36^th Indian Infantry Division (1)

29^th Infantry Brigade Group (2)

1^st Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers

2^nd Bn. Royal Welch Fusiliers

2^nd Bn. East Lancashire Regiment

2^nd Bn. The South Lancashire Regiment
(The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers) (3)

236^th Field Company, Royal Engineers

 154^th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps

72^nd Indian Infantry Brigade Group (4)

6^th Bn. The South Wales Borderers

10^th Bn. The Gloucestershire Regiment

9^th Bn. The Royal Sussex Regiment

 30^th Field Company, Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners

 69^th Field Ambulance, Indian Army Medical Corps

Divisional Troops

 ‘D’ Company, 2^nd Bn. The Manchester Regiment (5)

 130^th (Lowland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (6)

178^th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (7)

122^nd (Royal Warwickshire) Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiment,

Royal Artillery (8)

15^th Indian Engineering Battalion (9)

324^th Field Company, Sappers and Miners

12^th Bridging Section

36^th Indian Divisional Signals

1.      This Division was formed in January 1943, apparently as the Army component of the Combined Training Centre in India.  It appears that the original role of the Division was for seaborne operations and invasions.  However, the Division was deployed to the Arakan in February 1944 in response to the Japanese offensive U-Go.  In early June 1944, the Division was withdrawn from the Arakan and returned to Shillong in India for a brief period to rest and refit.  In early August 1944, the Division was placed under the command of the Northern Combat Area Command and moved to the Ledo area of northern Burma.  The Division re-designated as :-

36^th Infantry Division

on 1^st September 1944, thus becoming a British Division rather than an Indian one.

2.      This Brigade was organised as a Brigade Group.  It had left the United Kingdom in March 1942 to take part in the invasion of Madagascar in May 1942.  The Brigade arrived in India on the 26^th January 1943 and came under the command of the 36^th Indian Division.

3.      The battalion was transferred from this Brigade to ?? on 16^th April 1944.  It was not replaced in this Brigade as it was the fourth battalion in the Brigade.

4.      This Brigade was formed circa February 1943 when the three constituent battalions reverted to the Infantry role from Armoured Regiments.  This Brigade was re-designated on 28^th April 1944 to become the :-

72^nd Infantry Brigade

5.      This company was detached from the battalion, which was under the command of the 2^nd Infantry Division.  The company had been attached to the 29^th Brigade Group, but came under Divisional command when the Brigade joined the Division.

6.      This regiment joined the Division in August 1943 from XV Corps.  This regiment was equipped and designated as an Assault Field Regiment.

7.      This regiment joined the Division in July 1943 from XXXIII Corps.  It was designated as an Assault Field Regiment in August 1943.

8.      This regiment was formed in January 1944 from the :-

122^nd (Warwickshire) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment

and batteries from the 100^th (Gordon Highlanders) Anti-Tank Regiment (2^nd Division).  The 122^nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment had joined the Division in August 1943 in India.

9.      This battalion was attached to the Division during the Arakan campaign.

36^th Infantry Division (1)

26^th Indian Infantry Brigade (2)

2^nd Bn. The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)

2^nd Bn. 8^th Punjab Regiment (3)

1^st (Russell’s) Bn. 19^th Hyderabad Regiment (4)

 29^th Infantry Brigade

 1^st Bn. The Royal Scots Fusiliers

2^nd Bn. The Royal Welch Fusiliers

2^nd Bn. The East Lancashire Regiment

 72^nd Infantry Brigade

 6^th Bn. The South Wales Borderers

10^th Bn. The Gloucestershire Regiment

9^th Bn. The Royal Sussex Regiment

 Divisional Troops

 (5)

‘D’ Company, 2^nd Bn. The Manchester Regiment

 130^th (Lowland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

178^th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

122^nd Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery (6) 12^th Mountain Battery, Indian Artillery (7)

28^th Mountain Battery, Indian Artillery (7)

 236^th Field Company, Royal Engineers

30^th Field Company, Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners

(8)

234^th Indian Field Park Company, Indian Engineers

 36^th Divisional Signals

 34^th Field Ambulance, Indian Army Medical Corps

69^th Field Ambulance, Indian Army Medical Corps (9)

154^th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps

1.      The Division was formed on 1^st September 1944 by the re-designation of the

36^th Indian Infantry Division

2.      This Brigade was formerly part of the 6^th Indian Division stationed in Iraq.  It left the 6^th Division and arrived back in India on the 10^th August 1944.  At this time, it is believed that the units in the Brigade were :-

26^th Indian Infantry Brigade

 2^nd Bn. The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)

1^st Bn. 1^st King George V’s Own Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment)

1^st Bn. 9^th Gurkha Rifles

It appears the two Gurkha battalions left the Brigade before it joined the 36^th Division.  They were replaced by the two Indian battalions shown above.  The Brigade was flown into Myitkyina airfield to come under the command of the 36^th Division on the 6^th December 1944.

