44th Airborne Division (India)
Encyclopedia
The Indian 44th Airborne Division was a formation of the Indian Army during World War II, created in 1944. It provided a parachute battalion for one minor airborne operation but the war ended before the complete formation could take part. (Most of its subordinate formations and units had already seen action before the division formed.)
), at Secunderabad
in India
, on 15 April 1944.
Within a fortnight, the division HQ and such supporting units as had been allocated were used to form the Indian 21st Infantry Division
, as an emergency measure during the Japanese invasion of India (which was codenamed Operation U-Go
, and which resulted in the battles of Imphal
and Kohima
). By 15 July, the crisis was clearly over, and the airborne division's formation was resumed.
was allocated to the division. Later in the year, it was decreed that the Chindit formations were to be broken up and some of them were to be converted to airborne formations. British 14th Airlanding Brigade became part of the division on 1 November 1944, and the Indian 77th Parachute Brigade
became part of the division on 1 March 1945.
The conversion of 77th Brigade to a parachute formation was accompanied by the creation of the Indian Parachute Regiment
which absorbed the existing Indian and Gurkha
parachute battalions, and the formation of two British battalions of the Parachute Regiment around the cadre of troops which had already fought as Glider infantry
during the Chindit campaign; 15th Parachute Battalion from 1st King's Regiment (Liverpool), and 16th Parachute Battalion from 1st South Staffordshire Regiment
.
. This was an amphibious invasion against Rangoon, the capital and principal port of Burma, which was reinstated at short notice after being earlier cancelled.
A composite Gurkha parachute battalion was formed from the two Gurkha battalions of the Indian Parachute Regiment, and landed behind Japanese coastal defences at the mouth of the Rangoon river on 1 May 1945. During the Battle of Elephant Point
they cleared Japanese rearguards from the defences, but the main Japanese garrison had evacuated Rangoon several days previously. The subsequent landings from the sea were unopposed.
and Singapore
when the war ended unexpectedly. The division provided small airborne parties which landed in Japanese-occupied territories ahead of the main Allied forces, locating camps of Allied prisoners of war
and interned civilians and delivering emergency relief supplies.
Creation
The division's creation was a protracted affair. The division was first converted from the 9th Airborne Division (itself built around the core of the disbanded Indian 44th Armoured Division44th Armoured Division (India)
The 44th Indian Armoured Division was an armoured division of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in Burma February 1943, from the 32nd and 43rd Armoured divisions...
), at Secunderabad
Secunderabad
Secunderabad popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh north of Hyderabad. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was founded in 1806 AD as a British cantonment...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, on 15 April 1944.
Within a fortnight, the division HQ and such supporting units as had been allocated were used to form the Indian 21st Infantry Division
21st Infantry Division (India)
The 21st Indian Infantry Division was a division of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in April 1944. in Assam. It never saw any combat and its only sub unit was the 268th Indian Infantry Brigade...
, as an emergency measure during the Japanese invasion of India (which was codenamed Operation U-Go
Operation U-Go
The U Go offensive, or Operation C , was the Japanese offensive launched in March 1944 against forces of the British Empire in the North-East Indian region of Manipur...
, and which resulted in the battles of Imphal
Battle of Imphal
The Battle of Imphal took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in North-East India from March until July 1944. Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and invade India, but were driven back into Burma with heavy losses...
and Kohima
Battle of Kohima
The Battle of Kohima was the turning point of the Japanese U Go offensive into India in 1944 in the Second World War. The battle was fought from 4 April to 22 June 1944 around the town of Kohima in northeast India. It is often referred to as the "Stalingrad of the East".The battle took place in...
). By 15 July, the crisis was clearly over, and the airborne division's formation was resumed.
Formation
On 15 September 1944, the existing 50th Parachute Brigade50th Parachute Brigade (India)
The 50th Parachute Brigade is a formation of the Indian Army, first formed in 1941. The formation was initially raised as part of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in October 1941, as an independent parachute brigade. Later it was one of two parachute brigades in the 44th Indian...
was allocated to the division. Later in the year, it was decreed that the Chindit formations were to be broken up and some of them were to be converted to airborne formations. British 14th Airlanding Brigade became part of the division on 1 November 1944, and the Indian 77th Parachute Brigade
77th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 77th Indian Infantry Brigade was a infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in India June 1942. The brigade was assigned to the Chindits and organised into eight columns for operations behind enemy lines in Burma...
became part of the division on 1 March 1945.
