1st Armoured Division (India) - Revision history

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	**1 [[Garhwal Rifles]]		**1 [[Garhwal Rifles]]
	(all equipped with [[OT-62 TOPAS\|TOPAS]] armoured personnel carriers)		(all equipped with [[OT-62 TOPAS\|TOPAS]] armoured personnel carriers)
	~~[[File:1 Armd Division.jpg\|thumb\|Victory Flame being received by GOC, Airawat Division at Patiala, December 2020.]]~~

	==The Present==		==The Present==

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	{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Armoured Division (India)}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Armoured Division (India)}}

			{{#seo:
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	[[Category:Divisions of the Indian Army]]		[[Category:Divisions of the Indian Army]]
	[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1945]]		[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1945]]

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	{{short description\|Division of the Indian Army}}		{{short description\|Division of the Indian Army}}
	{{More citations needed\|date=July ~~2022~~}}		{{More citations needed\|date=July 2009}}
	{{Infobox military unit		{{Infobox military unit
	\|unit_name =1st Armoured Division		\|unit_name =1st Armoured Division
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	==Formation==		==Formation==
	The division was formed when the [[31st Indian Armoured Division]] was re-designated on September 1, 1945.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.orbat.com/site/history/historical/india/armd_divsww2.html \|title=Indian Armored Divisions in World War II \|date=August 25, 2002 \|first=Ravi \|last=Rikhye \|website=orbat.com \|accessdate=April 1, 2012 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808125947/http://www.orbat.com/site/history/historical/india/armd_divsww2.html \|archivedate=August 8, ~~2022~~}}</ref>		The division was formed when the [[31st Indian Armoured Division]] was re-designated on September 1, 1945.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.orbat.com/site/history/historical/india/armd_divsww2.html \|title=Indian Armored Divisions in World War II \|date=August 25, 2002 \|first=Ravi \|last=Rikhye \|website=orbat.com \|accessdate=April 1, 2012 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808125947/http://www.orbat.com/site/history/historical/india/armd_divsww2.html \|archivedate=August 8, 2014}}</ref>

	The 1st Armoured Division was one of two divisional headquarters transferred from the [[British Indian Army]] to the [[Indian Army]] upon the [[partition of British India]] in August 1947.{{refn\|group=fn\|A third divisional headquarters, of the 4th Indian Division, had become the [[Punjab Boundary Force]].{{sfnp\|Rinaldi\|Rikhye\|2011\|p=33}}}} At the time, it had its divisional headquarters at [[Secunderabad]] and the 43rd Lorried Infantry Brigade away with the [[Punjab Boundary Force]]. In June 1946, the wartime [[255th Indian Tank Brigade]] was redesignated as 1st Armoured Brigade and assigned to 1st Armoured Division.{{sfnp\|Rinaldi\|Rikhye\|2011\|p=166}}		The 1st Armoured Division was one of two divisional headquarters transferred from the [[British Indian Army]] to the [[Indian Army]] upon the [[partition of British India]] in August 1947.{{refn\|group=fn\|A third divisional headquarters, of the 4th Indian Division, had become the [[Punjab Boundary Force]].{{sfnp\|Rinaldi\|Rikhye\|2011\|p=33}}}} At the time, it had its divisional headquarters at [[Secunderabad]] and the 43rd Lorried Infantry Brigade away with the [[Punjab Boundary Force]]. In June 1946, the wartime [[255th Indian Tank Brigade]] was redesignated as 1st Armoured Brigade and assigned to 1st Armoured Division.{{sfnp\|Rinaldi\|Rikhye\|2011\|p=166}}
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	==Indo-Pakistani War of 1965==		==Indo-Pakistani War of 1965==
	{{Main\|Indo-Pakistani War of 1965}}		{{Main\|Indo-Pakistani War of 1965}}
	The 1st Armoured Division with Major General [[Rajinder Singh Sparrow\|Rajinder Singh 'Sparrow']] as the [[General officer commanding\|GOC]] played an important role in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]. He was awarded the [[Mahavir Chakra]] for his role during the war.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Galleries/Wars/1965/I/0597.jpg.html \|title=Major General Rajinder Singh Sparrow, MVC, GOC 1st Armoured Division \|work=[[Bharat Rakshak]] \|accessdate=July 7, 2014 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601235055/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Galleries/Wars/1965/I/0597.jpg.html \|archivedate=June 1, ~~2022~~}}</ref><ref name=today>{{cite magazine \|title=Former Congress (I) MP Rajinder Singh Sparrow passes away: Signposts \|magazine=[[India Today]] \|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/former-congressi-mp-rajinder-singh-sparrow-passes-away/1/293312.html \|date=May 15, 1994 \|accessdate=July 7, ~~2022~~}}</ref>		The 1st Armoured Division with Major General [[Rajinder Singh Sparrow\|Rajinder Singh 'Sparrow']] as the [[General officer commanding\|GOC]] played an important role in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]. He was awarded the [[Mahavir Chakra]] for his role during the war.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Galleries/Wars/1965/I/0597.jpg.html \|title=Major General Rajinder Singh Sparrow, MVC, GOC 1st Armoured Division \|work=[[Bharat Rakshak]] \|accessdate=July 7, 2014 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601235055/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Galleries/Wars/1965/I/0597.jpg.html \|archivedate=June 1, 2012}}</ref><ref name=today>{{cite magazine \|title=Former Congress (I) MP Rajinder Singh Sparrow passes away: Signposts \|magazine=[[India Today]] \|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/former-congressi-mp-rajinder-singh-sparrow-passes-away/1/293312.html \|date=May 15, 1994 \|accessdate=July 7, 2014}}</ref>

