Indochina and was the second Commander-in-Chief of the P ...
(May 1941 – Mar 1942)
*Brigadier F.A.M.B. Jenkins (Mar 1942 – Oct 1943)
*Brigadier H.L. Wyndham (Oct 1943 – Nov 1943)
*Brigadier James Scott-Elliot (Nov 1943 – Jan 1944)
*Brigadier Charles Hamilton Boucher (Feb 1944 – Jan 1945)
*Brigadier Playford Rawdon Macnamara (Jan 1945 – Aug 1945)
See also
*List of Indian Army Brigades in World War II
The Indian Army during World War II fought on three continents Europe, Africa and Asia. They also had to supply formations for home service. This list details the Cavalry, Armoured and Infantry brigades formed by the Indian Army during World War I ...
References
British Indian Army brigades {{India-mil-unit-stub