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This excellent contribution is the work of Rob Palmer
rob.palmer598@btinternet.com
81st (West Africa)
Infantry Division
Formation:
The 81st (West Africa)
Infantry Division was formed on the 1st March 1943 in Nigeria. The
Division was born from the decision to split the two existing African Divisions,
which were joint formations, and form them into separate East and West Africa
Divisions. The Division was initially entitled as the 1st (West
Africa) Division, but its number was changed after only four days to the 81st
(West Africa) Division. This was to avoid confusion with the British 1st
Division. The Divisional Commander on the formation of the Division was Major
General C. G. Woolner, CB, MC.
The Brigades did not
formally join the Division until the 31st March 1943. They were the
3rd, 5th and 6th (West Africa) Brigades. The 3rd
(West Africa) Brigade comprised three war raised service battalions of the
Nigeria Regiment, namely the 6th Battalion, 7th Battalion,
and 12th Battalions. The Brigade was commanded by Brigadier H. U.
Richards. The 5th (West Africa) Brigade comprised of three war
raised service battalions from the Gold Coast (now Ghana). These were the 5th
Battalion, 7th Battalion and 8th Battalion of the Gold
Coast Regiment. The Brigade commander was Brigadier E. H. Collins. The 6th
Brigade comprised one battalion from Nigeria, one from The Gambia and one from
Sierra Leone. The 4th Battalion, The Nigeria Regiment was a pre war
regular battalion, with the 1st Battalion, The Sierra Leone Regiment
being formed from the pre-war regular battalion based in the colony and the 1st
Battalion, The Gambia Regiment being a war raised battalion. At this time,
Brigadier J. W. A. Hayes DSO commanded the Brigade.
The Division also had a Divisional
Regiment for the reconnaissance role but, at this time, no artillery or
engineers were allocated to the Division. The Brigades were organised as
Brigade groups, therefore each Brigade had an artillery and engineer component.
The Divisional
artillery, under the command of the Commander Royal Artillery (CRA), Brigadier
J. A. E. Hirst, had just one unit. This was the 1st West African
Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
O. Holleywell. The Regiment had two Light Anti-Aircraft Batteries (the 81st
and 82nd) and two Anti-Tank Batteries (the 61st and 62nd).
However, it is believed the regiment never received any anti-tank guns as the
ship carrying most of the anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns for the regiments had
been lost.
The three light
batteries were numbered to reflect the Brigade to which they were attached.
Each battery had 4 x 3.7” howitzers, with an establishment of seven British
officers, three British warrant officers, six British non-commissioned officers
and nine hundred and eighty Africans. Most of the Africans were unarmed gun
carriers.
The Division left West Africa on the 9th July 1943, sailing to India where it
arrived on the 14th August. It spent some time training in India, before being
called forward to join XV Corps in the Arakan.
The Division Arrives in Burma
The Division officially entered
Burma on the 8th December 1943. It first concentrated at Chiringa,
which became the West African Base and Rear Headquarters for the Division. The
Division marched some 74 miles from Chiringa to Satpaung, building a jeep track
on the way. The route traversed some very difficult country, with the road
being completed in just four weeks without the use of any mechanical equipment.
The track was known as ‘West Africa Way’, with a later 25 mile addition for the
guns being known as ‘Gunner’s Way’. By this date, the CRA was now Brigadier H.
B. Jolley, following the departure of Brigadier Hirst from the Division.
By the middle of December 1943, the
Division was concentrating in the Daltme (or Daletre) area in the upper reaches
of the Kaladan valley. The Division had already lost the 3rd
Brigade, which had transferred to the command of Special Force on the 8th
November 1943, although its light battery remained with the Division. To
compensate, the Division was reinforced by two Indian battalions, the 7th/16th
Punjab and a battalion from the 5th Mahratta Light Infantry. The two
Indian battalions were assigned the role of protecting the rear of the Division,
whilst the Division itself advanced down the Kaladan valley. The Division also
lost its reconnaissance regiment, which was attached to other formations in XV
Corps. To replace this unit, the Division was allocated the 11th
(East Africa) Division Scouts on the 20th January 1944.