	The division was part of the [[I Corps (India)\|I Corps]] on the western front. The order of battle was as follows<ref>{{cite book\|last=Singh\|first=Harbaksh \|title=War Despatches: Indo-Pak Conflict 1965\|date=2012\|publisher= Lancer Publishers LLC\|isbn=978-8170621171\|page=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/battle-of-phillora-1965-war/\|title=Battle of Phillora 1965 War\|date=2020-10-20\|access-date=2021-10-27}}</ref>-		The division was part of the [[I Corps (India)\|I Corps]] on the western front. The order of battle was as follows<ref>{{cite book\|last=Singh\|first=Harbaksh \|title=War Despatches: Indo-Pak Conflict 1965\|date=2012\|publisher= Lancer Publishers LLC\|isbn=978-8170621171\|page=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/battle-of-phillora-1965-war/\|title=Battle of Phillora 1965 War\|date=2020-10-20\|access-date=2021-10-27}}</ref>-

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{{short description|Division of the Indian Army}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2009}}

The '''1st Armoured Division''' is an armoured division of the [[Indian Army]]. It is part of [[II Corps (India)|II Corps]] and is headquartered at Patiala, Punjab. It is part of the [[Indian Army]] [[Western Command (India)|Western Command]].

The division was formed when the [[31st Indian Armoured Division]] was redesignated on September 1, 1945.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orbat.com/site/history/historical/india/armd_divsww2.html |title=Indian Armored Divisions in World War II |date=August 25, 2002 |first=Ravi |last=Rikhye |website=orbat.com |accessdate=April 1, 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808125947/http://www.orbat.com/site/history/historical/india/armd_divsww2.html |archivedate=August 8, 2014}}</ref>

The 1st Armoured Division was one of two divisional headquarters transferred from the [[British Indian Army]] to the [[Indian Army]] upon the [[partition of British India]] in August 1947.{{refn|group=fn|A third divisional headquarters, of the 4th Indian Division, had become the [[Punjab Boundary Force]].{{sfnp|Rinaldi|Rikhye|2011|p=33}}}} At the time it had its divisional headquarters at [[Secunderabad]] and the 43rd Lorried Infantry Brigade away with the [[Punjab Boundary Force]]. In June 1946, the wartime [[255th Indian Tank Brigade]] was redesignated as 1st Armoured Brigade and assigned to 1st Armoured Division.{{sfnp|Rinaldi|Rikhye|2011|p=166}}

