7th (Meerut) Division: Difference between revisions

7th (Meerut) Indian Division
7th (Meerut) Indian Division
	Soldiers of the 7th (Meerut) Division man trenches in Mesopotamia, 1917.
Active	1829 - 1920
Country	India
Allegiance	British Crown
Branch	British Indian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Part of	Bengal Army/Northern Command
Garrison/HQ	Meerut
Engagements	Western Front Battle of La Bassee; Battle of Messines (1914); Armentières; Battle of Neuve Chapelle; Battle of Aubers Ridge; Battle of Festubert; Battle of Loos; Mesopotamian Campaign; Palestine Campaign Battle of Megiddo;
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Maj-Gen Claud Jacob (1915); Maj-Gen Sir George Younghusband (1915-16); Maj-Gen Sir Vere Fane (1918)

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 13:42, 10 February 2024

The 7th (Meerut) Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army and before 1895, the Bengal Army, that saw active service during World War I.

Pre-1857

The Meerut Division first appeared in the Indian Army List in 1829, under the command of Sir Jasper Nicolls, KCB.^[2] At this period Divisions were primarily administrative organisations controlling the brigades and stations in their area, rather than field formations, but they did provide field forces when required. There were generally one Indian cavalry and two Indian infantry regiments stationed at Meerut itself, in addition to British troops: in 1829 these were the 4th Bengal Light Cavalry, 29th and 32nd Bengal Native Infantry.^[2]

Indian Rebellion of 1857

In May 1857, on the eve of the 'Indian Rebellion of 1857' (or 'First War of Independence'), the troops at Meerut comprised the 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) and a battalion of the 60th (King's Royal Rifle Corps), the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry, and 11th and 20th Bengal Native Infantry under the command of Maj-Gen W.H. Hewitt.^[3]^[4] The outbreak of the rebellion at Meerut was one of the first and most serious of the whole conflict.

Post-1857

The division was reconstituted when peace returned. Over succeeding decades, the stations controlled by Meerut Division varied, and the forces under command were regularly rotated. For example:^[5]

Composition, January 1888

General Officer Commanding (GOC): Maj-Gen Sir G.R. Greave, KCB, KCMG

Divisional HQ: Meerut

F Battery, A Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery
L Battery, A Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery
H Battery, 2nd Brigade, Royal Artillery
L Battery, 3rd Brigade, Royal Artillery
K Battery, 4th Brigade, Royal Artillery
3rd Hussars
1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers
5th Regiment Bengal Cavalry
26th (Punjab) Regiment, Bengal Native Infantry

Fatehgarh:

Detachment 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
Detachment 22nd Bengal Native Infantry

Agra Brigade:

Muttra:

3rd Dragoon Guards

Dehra Dun:

Governor General’s Bodyguard
1st & 2nd Battalions 2nd (Prince of Wales's Own) Goorkha Regiment (The Sirmoor Rifles)

Delhi:

Wing, 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
8th Battery, 1st Brigade, Scottish Division Garrison Artillery, Royal Artillery
22nd Bengal Native Infantry

Landour:

Convalescent Depot

Roorki:

H Company, Royal Engineers
HQ, A (Depot) Company, B (Recruit) Company, 3, 4, & 5 Companies, Bengal Sappers and Miners
2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
1st & 2nd Batteries, 1st Brigade, Welsh Division Garrison Artillery, Royal Artillery
4th Battery, 1st Brigade, Eastern Division Garrison Artillery, Royal Artillery

Chakrata:

4th Battalion Rifle Brigade

Pre–World War I

Under the reforms introduced by Lord Roberts as Commander-in-Chief (CinC) India, the Divisions were renamed 1st Class Districts in 1890. In the next round of reforms inaugurated by Lord Kitchener as CinC, they became numbered divisions with their territorial affiliation as a subsidiary title. The title 7th (Meerut) Division first appeared in the Army List between 30 September and 31 December 1904, as part of Western (later Northern) Command. On the eve of World War I, the division had its HQ at Mussoorie, and had the Meerut Cavalry Brigade and the Bareilly (HQ Ranikhet), Dehra Dun and Garhwal (HQ Lansdowne) Infantry Brigades under command.^[6]

World War I

Western Front

In 1914 the 7th (Meerut) Division was part of Indian Expeditionary Force A sent to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) fighting in France. The bulk constituted an infantry division as part of Indian Corps, while the Meerut Cavalry Brigade was detached to form part of 2nd Indian Cavalry Division in the Indian Cavalry Corps. While in France the division was known as the Meerut Division, and its brigades by their names, to avoid confusion with the 7th British Division. Despatch from India was delayed by the activities of the German raiders Emden and Konigsberg operating in the Indian Ocean, and by the slow speed of the transport vessels. The division landed at Marseilles 12–14 October 1914 but there were further delays while the troops were re-armed with the latest pattern rifle and the supply train could be improvised, using tradesmen's vans procured locally.^[7] The division finally got into action at the Battles of La Bassee, 1st Messines and Armentieres in October and November 1914.