The Advance Down the Kaladan
Valley
The advance commenced
on the 18th January 1944. 6th (West Africa) Brigade led
on the east bank of the river, striking south from Daltme (or Daletre) with two
mortar troops in support. The 5th (West Africa) Brigade was at
Satpaung. The Division’s first action was on the 24th January, just
south of Paletwa. It was a minor affair, resolved without the use of artillery
support.
In the middle of
February 1944, the leading elements of the Division had reached the village of
Kaladan. The 5th Brigade was on the Pi Chaung, the 6th
Brigade was at Kaladan village (which had been evacuated by the Japanese) and
the Scouts were on the left flank.
On the 10th and 12th
February, two serious attacks were launched against Japanese strong points
around the village, but both of them failed. The second attack had been made by
the 1st Bn. Gambia Regiment, supported by the light guns from the
Division. A few days later, on 25th February, the guns were again in
action for the crossing of the Pi Chaung. Then the 4th Bn. Nigeria
Regiment captured Kyauktaw and Apaukwa, aided by the Divisional artillery. On
the 2nd March, the guns were again in action supporting the Gold
Coast Regiment near Kyauktaw.
Meanwhile, the Japanese had
launched their main offensive on the Arakan front, Operation Ha-Go. The
commander of the Division was ordered by the XV Corps not to be held up by
strongpoints, but to by-pass then if necessary. The Division was ordered to
push on down the Kaladan valley and reach the Kanzauk Pass. The intention was
for the Division to cut the lines of communication of the Japanese, and to
threaten their right flank.
The Japanese had been
fighting a delaying action down the west bank of the Kaladan River, holding the
Division frontally along the Myohaung road. They built up a force of three weak
battalions, to carry out a counter attack. On the night of the 1st
and 2nd March 1944, they struck at the Divisional detachments south
of Thayettabin, and having seized that location captured Pagoda Hill by the 3rd
March. The Japanese then crossed the Kaladan River and occupied the area
between there and the Pi Chaung in some strength. These battles caused the
Division to retreat and deserve closer examination.
The Division Suffers a Reverse
The battle of Pagoda
Hill has been described as being critical in the reverses suffered by the
Division and, it has been suggested that the morale and nature of the troops was
in some way a factor. The Division’s reconnaissance unit had become Corps
Troops during December 1943. They had been replaced by the 11th
(East Africa) Division Scouts. This unit was unorthodox, having been raised in
April 1942 for coastal defence in East Africa. In March 1943, they became the
East Africa Scouts and their role changed to scouting, “to move ahead and on the
flanks of our forces, to obtain information on enemy dispositions, to raid his
lines of communication and to harass his flanks while protecting our own”.
Their emphasis was on bushcraft rather than the infantry role. They were issued
with .303 rifles, Bren guns and some Tommy guns, but were not allocated any
support weapons.
The commanding officer
of the Scouts was Major T. C. C. Lewin, known as ‘Chippy’ Lewin. The only other
regular officer was Lieutenant P. A. N. Lindley, of the The Buffs. The other
officers consisted of an unfrocked priest from South America, an Argentinian
Farmer’s son, a diamond miner from Tanganyika, a Scot from Nyasaland, two
settlers from Kenya and a medical officer. Most of the Askari were from
Nyasaland, with some from South Tanganyika and Kenya.
The 6th
Brigade advanced down the eastern (or left) bank of the Kaladan river, with the
1st Bn. The Gambia Regiment from that Brigade advancing down the west
bank. 5th Brigade, with ‘B’ Company of the Scouts, advanced inland
to follow the Pi Chaung, a river that flowed parallel with the Kaladan. The
going was difficult across the thickly clad jungle hills. On Sunday, 20th
February, whilst trying to cross the Pi, ‘B’ Company came under fire from the
far bank. Their company commander, Captain 322588 Edward Carew Sladen was
killed. He is commemorated on Face 19 of the Rangoon Memorial. In addition,
one askari was killed and three wounded. Later, when crossing the Pi, a boat
capsized leading to one askari being drowned and several weapons were lost.
However, ‘B’ Company
managed to rejoin the Brigade and continued to advance down the east bank of the
Kaladan River with the rest of the Scouts, in company with the 1st Bn.
