Indian 26th Infantry Division

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Indian 26th Division


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dates= 1942 - 1945
country= United Kingdom
allegiance=
branch=British Indian Army
type=
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equipment=
current_commander=
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colonel_of_the_regiment=
notable_commanders=Major General C. E. N. Lomax
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identification_symbol_2=
nickname="Tiger Head Division"
patron=
motto=
colors=
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battles=Burma Campaign
anniversaries=
decorations=
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The Indian 26th Infantry Division, part of the British Indian Army, was raised during World War II, and fought in the Burma Campaign.

History

When the Japanese invaded Burma in 1942, the various units in training or stationed near Barrackpur near Calcutta in India were hastily formed into the "Calcutta" Division on March 20, 1942. On May 15 the division was retitled the Indian 26th Division.

For much of 1942, the division was heavily engaged in internal security, and not regarded as battle-worthy due to lack of training and transport. Once trained in 1943, it was commanded directly by Eastern Army in the first Arakan offensive. Once this stalled, the HQ of 26th Division took over the front, too late to prevent a minor disaster. After this the British fell back almost to their starting point on the Indian frontier.

Once reorganised, the division was in reserve for the first part of the Second Arakan Offensive. When a Japanese counter-attack at Ngakyedauk cut off the forward troops, 26th Division was deployed to relieve them. It then took over the front and took part in the capture of two vital railway tunnels. After this, the Arakan offensive wound down to spare troops and resources for the battles in Manipur.

During the Third Arakan Offensive and subsequent operations, 26th Division took part mainly in amphibious operations, including the unopposed capture of Akyab Island, the Battle of Ramree Island and Operation Dracula, the capture of Rangoon.

After the Japanese surrender, the division reinforced other troops in Java and Sumatra, where the end of the war brought widespread disorder. The division was formally disbanded in India on August 31, 1945, but most of its units/troops were stationed in Sumatra at Padang and Medan until November 1946; they embarked at the port of Belawan for India to be disbanded.

The division's badge was a Bengal tiger stepping through a blue triangle on a black background. The triangle represented the "delta" of the Ganges River.

Order of Battle

"as of April 1 1944"

;Indian 4th Infantry Brigade:2nd Bn The Green Howards:2nd Bn 7th Rajput Regiment:2nd Bn 13th Frontier Force Rifles

;Indian 36th Infantry Brigade:5th Bn 16th Punjab Regiment:8th Bn 13th Frontier Force Rifles:1st Bn 8th Gurkha Rifles

;Indian 71st Infantry Brigade:1st Bn Lincolnshire Regiment:5th Bn 1st Punjab Regiment:1st Bn 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles

;Divisional Troops:12th Bn 12th Frontier Force Regiment "(divisional machine gun battalion)"

:160th (Jungle) Field Regt RA:20th Mountain Regt IA

:72nd, 28th, 98th Field Companies, IE:128th Field Park Company IE

:44th, 48th, 51st, 58th, Animal Transport Companies, IASC:44th, 75th, 166th, General Purpose Transport Companies, IASC

:1st, 46th, 48th, Indian Field Ambulances, IAMC

:26th Indian Division Provost Unit:26th Indian Division Signals Unit

:54th, 55th Indian Workshop Companies, IEME:26th Indian Division Recovery Unit, IEME

External links

*
* [http://www.burmastar.org.uk/26thind.htm Burma Star organisation site]