XXXIII Corps (British India)

2025-06-02T15:49:59Z

2A02:8012:227B:0:F8CB:B7A:90A8:48D5: updated page

{{Short description|Formation of the Indian Army, 1942 to 1945}}
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|notable_commanders=[[Philip Christison]]<br>[[Montagu Stopford]]

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The British Indian '''XXXIII Corps''' was a [[corps]]-sized formation of the [[Indian Army during World War II|Indian Army]] during the [[World War II|Second World War]]. It was disbanded and the headquarters was recreated as an Army headquarters in 1945.

==Formation==
[[File:British Generals 1939-1945 IND3712.jpg|thumb|right|300px|General Sir Montagu Stopford, GOC XXXIII Indian Corps (right), confers with Major General J M L Grover, GOC 2nd Division (left) and Brigadier J A Salomons, Commander 9th Indian Brigade (centre), after the opening of the Imphal-Kohima road.]]
The Corps was created at [[Bangalore]] in India on 15 August 1942. Its first commander was Lieutenant General [[Philip Christison]]. On 15 October 1943, Christison was transferred to command [[XV Corps (British India)|Indian XV Corps]], which was then about to go into action in the [[Burma Campaign]], and replaced as commander of XXXIII Corps by Lieutenant General [[Montagu George North Stopford|Montagu Stopford]].

For much of its early history, the Corps was stationed in Southern India, preparing troops for several planned amphibious operations against the [[Imperial Japan|Japanese]] in the Indian Ocean.

===Fourteenth Army===
The corps was added to the order of battle of [[Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom)|Fourteenth Army]] during the crisis of spring 1944. Japanese forces were besieging the British force at [[Battle of Imphal|Imphal]], with a detachment blocking the only road by which they could be relieved at [[Battle of Kohima|Kohima]]. XXXIII Corps was dispatched to command the relief effort mounted from [[Assam]].

Its units were first concentrated around [[Dimapur]], a vital railhead and logistic depot. Once sufficient troops had arrived, the [[2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|British 2nd Division]] relieved the surrounded Indian 161st Brigade, which in turn relieved the defenders of Kohima. For several weeks, 2nd Division, joined later by the [[7th Indian Infantry Division]] made repeated attacks to drive the Japanese from the positions they had captured on Kohima ridge, while the [[23rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|British 23rd Brigade]] (a [[Chindit]] formation) cut the Japanese lines of communication. Once the Japanese were forced into a retreat, the corps drove south to relieve Imphal. On 22 June 1944, troops from XXXIII Corps met Indian forces advancing north from Imphal, relieving the siege. The Corps then undertook the elimination of Japanese forces around [[Ukhrul]], and the administration of several divisions resting after the battles.

Late in 1944, a general offensive to liberate [[Myanmar|Burma]] began. At the start of the operation ([[Operation Capital]]), the XXXIII Corps was the right flank striking force of Fourteenth Army, with [[IV Corps (United Kingdom)|IV Corps]] on its left. After it was realised that the Japanese had forestalled the attack by withdrawing behind the [[Irrawaddy River]], the corps became the left flank formation, attacking into the Shwebo Plain between the [[Chindwin River]] and the Irrawaddy. It consisted of the British 2nd Division, the Indian [[19th Infantry Division (India)|19th]] and [[Indian 20th Infantry Division|20th]] Divisions, the motorised Indian 268th Infantry Brigade and the [[M3 Lee|Grant]] and [[Stuart tank|Stuart]] tanks of the [[254th Indian Tank Brigade]].

During late February, the corps captured bridgeheads over the Irrawaddy on a wide front, distracting Japanese attention from the main thrust by IV Corps. During March, it launched its own offensives. The city of [[Mandalay]] was captured by the 19th Division, and the Japanese armies on the Irrawaddy were shattered.<ref>{{Citation|title=1 The Indian Army before the Far Eastern War|date=2016-01-01|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004306783_004|work=Sepoys against the Rising Sun|pages=18–49|publisher=BRILL|doi=10.1163/9789004306783_004 |isbn=9789004222205 |access-date=2021-12-31|last1=Roy |first1=Kaushik |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

After a brief period of reorganisation, the corps was switched once again to the right flank of Fourteenth Army. The British 2nd Division was returned to India, and the Indian 20th Division took over its vehicles. During April, the corps (now consisting of the Indian 7th and 20th Divisions) advanced south down the Irrawaddy River valley. In early May, it linked up with other Indian troops who had captured [[Yangon|Rangoon]], the capital.