Sierra Leone Regiment and 4th Bn. The Nigeria Regiment. On 16th
February, the Scouts occupied a feature called Pagoda Hill. This was a jungle
clad hill which jutted out of an otherwise flat plain. This feature allowed
observations to be kept over Kyauktaw, where 1st Bn. The Gambia
Regiment were located. The Division was ordered to extend its front towards the
River Mayu, forty miles to the west. The reports suggested the Japanese
strength in the area was low, with only a few battalions present.
The East Africa Scouts
were left on Pagoda Hill, so they patrolled to the south and east of the
feature. They had several contacts with the Japanese, with casualties on both
sides. A successful attack was made on the 23rd February, four miles
south of Thayettabin. When the body of the Division moved away, Battalion
Headquarters, together with ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies were located at Binapara, with
‘C’ Company on Pagoda Hill and ‘D’ Company at Thayettabin.
Patrol clashes
continued, with a serious one at 19.30 hours on 1st March, when ‘D’
Company ambushed a large party of Japanese. The Japanese counter attacked, so
‘D’ Company withdrew back to Pagoda Hill. The rest of the battalion
consolidated on the hill. The Japanese then assaulted Pagoda Hill at about
04.30 hours on the 2nd March.
The heavy fighting was
reported to the Divisional Headquarters, with the 1st Bn. The Gambia
Regiment being ordered to assist the East Africa Scouts. At first light they
set off for Pagoda Hill. The battalion was caught in open paddy fields and
sustained casualties in reaching the hill. On their arrival, they were
dispersed around the hill. There was no artillery support and little mortar
support. On the night of the 2nd/3rd March, the Japanese
attacked again, infiltrating from the north and isolating ‘D’ Company, 1st
Gambia. ‘C’ Company, 1st Gambia was also attacked, but from the
east. At 06.30 hours, the East Africa Scouts were attacked up the north side of
the hill. They succeeded in driving back two attacks by use of light machine
guns and grenades. Another assault by the Japanese at about 11.00 hours nearly
succeeded in gaining the hill, as the ammunition of the Gambians and East
Africans was almost exhausted.
The Gambians commenced
a withdrawal from the hill, with the survivors from the Scouts withdrawing over
the Kaladan River by 16.00 hours. They had suffered some casualties, Lieutenant
Mathison being wounded, as was Lieutenant Robinson who had suffered multiple
grenade wounds. Although wounded, Robinson swam the Kaladan River with his
Tommy gun and binoculars. Company Quartermaster Sergeant Hutchinson, who was
wounded in the foot and by multiple grenade wounds, won the Military Medal for
his actions on Pagoda Hill. Captain Stevenson, who had organised the defence of
the hill was awarded the Military Cross.
The Japanese capture of
Pagoda Hill exposed the flank of the Division, which was now badly off balance.
The Division withdrew back up the Kaladan valley, with these reverses having an
effect on the morale and fighting ability of the troops. The Division was not
involved in any serious actions for the rest of the month, but in the beginning
of April, the Division cleared the Japanese again from the area of Kaladan
village.
On the 10th
April, the Division was removed from the Kaladan valley across the Kaladan
ranges into the Kalapanzin valley to fill the gap created by the move of the 7th
Indian Division to the Imphal front. One West African battalion and the 7th/16th
Punjab Regiment were left behind in the Kaladan valley to make it appear that
the Division was still operating there. The Division was perceived by some to
have failed. General Slim himself suggests the Japanese counter attack against
the Division was brought about by their success in clearing the Kaladan valley,
therefore posing a significant threat on the flank of the Japanese. It appears
generally accepted the Division had become too dispersed, with the counter
attack achieving surprise within the Division. In addition, it is frequently
remarked that the West Africans were not so resolute in defence as compared to
other units, despite their reputation for ‘dashing’ attacks. Their retreat up
the Kaladan valley has been described as one bedeviled by confusion.
It is suggested the
character of the Division’s commander, Major General Woolner, did not aid the
Division’s resolve when it found itself under attack. He is alleged to have
told his troops to stand up and fight, and not to dig in and form protective
strongholds in the manner so successfully achieved by the 7th Indian
Division in the Battle for the Admin Box.