The conversion of 77th Brigade to a parachute formation was accompanied by the creation of the Indian Parachute Regiment
Parachute Regiment (India)
-History:The first Indian airborne formation was the 50 Independent Parachute Brigade raised on 29 October 1941 with 151 British, 152 Indian, and 153 Gurkha Parachute Battalions and other support units....
which absorbed the existing Indian and Gurkha
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
parachute battalions, and the formation of two British battalions of the Parachute Regiment around the cadre of troops which had already fought as Glider infantry
Glider infantry
Glider infantry was a type of airborne infantry in which soldiers and their equipment were inserted into enemy controlled territory via military glider rather than parachute...
during the Chindit campaign; 15th Parachute Battalion from 1st King's Regiment (Liverpool), and 16th Parachute Battalion from 1st South Staffordshire Regiment
South Staffordshire Regiment
The South Staffordshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 38th Regiment of Foot and the 80th Regiment of Foot. In 1959 the regiment was amlagamated with the North Staffordshire Regiment to form the Staffordshire Regiment...
.
Operation Dracula
The division was still in the midst of formation, reorganisation and training, when it was called upon to provide a parachute force to take part in Operation DraculaOperation Dracula
During World War II, Operation Dracula was the name given to an airborne and amphibious attack on Rangoon by British and Indian forces, part of the Burma Campaign. When it was launched, the Imperial Japanese Army had already abandoned the city.-Background:...
. This was an amphibious invasion against Rangoon, the capital and principal port of Burma, which was reinstated at short notice after being earlier cancelled.
A composite Gurkha parachute battalion was formed from the two Gurkha battalions of the Indian Parachute Regiment, and landed behind Japanese coastal defences at the mouth of the Rangoon river on 1 May 1945. During the Battle of Elephant Point
Battle of Elephant Point
The Battle of Elephant Point was an airborne operation conducted by a composite Gurkha airborne battalion that took place on 1 May 1945. In March 1945, plans were made for an assault on Rangoon, the capital of Burma, as a stepping-stone on the way to recapturing Malaya and Singapore...
they cleared Japanese rearguards from the defences, but the main Japanese garrison had evacuated Rangoon several days previously. The subsequent landings from the sea were unopposed.
Later Operations
The division was preparing to take part in the projected invasions of MalayaOperation Zipper
During the Second World War, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it was never fully executed. Some of the proposed landings on Penang went...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
when the war ended unexpectedly. The division provided small airborne parties which landed in Japanese-occupied territories ahead of the main Allied forces, locating camps of Allied prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and interned civilians and delivering emergency relief supplies.
Order of Battle, as of 1 May 1945
- General Officer Commanding - Major General Earnest Edward Down
- Commander, Royal Artillery - Brigadier Reginald John Kirton
- British 14th Airlanding Brigade - Brigadier Francis William Gibb
- 2nd Bn. Black WatchBlack WatchThe Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
- 4th Bn. 6th Rajputana Rifles6th Rajputana RiflesThe 6th Rajputana Rifles were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They were formed in 1922, after the Indian government reformed the army. They moved away from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments...
- 6th Bn. 16th Punjab Regiment16th Punjab RegimentThe 16th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 15th Punjab Regiments in 1956 to form the Punjab Regiment....
- 2nd Bn. Black Watch
- Indian 50th Parachute Brigade - Brigadier Edward Galbraith Woods
- 16th Parachute Battalion
- 1st Bn. Indian Parachute RegimentParachute Regiment (India)-History:The first Indian airborne formation was the 50 Independent Parachute Brigade raised on 29 October 1941 with 151 British, 152 Indian, and 153 Gurkha Parachute Battalions and other support units....
- 3rd Bn. Indian Parachute Regiment
- Indian 77th Parachute Brigade77th Indian Infantry BrigadeThe 77th Indian Infantry Brigade was a infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in India June 1942. The brigade was assigned to the Chindits and organised into eight columns for operations behind enemy lines in Burma...
- Brigadier Claude John Wilkinson- 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion15th (King's) Parachute BattalionThe 15th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army during the Second World War....
- 2nd Bn. Indian Parachute Regiment
- 4th Bn. Indian Parachute Regiment
- 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion
- Divisional Units
- 123 Light / Airborne Regiment RARoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- 159 Field Regiment RA
- 23rd Light Anti-Aircraft / Anti-Tank Regiment RA
- 123 Light / Airborne Regiment RA