===Transformation===
The Allied command in Burma was rearranged in May, shortly after Rangoon fell. The Headquarters of XXXIII Corps was transformed into that of [[British Twelfth Army]] with Stopford promoted to the new command, with responsibility for further operations in Burma including the defeat of the Japanese [[Battle of the Sittang Bend|breakout attempt]] in the [[Pegu Yoma]]s in July and August 1945.
===Post 1945===
[[XXXIII Corps (India)]] was re-raised in 1960.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:33 Corps (British India)}}
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1942]]
[[Category:Corps of India in World War II]]
[[Category:Military units and formations in Burma in World War II| ]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945]]

6th Infantry Division (India)

2025-06-02T15:39:13Z

2A02:8012:227B:0:F8CB:B7A:90A8:48D5: brief enhance citations for clarity

{{Short description|World War I-era army unit}}
{{for|the World War I formation|6th (Poona) Division}}

The '''6th Infantry Division''' is an infantry division of the [[Indian Army]]. It was a raised as a part of the [[Indian Army during World War II]] on 1 March 1941 in [[Secunderabad]]. On 11 September 1941 it was shipped to [[Iraq]] and later [[Iran]]. During 1942 and 1943 it was part of the [[Tenth Army (United Kingdom)|Tenth Army]]. The division remained in the Middle East where it was disbanded on 15 October 1944 in [[Basra]], Iraq. During World War II its commanders included Major-General [[James Noel Thomson]], Major-General [[Arthur Holworthy]], and Major-General B.H. Chappel.

==Component units as of 11 September 1941==
*[[1st Duke of Yorks Own Skinners Horse]]
*[[9th Indian Infantry Brigade]]
**2nd Battalion, [[The West Yorkshire Regiment]]
**3rd Battalion, [[12th Frontier Force Regiment]]
**3rd Battalion, [[5th Mahratta Light Infantry]]
*[[10th Indian Infantry Brigade]]
**2nd Battalion, [[The Highland Light Infantry]]
**3rd Battalion, [[18th Royal Garhwal Rifles]]
**4th Battalion, [[10th Baluch Regiment]]
*28th Field Regiment, [[Royal Artillery]]
*20th Field Company, [[Indian Engineers]]
*21st Field Company, [[Indian Engineers]]
*44th Field Park Company, [[Indian Engineers]]

In addition, the [[24th Indian Infantry Brigade]] was assigned or attached to the division at some time during World War II.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2009-10-22|publisher=Order of Battle|title=6 Division units|url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=1482&Tab=Sub|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314212503/http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=1482&Tab=Sub|archive-date=2007-03-14|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==6th Mountain Division==
After the [[Partition of India]], the post-independence [[Indian Army]] reraised the 6th Division as the 6th Mountain Division in 1963.<ref>Elite Forces of India and Pakistan By Kenneth Conboy, Paul Hannon, Osprey Publishing, 1992, p.8</ref> The division headquarters was initially at [[Naini Tal]]. The division is now headquartered at [[Bareilly]] and is part of the [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]]. The Garuda Division as it is known has been commanded amongst others by Maj Gen [[Siri Kanth Korla]], PVSM, DSO, MC, and Maj Gen R Z Kabraji, AVSM, ADC. Kabraji succeeded Korla and was GOC from December 1966 to January 1969. Maj Gen (later Lt Gen) D K Chandorkar took over from Kabraji. The division later relocated to Bareilly.

The division took part in the 1965 and 1971 wars. It was moved to Kashmir in May 1999 during Op Vijay, however, it was not deployed for operations.<ref name="indiandefencereview_post-independence-indian-wars">{{cite web |url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/post-independence-indian-wars-an-overview/2/ |title=Post Independence Indian Wars: An Overview
|author=Khanna, KK |date=7 August 2021 |work=Indian Defence Review |publisher=Lancer Publishers |access-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814052017/http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/post-independence-indian-wars-an-overview/2/ |archive-date=14 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2005, Major General Gur Iqbal Singh, the then division commander, was found to be involved in a corruption case. He was tried and dismissed for corruption in late 2006. At that time, Brigadier G. Illangovan commanded the 99 Mountain Brigade at [[Chaubatia]] and Brigadier D.S. Grewal commanded the 69 Mountain Brigade in [[Pithoragarh]], both in [[Uttarakhand]]. Both brigadiers reported to Singh. As of June 2007, both brigadiers were accused of misdirection of monies.<ref>
[http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?id=706270462&cat=&n_date=20070627 Two Indian army brigadiers being tried for corruption], June 27, 2007, IANS, New Delhi</ref><ref>The attached school affiliation articles supports the possibility that 69 Mountain Brigade is part of 6 Mountain Division. http://pithoragarh.nic.in/Bcj_sm.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705132014/http://pithoragarh.nic.in/Bcj_sm.htm |date=2010-07-05 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{oob unit | id = 1482 | name = 6 Indian Infantry Division }}

{{Indian Divisions in World War II}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:06 Indian Infantry Division}}
[[Category:Indian World War II divisions]]
[[Category:Divisions of the Indian Army]]
[[Category:British Indian Army divisions]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1941]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944]]

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XXXIII Corps (British India)

6th Infantry Division (India)