Changes
in Personnel and Units
Due to the reverses the Division
had suffered, changes in command were made. On the 24th August 1944,
Major General Woolner was relieved as Divisional Commander by Major General F.
J. Loftus-Tottenham DSO, who was promoted from command of 33rd Indian
Brigade in 7th Indian Division. On the 14th September
1944, Lieutenant Colonel P. J. Jeffreys DSO, OBE, was appointed the acting
commander of the 5th Brigade. He was promoted Brigadier on 17th
September to formally assume command of the Brigade.
Brigadier Hayes had relinquished
command of the 6th Brigade on 13th March 1944. On the 23rd
March, 30 year old Brigadier Richard Norton Cartwright DSO was appointed to
command the Brigade. Cartwright was an officer with the 5th Royal
Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, son of Brigadier General G. N. Cartwright R.A.,
CMG, DSO. Sadly, Brigadier Cartwright died in Chittagong on Saturday 1st
July 1944, presumably as a result of disease. Following his death, Brigadier A.
A. Crook DSO was appointed on the 6th August 1944 to assume command
of the Brigade.
The 101st
Light Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel ‘Trapper’ Anderson, was
allocated to the Division on the 24th May 1944. It assumed command
of the Light Batteries originally allocated to the three Brigades within the
Division. Each Battery of the Regiment had one Troop equipped with eight head
carried 3” mortars and two Troops each of two jeep towed 3.7” howitzers.
The Division had found
the jeep towed howitzers difficult to transport through the jungle, so the 103rd
Mortar Regiment was formed on 25th September 1944. It was soon
renamed the 41st Mortar Regiment. It was commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel J. A. MacNabb, and comprised three batteries, the 101st, 102nd,
and 103rd, each of 8 x 3” mortars. Each battery comprised some 318
men, although about 100 were carriers.
The 1st
Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiment lost its Light Anti-Aircraft role on 30th
September 1944, becoming the 1st (West Africa) Anti-Tank Regiment.
To avoid confusion, it was redesignated the 21st (West Africa)
Anti-Tank Regiment on 23rd October 1944. It is not believed the
Regiment ever fought in its designated role, but acted as an infantry unit
during the rest of the war. There was no change in the unit’s commander.
During its period of rest and
refitting, the Division had regained its reconnaissance battalion, the 81st
(West Africa) Reconnaissance Battalion of the West Africa Armoured Corps
rejoined the Division. The date the unit rejoined the Division is not known,
but it was during this period as the unit was with the Division for the late
1944 campaign.
Advance
Down the Kaladan Again
Once the monsoon season
was over, the Division began to advance down the Kaladan valley again. The
first task of the Division was to capture the villages of Singpa and Mowdok, the
last two places on Indian soil occupied by the Japanese. On the 1st
October 1944, the division was concentrated in the Kaladan valley ready for its
advance. During the following days, the Japanese fell back from Singpa to
Mowdok. Mowdok was captured by the 1st Bn. The Sierra Leone Regiment
on the 8th October. The opposition was light and the Division
continued to drive southwards to maintain contact with the Japanese forces. By
18th October 1944, the last Japanese had been driven from Indian
soil.
The Division advanced
in three columns down the valley. All three columns made good progress until
the division reached the main Japanese positions at Paletwa. However, the
column operating down the Pi chaung managed to push some 22 miles south of
Paletwa overcoming the slight resistance encountered.
On 15th
November 1944, XV Corps ceased to be part of the Fourteenth Army and, became an
independent corps directly under the command of Allied Land Forces South East
Asia. XV Corps was given the task of clearing the Japanese from the Arakan. In
the post monsoon plan, the Division was to be relieved by the 82nd
West Africa Division, so that the 81st Division could pass into Corps
reserve at Chiringa and, then return to India.