The Brigade was re-designated on 6^th April 1945:-

26^th Infantry Brigade

3.      This battalion left the Brigade on 13^th April 1945 transferring to the 20^th Indian Division.  It was replaced by :-

1^st Bn. The Devonshire Regiment

which transferred in from 80^th Indian Brigade, 20^th Division.

4.      This battalion left the Brigade on 19^th April 1945 transferring to the 20^th Indian Division.  It was replaced by :-

1^st Bn. The Northamptonshire Regiment

which transferred in from 32^nd Indian Brigade, 20^th Division.

5.      Joined Division on 10^th April 1945 as Reconnaissance Bn. :-

2^nd Bn. The Border Regiment

6.      This regiment lost its Light Anti-Aircraft batteries on 15^th September 1944 and was redesignated as :-

122^nd (Royal Warwickshire) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery

7.      These two mountain batteries joined the Division on the 3^rd December 1944.  On the 6^th February 1945, a new Mountain Regiment was formed which incorporated the two batteries, and the 17^th Mountain Battery.  The new Regiment was designated :-

32^nd Mountain Regiment, Indian Artillery

8.      A third Field Company joined the Division on 15^th November 1944 :-

58^th Field Company, Sappers and Miners

9.      This unit joined the Division at or about the same time as 26^th Brigade, that is December 1944.

36^th Infantry Division (1)

 26^th Infantry Brigade (2)

2^nd Bn. The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)

1^st Bn. The Devonshire Regiment

1^st Bn. The Northamptonshire Regiment

 29^th Infantry Brigade (3)

 2^nd Bn. The Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey)

1^st Bn. The Essex Regiment

2^nd Bn. The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

 72^nd Infantry Brigade

6^th Bn. The South Wales Borderers (4)

10^th Bn. The Gloucestershire Regiment

9^th Bn. The Royal Sussex Regiment (5)

 Divisional Troops

 2^nd Bn. The Border Regiment (6)

‘D’ Company, 2^nd Bn. The Manchester Regiment (7)

2^nd Bn. The Leicestershire Regiment (8)

 130^th (Lowland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (9)

178^th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (10)

122^nd (Royal Warwickshire) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery

32^nd Mountain Regiment, Indian Artillery

 236^th Field Company, Royal Engineers

30^th Field Company, Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners (11)

58^th Field Company, Sappers and Miners (12)

234^th Indian Field Park Company, Sappers and Miners (13)

 36^th Divisional Signals

 34^th Field Ambulance, Indian Army Medical Corps

69^th Field Ambulance, Indian Army Medical Corps

154^th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps

1.      The Division returned to India on 13^th May 1945.  This is the order of battle of the Division whilst it was in India.

2.      This Brigade was now on the British Army establishment (see above).

3.      This Brigade returned with the Division from Burma to India, however, its three constituent battalions all left the Brigade immediately on its return to India.  Three new battalions joined the Brigade on the 25^th May 1945, all three of which had served with the Chindits.

4.      This battalion left the Brigade on 18^th July 1945.  It was not replaced.

5.      This battalion left the Brigade on 16^th July 1945.  It was not replaced.

6.      This battalion had joined as the Divisional Reconnaissance battalion on 10^th April 1945.

7.      This company left the Division on 15^th May 1945.  It was replaced on 22^nd June 1945 by :-

1^st (Queen Victoria’s Own) Bn. 7^th Rajput Regiment

as a replacement Machine Gun battalion.

8.      This battalion joined the Division on 20^th May 1945 as the Divisional Defence battalion.

9.      This regiment left the Division on 13^th June 1945.  It was replaced on 22^nd June 1945 by :-

145^th (Berkshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

which transferred in from 39th Indian Division.  This regiment in turn left Division on 13th July 1945 transferring to 25^th Indian Division.  It was replaced on 20^th July 1945

by :-

8^th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

which transferred in from 26^th Indian Division.

10.  This regiment left the Division on 5^th July 1945 transferring to 23^rd Indian Division.  It was replaced on 8^th July 1945 by :-

158^th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

which transferred in from 23^rd Indian Division.

11.  This company left the Division on 21^st June 1945.  It was replaced by :-

2^nd Field Company, Royal Engineers

12.  This company left the Division on 21^st June 1945.  It was replaced by :-

54^th Field Company, Royal Engineers.

13.  This company left the Division on 21^st June 1945.  It was replaced by :-

219^th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

.