The 15th Indian Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the First World War. It served in the Mesopotamian Campaign on the Euphrates Front throughout its existence. It did not serve in the Second World War, but was reformed at Dehradun in 1964 as part of the post-independence Indian Army.
History
The 2nd Battalion, 6th Gurkha Rifles of 42nd Indian Brigade march towards the action of Khan Baghdadi
The division was formed on 7 May 1916 to replace the 12th Indian Division on the Euphrates Front. It remained on the Euphrates Front until the end of the war. It took part in the action of As Sahilan (11 September 1916), the Capture of Ramadi (28 and 29 September 1917), the Occupation of Hīt (9 March 1918) and the action of Khan Baghdadi (26 and 27 March 1918). The division was not attached to either of the army corps operating in Mesopotamia, the I Corps and III Corps.
The division was commanded from formation on 7 May 1916 by Brigadier-General H.T. Brooking. Brooking was promoted to Major-General on 5 June 1916.
At the end of the war, the division was rapidly run down and it was disbanded in March 1919.
The division was re-raised on 1 October 1964 at Clement Town, Dehradun and assigned to XI Corps (India). In the 1965 war it was under XI Corps, Western Command, and had 20 Locating Regiment under its command. In 1971, it had the 66th Armoured Regiment (India) under command as its integral armoured unit.
The divisional headquarters is now at Amritsar.
Order of battle, First World War
The division commanded the following units, although not all of them served at the same time:
12th Indian Brigade
- 1/5th Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
- 2nd Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles
- 1st Battalion, 43rd Erinpura Infantry
- 90th Punjabis
- 128th Machine Gun Company
- 12th Light Trench Mortar Battery
34th Indian Brigade
- Joined the division on formation and left for the 17th Indian Division in August 1917
- 2nd Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)
- 31st Punjabis
- 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry
- 114th Mahrattas
- 129th Machine Gun Company
42nd Indian Brigade
- 1/4th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
- 1/4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment
- 1st Battalion, 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force)
- 2nd Battalion, 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force)
- 2nd Battalion, 6th Gurkha Rifles
- 130th Machine Gun Company
- 42nd Light Trench Mortar Battery
50th Indian Brigade
- Joined from the 17th Indian Division in September 1917
- 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- 6th Jat Light Infantry
- 14th King George’s Own Ferozepore Sikhs
- 24th Punjabis
- 1st Battalion, 97th Deccan Infantry
- 256th Machine Gun Company
- 50th Light Trench Mortar Battery
Divisional Artillery
- VII Mountain Brigade, Indian Mountain Artillery (21st Kohat and 26th Jacob’s Mountain Batteries)
- CCXXII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (375th, 1070th, 1072th, 77th (H) and 429th (H) Batteries)
- CCXV Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (816th, 1087th, 1088th and 524th (H) Batteries}
- Volunteer Battery
- M, N and O Light Trench Mortar Batteries
- X.15 Medium Trench Mortar Battery
- 15th Divisional Ammunition Column
Engineers and Pioneers
- 4th Field Company, 1st King George’s Own Sappers and Miners
- Malerkotla Sappers and Miners, ISF
- 448th (Northumbrian) Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 450th (Northumbrian) Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 451st (Northumbrian) Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 15th Division Signal Company, Royal Engineers Signal Service
- 48th Pioneers
Divisional troops
- 275th Machine Gun Company
- 3rd, 19th, 23rd, 24th, 34th, 105th and 108th Combined Field Ambulances, RAMC
- No. 16 (renumbered No. 6) Mobile Veterinary Section, AVC
- 15th Division Train, ASC
Battles and engagements
The division was involved in the following actions:
- Action of As Sahilan (11 September 1916)
- Capture of Ramadi (28 – 29 September 1917)
- Occupation of Hīt (9 March 1918)
- Action of Khan Baghdadi (26 – 27 March 1918)