Having occupied Mowdok
on the 9th October 1944, the Division faced an advance of about sixty
miles through very difficult mountainous and jungle clad country in order to
meet its next objective. The Japanese opposing the Division was known to
consist of the 55th Cavalry Regiment, one company of the 143rd
Regiment, and the 1st Battalion of the Bose Brigade of the Indian
National Army. The nature of the country precluded the use of tanks, but the
Division would have two batteries of mountain artillery under command. The
country also meant that the lines of advance would have to be along the narrow
and thickly wooded valleys, which would allow the Japanese to utilise delaying
tactics. The Division was to be solely supplied from the air, which gave it
added flexibility. The Divisional Commander decided to concentrate his advance
down the Kaladan valley with both Brigades, leaving a small force to cover the
Pi chaung.
On the 10th
October 1944, the 1st Bn. Sierra Leone Regiment assembled to drive
the Japanese from Mowdok Taung, whilst the 5th Brigade moved south to
a village some four miles south-south east of Mowdok. On the 11th
October, the 4th Bn. Nigeria Regiment attacked Mowdok Taung following
an air strike on the feature. This attack failed due to the Japanese light and
medium machine fire. On the following day, the 1st Bn. Sierra Leone
Regiment attempted to by pass the Japanese position but again this was
unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the 5th
Brigade was moving south and meeting little opposition on the west bank of the
Kaladan River. On the 14th October, following another air strike,
the 4th Bn. The Nigeria Regiment again attacked the feature and this
time were successful. This allowed the 1st Bn. The Sierra Leone
Regiment to firmly establish themselves on the feature and then capture Labawa.
On 23rd October, the Divisional Headquarters had established itself
at Labawa, with the 5th Brigade at Sepeo and the 6th
Brigade at Hnonbo. These concentrations were complete by the 30th
October, allowing the division to begin its advance southwards. The first
aircraft strip was constructed to facilitate the evacuation of the wounded.
It appeared that the
Japanese had withdrawn to construct a defensive position at Paletwa, so the
Division advanced towards that town behind a screen of the Divisional
Reconnaissance Regiment. For the next few weeks, the advance continued without
incident, with the 4th Bn. Nigeria Regiment and 22nd
Anti-Tank Regiment left behind as a ‘back stop’ in the Mowdok Taung area. On
the 13th November, a captured map indicated the possibility of the
Japanese carrying out a left hook onto the rear areas of the Division. To meet
this, the 5th Brigade was concentrated two miles west of Paletwa and,
the 6th Brigade was concentrated at Auklo. On the 19th
November, the 5th Brigade continued its advance and bypassed the
Japanese in the Satwei area. On the 20th November, the troops left
behind at Mowdok Taung were brought up to join the Division. On the 25th
November, the 6th Brigade started its advance to Ridaung. The
Japanese still held Paletwa and a feature called Point 175 on the west bank of
the Kaladan River despite intensive bombing by the Allies.
It now appeared the
Japanese had not been serious about stopping the Division, but had merely tried
to hold it up. The 5th Brigade continued on the last lap of its
advance and, on the 29th November, the Brigade reached its objective
at Bidonegyaungwa. The next day saw the Divisional Reconnaissance Regiment
report its arrival at Kyingri on the Pi Chaung some miles ahead of the main
Division. This location was important as it lay in flat, well cultivated land.
On the 1st December, the 5th Brigade had joined the
reconnaissance regiment and, construction began on the first Dakota airstrip.
By the 3rd December, the Division had consolidated itself on the line
of its objectives, completing the first phase of operations for XV Corps.
The Division then
commenced a crossing of the Kaladan River. During the night of the 4th
December, troops crossed the river and established a bridgehead. The Divisional
Reconnaissance Regiment and the Anti-Tank Regiment (fighting as infantry)
conducted a series of patrols to give the impression that the Division intended
to advance down both banks of the river. The Japanese were slow to react to the
crossing of the river by the Division. On the 15th December however,
they launched an attack supported by artillery. The attack was directed at the
front held by the 6th Brigade and, after much heavy fighting, the
Japanese were driven off. During one action at Kru, the 6th Brigade
came across a Japanese position. 101st Mortar Battery engaged the
enemy positions at short range, marking them for Hurri-bombers to come in and
attack the defenders. The Battery Commander, Major G. T. M. deM. Morgan
advanced with the infantry, continuing to control the fire of his mortars with
skill and energy. He won the Military Cross for his actions.