Order of Battle, October 1914

GOC: Lt Gen C.A. Anderson, CB
GSO1: Col C.W. Jacob

Dehra Dun Brigade GOC: Brig-Gen C.E. Johnson

Garhwal Brigade GOC: Maj-Gen H.D’U. Keary, CB, DSO

Bareilly Brigade GOC: Maj-Gen F. Macbean, CVO, CB

Divisional Mounted Troops

4th Cavalry

Divisional Artillery

IV Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA) - replaced V Brigade (transferred to 3rd (Lahore) Division) 17 October 1914
- 7th, 14th & 66th Batteries, IV Brigade Ammunition Column
IX Brigade, RFA
- 19th, 20th & 28th Batteries, IX Brigade Ammunition Column
XIII Brigade, RFA - replaced XI Brigade (transferred to 3rd (Lahore) Division 17 October 1914
- 2nd, 8th & 44th Batteries, XIII Brigade Ammunition Column
110th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
- Heavy Battery Ammunition Column
Meerut Divisional Ammunition Column

Engineers

3rd & 4th Companies, 1st King George's Own Sappers and Miners

Signals Service

Meerut Signal Company

Divisional Pioneers

107th Pioneers

Supply & Transport:

Meerut Divisional train

Medical Units:

19th & 20th British Field Ambulances
128th, 129th and 130th Indian Field Ambulances

After winter operations (in which the Indian soldiers suffered badly) the division next took part in the Battles of Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Ridge, Festubert and Loos in 1915.^[1]

Order of Battle, May 1915

The division's composition at this time was:^[8] GOC: Lieut-Gen Sir Charles Anderson, KCB

Dehra Dun Brigade
GOC: Brig-Gen C.W. Jacob

1st Bn. Seaforth Highlanders
1/4th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders (Territorial Force)
6th Jat Light Infantry
2nd Bn. 2nd King Edward's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Regiment)
1st Bn. 9th Gurkha Rifles

Garwhal Brigade
GOC: Brig-Gen C.G. Blackader

2nd Bn. Leicestershire Regiment
1/3rd Bn. London Regiment (Territorial Force)
39th Garhwal Rifles
2nd Bn. 3rd Gurkha Rifles
2nd Bn. 8th Gurkha Rifles

Bareilly Brigade
GOC: Brig-Gen W.M. Southey

2nd Bn. Black Watch
1/4th Bn. Black Watch (Territorial Force)
41st Dogras
58th Vaughan's Rifles (Frontier Force)
125th Napier's Rifles

Divisional Troops
As before, with the addition of 30th Battery of XLIII (Howitzer Brigade) RFA.

By the Battle of Loos in September 1915, Maj-Gen Claud Jacob had replaced Anderson as GOC of 7th (Meerut) Division, and the exhausted 6th Jats and 41st Dogras had been replaced by the 93rd Burma Infantry and 33rd Punjabis (from Egypt), while 30th Battery, XLII (How) Bde had been replaced by 61st Battery, VIII (How) Bde, RFA.^[9] ^[10]

Mesopotamia

On 13 August 1915, General Sir John Nixon, commanding Indian Expeditionary Force D in Mesopotamia, requested one of the Indian infantry divisions in France as reinforcements for his advance on Baghdad. Coincidentally, on the same day, the Secretary of State for India, Austen Chamberlain, told the Viceroy of India that he was anxious for the Indian infantry to be withdrawn from France before they had to endure another winter. The system for supplying drafts had broken down and the Indian battalions were becoming very weak after the heavy casualties they had suffered. Although the Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitchener, objected to the Indian withdrawal from the Western Front, orders were issued on 31 October for the two divisions of Indian Corps (3rd (Lahore) and 7th (Meerut) Division) to embark at Marseilles for Mesopotamia. They were to leave behind their attached Territorial Force battalions.^[11] The two divisions were relieved in the front line on 6 November and were due at Basra on 1 December, but their departure from Marseilles was delayed until after 25 December because of fear of submarine attack.^[12] 7th (Meerut) Division finally arrived in Mesopotamia in Spring 1917 and joined Tigris Corps, too late to relieve the 6th (Poona) Division at Kut-al-Amara.^[13]

