Indian 2nd Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II created for deception purposes in order to control Line of Communications and Sub-area formations within Persia and Iraq Command
. It was formed by the re designation of the 30th Indian Infantry Brigade
on 15 August 1942. It was later converted to HQ Northern Iraq Area on 15 October 1944.
During the period 1942-44 the division was converted and re-converted from the 31st Indian Infantry Brigade and the 90th Indian Infantry Brigade. 31 Indian Infantry Brigade was formed on 15 January 1943, from the Mosul
-Teheran Lines of Communications Sub-Area. It only had two units assigned which were The Central India Horse (21st King George V's Own Horse)
and the 2nd Hyderabad Infantry, Indian State Forces. On 15 May 1943 it was reconverted into 2 Indian Division. On 1 June 1943 31 Indian Infantry Brigade was reformed from HQ Kermanshah LOC Sub-Area. The brigade was disbanded in 14 October 1944.
Thus 2 Indian Division had been reformed on 15 May 1943. Three months later, on 13 August 1943, it was reorganised as 90 Indian Brigade under Lieutenant-Colonel GH Pulling. 90 Indian Brigade served for ten months and then was disbanded in June 1944. Two days later, on 15 August 1943, 2 Indian Division was reformed again by the conversion of 30th Indian Infantry Brigade
. This time, the division lasted fourteen months before being finally disbanded in October 1944 by conversion into Headquarters Northern Iraq Area.
One of the division's subordinate LOC areas/brigades was the 40th Indian Infantry Brigade
. It was initially raised as Shaiba
LOC Sub-Area in September 1942. What higher headquarters it was under at the time is not confirmable from present internet-accessible sources. However, the brigade then came under 2 Indian Division on 1 January 1943. In October 1944, when 2 Indian Division disbanded, the brigade was redesignated again as an lines of communication headquarters, this time as HQ South Iraq Area.
, and it is part of IV Corps
headquartered at Tezpur
.
The division may include units of 82 Mountain Brigade, headquartered at Tezu in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh, 181 Mountain Brigade based in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts, Dah Division Artillery Brigade based in Sibsagar
district, and 25 Sector Assam Rifles based in Arunachal Pradesh.
Persia and Iraq Command
The Persia and Iraq Command was a British Army Command established in September 1942 in Baghdad. Its primary role was to secure from land and air attack the oilfields and oil installations in Persia and Iraq...
. It was formed by the re designation of the 30th Indian Infantry Brigade
30th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 30th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed on 15 January 1943, by the re designation of HQ Baghdad Line of Communications Sub Area. The brigade was converted into the 2nd Indian Infantry Division in August 1943...
on 15 August 1942. It was later converted to HQ Northern Iraq Area on 15 October 1944.
During the period 1942-44 the division was converted and re-converted from the 31st Indian Infantry Brigade and the 90th Indian Infantry Brigade. 31 Indian Infantry Brigade was formed on 15 January 1943, from the Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
-Teheran Lines of Communications Sub-Area. It only had two units assigned which were The Central India Horse (21st King George V's Own Horse)
The Central India Horse (21st King George V's Own Horse)
The Central India Horse was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. They were formed at the start of the Mutiny of 1857 and served in the Great War and World War II.-Formation:...
and the 2nd Hyderabad Infantry, Indian State Forces. On 15 May 1943 it was reconverted into 2 Indian Division. On 1 June 1943 31 Indian Infantry Brigade was reformed from HQ Kermanshah LOC Sub-Area. The brigade was disbanded in 14 October 1944.
Thus 2 Indian Division had been reformed on 15 May 1943. Three months later, on 13 August 1943, it was reorganised as 90 Indian Brigade under Lieutenant-Colonel GH Pulling. 90 Indian Brigade served for ten months and then was disbanded in June 1944. Two days later, on 15 August 1943, 2 Indian Division was reformed again by the conversion of 30th Indian Infantry Brigade
30th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 30th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed on 15 January 1943, by the re designation of HQ Baghdad Line of Communications Sub Area. The brigade was converted into the 2nd Indian Infantry Division in August 1943...
. This time, the division lasted fourteen months before being finally disbanded in October 1944 by conversion into Headquarters Northern Iraq Area.
One of the division's subordinate LOC areas/brigades was the 40th Indian Infantry Brigade
40th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 40th Indian Infantry Brigade was an administrative formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in September 1942, by the conversion of the HQ Shaiba Line of Communications Sub-Area. It served on Lines of Communication duties under the 2nd Indian Infantry Division in Iraq. In...
. It was initially raised as Shaiba
Shaibah
Shaibah is the name of small village and a site of a military airfield near Az Zubayr, south west of Basrah in Iraq.It was the site of RAF Shaibah from 1920 until 1956 when it was then handed over to the Iraqi Air Force....
LOC Sub-Area in September 1942. What higher headquarters it was under at the time is not confirmable from present internet-accessible sources. However, the brigade then came under 2 Indian Division on 1 January 1943. In October 1944, when 2 Indian Division disbanded, the brigade was redesignated again as an lines of communication headquarters, this time as HQ South Iraq Area.
Post-war service
The division was re-raised after the 1962 Sino-Indian War in 1962 as a Mountain Division responsible for conduct of counter-insurgency operations in upper Assam and some parts of lower Assam. It is located in the extreme northeast of Arunachal Pradesh. Division headquarters is now at DinjanDinjan
Dinjan is a small township in Dibrugarh district of Assam, India.It is located in the tea growing area of Assam. The closest town to it is Tinsukhia...
, and it is part of IV Corps
IV Corps (India)
-The IV Corps in the India Pakistan War 1971:"Under the command of Lieutenant General Sagat Singh the IV Corps, with all eight East Bengal Regiment battalions, had already made some gains before the war. An enclave south of Akaura served as a springboard for 57 Division, which advanced along the...
headquartered at Tezpur
Tezpur
Tezpur is a city and the administrative headquarters and municipal board of Sonitpur district in the state of Assam in northeastern India. Tezpur is an ancient city on the banks of the river Brahmaputra and is the largest of the north bank towns with a population exceeding 100,000...
.
The division may include units of 82 Mountain Brigade, headquartered at Tezu in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh, 181 Mountain Brigade based in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts, Dah Division Artillery Brigade based in Sibsagar
Sibsagar
Sivasagar is a town in the Sibsagar district in the state of Assam in India, about north east of Guwahati....
district, and 25 Sector Assam Rifles based in Arunachal Pradesh.