Later, during an action on the 15th
December, Lieutenant Tony Verity of the Royal Artillery found himself in command
of a platoon of the 1st Bn. Gambia Regiment. He remained with them
when the beat off a ferocious Japanese counter attack, ending up staying with
the Gambians for nearly a month.
On the 19th
December, the Division commenced phase two of its operation. The Divisional
Commander decided on a left hook through the hills to the east. The 6th
Brigade led the advance. This succeeded in outwitting the Japanese who never
seemed certain of down which bank the advance would be made and, kept troops up
north of Thayattabyin whilst the Division was now some six miles south of the
town.
From the 24th December
onwards, the Division remained in its firm base in the hills, where the Japanese
subjected it to frequent probing attacks. The Japanese were concentrating on a
feature called Point 317, which ran alongside the road and overlooked it. This
feature became known as West Down. When this threat became apparent, XV Corps
gave the Division the entire air support available to the Corps for a minimum of
three days. A saturation bombing attack was carried out from the 29th
to the 31st December, with no less than 240 fighter bomber and 213
light bomber sorties being carried out. The probing attacks by the Japanese
ceased.
The fighting at Thayettabin was
tough. On the 14th January 1945, 101st Mortar Battery
found itself under fire from some Japanese 37mm guns. The 1st Bn.
Gambia Regiment then sustained a heavy assault and called for fire support.
Captain Michael Clark from the Mortar Battery ordered the mortars to fire on the
Japanese, resulting in the Japanese attack being broken up. A message from the
Gambians to the artillery battery read, “Thank God for the guns, Mike, you did a
good job last night”. On the 15th January, the Gambians attacked,
supported by the 16 mortars from the 101st and 102nd
Batteries, under the joint command of Major Morgan.
The Divisional
Reconnaissance Regiment continued down the other bank of the river towards
Apaukwa and Kanzauk. At this latter location, the regiment met the 4th
Brigade, the first Brigade from the 82nd Division to cross the range
from Hzitwe. The meeting took place on the 7th January 1945, with
the 81st Divisional Reconnaissance Regiment coming under the command
of the 82nd Division for the operation to capture Myohaung.
The
Division Leaves Burma
With the campaign in the Arakan
going well, it was decided to reduce the number of divisions deployed in the
area, in order to reduce the logistical support required for XV Corps.
At the end of March
1945, the 81st (West Africa) Division embarked for India. The
Divisional Headquarters left Burma on the 18th March, arriving in
India on 22nd March. The Division had suffered 74 killed, 343
wounded and 21 missing between 1st September 1944 and the end of
March 1945.
On its arrival in
India, the Division regained its third Brigade. The 3rd (West
Africa) Brigade, under the command of Brigadier A. H. Gillmore had served with
Special Force (Chindits) during their campaign in Burma. They had generally
been employed on protecting the strongholds. Following their withdrawal from
Burma in August 1944, the Brigade had been resting and refitting whilst a
decision was taken on the future of Special Force. On the 20th March
1945, the Brigade (now under the command of Brigadier P. M. Hughes) returned to
the command of the 81st Division.
The Division saw out
the rest of the war in India. For a period of time, the Division formed part of
XXXIV Indian Corps at Poona, to prepare for the reconquest of Malaya (Operation
Zipper). Following the surrender of the Japanese on 15th August
1945, the Division stayed in India. It had been earmarked for possible
inclusion in Operation Zipper, but it was not needed. It returned to West
Africa in May 1946 and was disbanded shortly afterwards.
81st (West Africa) Infantry Division
81st (West Africa) Infantry Division
(1)
3rd
(West Africa) Infantry Brigade Group
(2)
6th Bn. The Nigeria Regiment, Royal
West African Frontier Force
7th Bn. The Nigeria Regiment, Royal
West Africa Frontier Force
12th Bn. The Nigeria Regiment, Royal
West Africa Frontier Force
1st (West Africa) Auxiliary Group (The
Nigeria Regiment),
R.W.A.F.F.