The division participated in the battles at the Sheikh Sa'ad, Wadi, Hanna, Dujailia, and the Sannaiyat. After the fall of Kut, as part of the reorganization of the British and Indian forces in the region, the division spent much of the summer and fall refitting. The Meerut and Lahore Divisions would eventually become part of the I Indian Army Corps, part of the newly formed Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, participating in the capture of Baghdad in March 1917.

Palestine

The Meerut Division at Nahr al-Kalb (Dog river) in Lebanon, October 1918

After the fall of Baghdad, the Palestine Campaign was given priority over Mesopotamia, and in December 1917 Sir Edmund Allenby, commanding the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), was informed that after he had captured Jerusalem he would be reinforced by the 7th (Meerut) Division from Mesopotamia. The division moved from Mesopotamia to Egypt in December,^[14] and then on 1 April 1918 it relieved the 52nd (Lowland) Division, which was on its way to the Western Front.^[15] The two divisions exchanged their artillery units, those that had been serving with 7th (Meerut) Division going to the Western Front, and the Territorial Force brigades of 52nd (Lowland) Divisional Artillery served with 7th (Meerut) Division until the end of the war.^[16]^[17]^[18]

The EEF undertook few operations during the hot weather of Summer 1918, but the Meerut Division captured 'North Sister' and 'South Sister' Hills on 8 June, and raided 'Piffer Ridge' on 27 June. It subsequently took part in Allenby's advance through Palestine, including the Battle of Megiddo as part of Lieutenant-General Bulfin's XXI British Corps operating on the right flank.^[19]

Order of Battle September 1918

In September 1918, the division had the following composition:^[16]^[20]^[21]

GOC: Maj-Gen Sir Vere Fane

19th (Dehra Dun) Brigade:
GOC: Brig-Gen G.A. Weir

21st (Bareilly) Brigade:
GOC: Brig-Gen A.G. Kemball

28th Brigade (Frontier Force):
GOC: Brig-Gen C.H. Davies

Divisional Artillery:

CCLXI Brigade, RFA
- A, B, C Btys
CCLXII Brigade, RFA
- A, B, 438 Btys
CCLXIV Brigade, RFA
- 422, 423, C Btys

Divisional Engineers:

522nd (1/6th London) Field Company, Royal Engineers^[22]^[23]
3rd & 4th Companies, 1st KGOS&M

Divisional Pioneers:

121st Pioneers

General Officers Commanding

The following officers commanded the division during World War I:^[16]

Lt-Gen Sir Charles Anderson, from 21 December 1913
Maj-Gen Claud Jacob from 7 September to 17 November 1915
Maj-Gen Sir George Younghusband from 10 December 1915 to 8 May 1916
Brig-Gen Charles Edward de Mealy Norie (acting) from 8 May 1916
Maj-Gen Alexander Cobbe, VC, from 25 June 1916
Maj-Gen Vere Fane from 3 September 1916

References

^ ^a ^b Baker, Chris (2010). "The British Corps of 1914-1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
^ ^a ^b East India Register and Directory 1829.
^ East India Register and Army List 1857 Volume II.
^ David.
^ India List, January 1888
^ Monthly Army List August 1914.
^ Edmonds, 1914, Vol II, p. 92, Note 1.
^ Edmonds 1914, Vol II, Appendix I
^ Edmonds & Wynne, 1915 Vol II, Appendix 3.
^ Edmonds & Wynne 1915, Vol II, Appendix 2
^ Edmonds & Wynne, 1915, Vol II, pp. 402–3.
^ Moberly, Vol II.
^ Baker, Chris (2010). "The British campaign in Mesopotamia 1914-1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
^ Moberly
^ Falls, Part I.
^ ^a ^b ^c Perry, pp. 83–97.
^ Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 109–15.
^ Falls, pp. 412–3.
^ Falls, Part II.
^ Bullock, Appendix.
^ Falls, Appendix C.
^ Backe, Pt 2b, pp. 25–32.
^ Edwards, p. 87.

