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 mar ...

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 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 September 1914 to replace the original 7th (Meerut) Division that had been mobilized in August 1914 for service on the Western Front. 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 7th (Meerut) Division 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-m ...

on 20 September for the Western Front. 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 c ...

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 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 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 ...

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 i ...

Almora Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of th ...

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 Chakrata is a cantonment town and also a sub district/tehsil, in Dehradun district. in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It lies between the Tons and Yamuna rivers, at an elevation of 2118 m, 98 km from the state capital, Dehradun. Chakrat ...

, 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 ...

, 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 Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capital ...

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,

Ranikhet Ranikhet ( Kumaoni: ) is a hill station and cantonment town, nearby Almora Town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home for the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment (KRC) and Naga Regiment and is maintained by the In ...

, Rurki 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