The division played a major role in [[Operation Polo]], the integration of [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]] into the Indian Union in 1948. During this time Major General [[Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri]] was serving as the division's commander, also serving as Military Governor of the state in the immediate aftermath of the invasion. For the Hyderabad operation, the division controlled the 1st Armoured Brigade and the 7th and 9th Infantry Brigades.{{sfnp|Rinaldi|Rikhye|2011|p=35}}

The 1st Armoured Division played an important role in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]. The Division, also nicknamed the 'Black Elephant' or 'Airawat' Division, consisted in 1965 of the 17th Cavalry, [[The Poona Horse]], the 4th Hodson's Horse, the 16th 'Black Elephant' Cavalry, the 7th Light Cavalry, the 2nd Royal Lancers, the 18th Cavalry and the 62nd Cavalry, the two first named being equipped with [[Centurion tank]]s. During the war Major General [[Rajinder Singh Sparrow]] was [[General officer commanding|GOC]] of the Division,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Galleries/Wars/1965/I/0597.jpg.html |title=Major General Rajinder Singh Sparrow, MVC, GOC 1st Armoured Division |work=[[Bharat Rakshak]] |accessdate=July 7, 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601235055/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Galleries/Wars/1965/I/0597.jpg.html |archivedate=June 1, 2012}}</ref> he won the [[Mahavir Chakra]] for his role.<ref name=today>{{cite magazine |title=Former Congress (I) MP Rajinder Singh Sparrow passes away: Signposts |magazine=[[India Today]] |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/former-congressi-mp-rajinder-singh-sparrow-passes-away/1/293312.html |date=May 15, 1994 |accessdate=July 7, 2014}}</ref>

After the war the division still consisted of the 1st Armoured Brigade and the [[43rd Indian Infantry Brigade (Lorried)|43rd Lorried Infantry Brigade]]. The Armoured Brigade consisted of the [[16th Cavalry]], [[Hodson's Horse]] and the [[Poona Horse]] equipped with upgraded [[Sherman tank|Sherman]] and [[Centurion tank]]s.

The 16th Light Cavalry was also equipped with Centurion tanks. The regiment was the leading element and suffered one officer casualty only. During the 1971 war the 16th's two squadrons stayed in defences, while its A Squadron took part in operations in a supporting role of an infantry brigade in Shakargarh sector and was highly decorated. Three out of the four officers of Alfa Squadron went on to become Lieutenant Generals in the Indian Army.

The [[68th Armoured Regiment (India)|68th Armoured Regiment]] was made part of the division on 30 March 1970.

Following the [[1971 Indo-Pakistani war]], the division was reorganised with the 1st and 43rd Armoured Brigades and relocated in 1972 to Ambala. In 1984, it was reorganized with the 1st, 43rd and 98th Armoured Brigades.{{sfnp|Rinaldi|Rikhye|2011|p=35}}

The division may also include the [[5th Armoured Regiment (India)|5 Armoured Regiment]]. [[63 Cavalry]] may also be with the 43 Armoured Brigade.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mod.nic.in/Samachar/nov1-20/html/ch12.htm |title=A Trekking Expedition |date=November 1, 2000 |first=D. S. |last=Rawat |website=[[Sainik Samachar]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120720012851/http://mod.nic.in/Samachar/nov1-20/html/ch12.htm |archivedate=July 20, 2012}}</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|group=fn}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
;Bibliography
* {{cite book|first1=Richard |last1=Rinaldi |first2=Ravi |last2=Rikhye |title=Indian Army Order of Battle |publisher=General Data LLC |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-98205-417-8 |name-list-style=amp}}

[[Category:Divisions of the Indian Army]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1945]]