Bibliography

Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56), London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
Bullock, David L. (1988). Allenby’s War: the Palestine-Arabian Campaigns 1916–1918. London: Blandford. ISBN 0-7137-1869-2.
Edmonds, Brig-Gen Sir James E. (1995) [1st. Pub. Macmillan:1925]. History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium, 1914. Vol. II: Antwerp, La Bassee, Armentieres, Messines, and Ypres, October–November 1914. London: Imperial War Museum. ISBN 1-870423-55-0.
Edmonds, Brig-Gen Sir James E.; Wynne, Captain G.C. (1928). History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium, 1915. Vol. II: Battle of Aubers Ridge, Festubert, and Loos. London: Macmillan.
Maj D.K. Edwards, A History of the 1st Middlesex Volunteer Engineers (101 (London) Engineer Regiment, TA) 1860–1967, London, 1967.
Capt Cyril Falls, History of the Great War: Military Operations, Egypt and Palestine, Vol II, From June 1917 to the End of the War, Part I, London: HM Stationery Office, 1930/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2013, ISBN 978-1-84574-951-4.
Capt Cyril Falls, History of the Great War: Military Operations, Egypt and Palestine, Vol II, From June 1917 to the End of the War, Part II, London: HM Stationery Office, 1930/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2013, ISBN 978-1-84574-950-7.
Haythornthwaite, Philip J. (1996). The World War One Source Book. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-351-7.
Moberly, Brig-Gen F.J. (1924). History of the Great War: Military Operations: The Campaign in Mesopotamia. Vol. II. London: HMSO.
Moberly, Brig-Gen F.J. (1927). History of the Great War: Military Operations: The Campaign in Mesopotamia. Vol. IV. London: HMSO.
Perry, F.W. (1993). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions. Newport: Ray Westlake Military Books. ISBN 1-871167-23-X.
David, Saul (2002). The Indian Mutiny of 1857. London: Viking. ISBN 0-670-91137-2.

External links

British Empire has list of all Indian Army regiments with pictures of their regimental badges.
The Long Long Trail
"7th (Meerut) Division on The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918 by PB Chappell". Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2015.

[1914-1918.net-1] Baker, Chris (2010). "The British Corps of 1914-1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 11 June 2014.

[Directory'_1829-2] East India Register and Directory 1829.

[3] East India Register and Army List 1857 Volume II.

[4] David.

[5] India List, January 1888

[6] Monthly Army List August 1914.

[7] Edmonds, 1914, Vol II, p. 92, Note 1.

[8] Edmonds 1914, Vol II, Appendix I

[9] Edmonds & Wynne, 1915 Vol II, Appendix 3.

[10] Edmonds & Wynne 1915, Vol II, Appendix 2

[11] Edmonds & Wynne, 1915, Vol II, pp. 402–3.

[12] Moberly, Vol II.

[13] Baker, Chris (2010). "The British campaign in Mesopotamia 1914-1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 11 June 2014.

[14] Moberly

[15] Falls, Part I.

[Perry-16] Perry, pp. 83–97.

[17] Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 109–15.

[18] Falls, pp. 412–3.

[19] Falls, Part II.

[20] Bullock, Appendix.

[21] Falls, Appendix C.

[22] Backe, Pt 2b, pp. 25–32.

[23] Edwards, p. 87.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

v t e Indian Expeditionary Forces 1914–1918
Force A Western Front	1st Indian Cavalry Division 2nd Indian Cavalry Division 3rd (Lahore) Division 7th (Meerut) Division
Force B East Africa Campaign	27th (Bangalore) Brigade Imperial Service Infantry Brigade
Force C East Africa Campaign	29th Punjabis Half battalions from the Princely states of Jind Bharatpur Kapurthala Rampur 15 pounder artillery battery 10 pounder mountain artillery battery Maxim gun battery Field Ambulance
Force D Mesopotamian campaign	Cavalry Division 3rd (Lahore) Division 6th (Poona) Division 7th (Meerut) Division 12th Indian Division 14th Indian Division 15th Indian Division 17th Indian Division 18th Indian Division
Force E Sinai and Palestine campaign	22nd (Lucknow) Brigade 4th Cavalry Division 5th Cavalry Division 3rd (Lahore) Division 7th (Meerut) Division
Force F Suez Canal	28th Indian Brigade 29th Indian Brigade 30th Indian Brigade 10th Indian Division 11th Indian Division Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade
Force G Gallipoli campaign	29th Indian Brigade