3rd (West Africa) Light Battery, West
African Artillery
7th Field Company, West African
Engineers
3rd (West Africa) Field Ambulance
5th (West Africa) Infantry Brigade (2)
5th Bn. The Gold Coast Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
7th Bn. The Gold Coast Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
8th Bn. The Gold Coast Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
3rd (West Africa) Auxiliary Group
(The Gold Coast Regiment), R.W.A.F.F.
5th (West Africa) Light Battery, West
African Artillery
3rd Field Company, West African
Engineers
5th (West Africa) Field Ambulance
6th (West Africa) Infantry Brigade (3)
1st Bn. The Sierra Leone Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
4th Bn. The Nigeria Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
1st Bn. The Gambia Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
4th (West Africa) Auxiliary Group
(The Sierra Leone Regiment), R.W.A.F.F.
6th (West Africa) Light Battery, West
African Artillery
6th Field Company, West African
Engineers
6th (West Africa) Field Ambulance
Divisional Troops
81st (West Africa) Divisional
Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force (4)
1st Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank
Regiment, R.W.A.F.F. (7)
8th Field Park Company, West African
Engineers
81st (West Africa) Divisional Signals,
West African Signal Corps
1.
Division formed on 1st
March 1943 in Nigeria. This is the order of battle for the Division in November
1943 as it concentrated in India, having arrived in stages from West Africa.
2.
This Brigade was originally formed
in Nigeria in December 1940. It came under the command of the Division when it
was formed in March 1943. This Brigade was the last from the Division to arrive
in India on the 8th November 1943. It was immediately transferred to
Special Force to act as defence battalions for the strongholds envisaged by
Major General Wingate.
3.
This Brigade was the second to
arrive in India on the 12th September 1943. At this time, the
Brigade was organised as a Brigade group.
4.
This Brigade was the first from the
Division to arrive in India on 14th August 1943. At this time, the
Brigade was organised as a Brigade group.
81st (West Africa) Infantry Division (1)
5th (West Africa)
Infantry Brigade
5th Bn. The Gold Coast Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
7th Bn. The Gold Coast Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
8th Bn. The Gold Coast Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
3rd (West Africa) Auxiliary Group
(The Gold Coast Regiment), R.W.A.F.F.
6th (West Africa)
Infantry Brigade
1st Bn. The Sierra Leone Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
4th Bn. The Nigeria Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
1st Bn. The Gambia Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force
4th (West Africa) Auxiliary Group
(The Sierra Leone Regiment), R.W.A.F.F.
Divisional Troops
81st (West Africa) Divisional
Regiment,
Royal West African Frontier Force (2)
11th (East African) Divisional Scouts
(3)
1st (West Africa) Auxiliary Group
(The Nigeria Regiment) R.W.A.F.F. (4)
101st Light Regiment, West African
Artillery (5)
1st Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank
Regiment,
West African Artillery (6)
41st Mortar Regiment, West African
Artillery (7)
8th Field Park Company, West African
Engineers
3rd Field Company, West African
Engineers (8)
5th Field Company, West African
Engineers (9)
6th Field Company, West African
Engineers (9)
81st (West Africa) Divisional
Signals,
West African Signal Corps
1.
Arrived in India on 14th
August 1943 and deployed to Burma on 8th December 1943. The Division
reorganized on standard division establishment in September 1944. This is the
order of battle for the Division during the Arakan campaign. The Division left
Burma on 18th March 1945 returning to India.
2.
This regiment was a reconnaissance
regiment. It was became part of the West African Armoured Corps on 1st
January 1944, and was redesignated on 1st August 1944 to become:-
81st (West Africa) Reconnaissance Battalion, West African Armoured Corps
However, it is believed the battalion
remained equipped as previously.
3.
This unit joined the Division on 20th
January 1944, in lieu of the Divisional reconnaissance battalion which was
temporally absent from the Division. It left the command of the Division and
was disbanded in March 1945.
4.
Units joined Division in January
1944 from 3rd (West Africa) Brigade when that Brigade reorganised for the Long Range Penetration
Role.
5.
Joined Division on 24th
May 1944.
6.
Regiment re-designated on 22nd
October 1944 to become :-
21st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal West
African Frontier Force
7.
Joined Division on 6th
October 1944.
8.
Joined Division on 25th
May 1944.
9.
Joined Division on 1st
September 1944.
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