The Chap

Vangarian Gaurd - bit international, as are we here
Janissaries - christian soldiers under a muslim despot
The Immortals - ancient persians, so called because they always kept nummbers up to exact strength
Paddys *******s - an Ulsterman in north africa. Mate of my Grandfather. An informal tag. They are much better known otherwise nowadays.

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Where's the bloody gin? An army marches on its liver, not its ruddy stomach.

lemontree

I did not mean to exclude the pure (composition) British/Australian/American units engaged in the Burma ops. What I mean't was that the Indian contribution was large, which most people in Europe/US are not aware. Please don't think other wise.

__________________

Cheers!...on the rocks!!

Ray

Burma Campaign.

Units in Burma
A Divisional and Brigade level history of the units that fought in Burma. This is a work in progress and additional information will be added as I glean it from various reference books. This page is dedicated to my Grandfather who transferred to the Indian army and fought in this Theatre.

The actual fighting in Burma was divided into 4 main phases
Spring 1942, Spring 1943, Spring 1944 and Spring 1945.

A brief run down of the fighting vehicles used by both sides

The early allied tanks used were Stuarts and Valentines. These started being replaced in 1943 with Lee/Grants and later Shermans.
The Japanese used Type 94 Tankettes, Type 95 Light Tanks and Type 89 Medium tanks.
They also used several captured British tanks.

British 14th Army
English, Irish, Welsh, Scots
New Zealanders, Australians, NewFoundlanders, Canadians, South Africans, Chinese, East and West Africans
Chins, Kachins, Karens, Burmans, Sikhs, Pathans, Garhwalis, Gurkhas.


Head gear: turbans, slouch hats, berets, tank helmets and khaki shakos.

The forces that retreated from Burma
7th Armoured Brigade: 7th Queen’s own Hussars and 2nd Royal Tank Regiment
17th Indian Division
1st Burmese Division

Spring 1942: The British 7th armoured Brigade, which only arrived in Burma in February, scuttled all but one of their own Stuart tanks on the banks of the Chindwin, having successfully covered a British retreat. The Brigade under Brigadier J.Anstice was composed of 2RTR and the 7th Queens own Hussars. Other attachments included 414 Battery Royal Artillery (Essex Yeomanry). Having covered the retreat out of Burma, the 7th Armoured Brigade returned to the Middle East, eventually finishing up in Italy.

Operations Spring 1943
14th Indian Division
146 Regiment RAC equipped with Valentines
Most of the Valentines used in this operation were lost as they were unsuitable for the terrain.

Offensive January 1944
This largely envolved elements of 15th Corps who endured attacks from Japanese troops who had surrounded their position.
5th Indian Division under Major General H.R. Briggs
7th Indian Division under Major General F.W. Messervy
2 Brigades 81st West African Division
25th Dragoons under LT-Colonel H.R.C. Frink
Other units later engaged in this area.
26th Indian Division

Armoured Brigades
7th Armoured (Spring 1942)
50th Indian Tank
254th Indian tank
255th Indian tank

254 Tank Brigade had two Regiments of Lee/Grants + one Regiment of Stuarts.

255 Tank Brigade was composed of two Indian Cavalry Regiments, Probyn's Horse and Royal Deccan Horse.


Indian troops
Probyn’s Horse 1 squadron each of Punjah Mussulmen, Sikhs and Dogras.
Royal Deccan Horse 1 squadron each of Punjah Mussulmen, Sikhs and Jats.

Armoured Indian Regiments that fought in Burma

5th King Edward VII's Own Lancers (Probyns Horse)

7th Light Cavalry

9th Cavalry (Royal Deccan Horse)

11th Light Cavalry (Prince Albert Victor's Own) Frontier Force(PAVO)

16th Light Cavalry

19th King George V's Own Lancers

45th Cavalry


Armoured British Regiments that fought in Burma

3rd Carabiniers
7th Queen's Own Hussars(Spring 1942)
2nd Royal Tank Regiment(Spring 1942)
25th Dragoons (raised from 3rd Carabiniers)
116th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps (raised from Gordon Highlanders)
146th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps (raised from Duke of Wellington's Regiment)
149th Regiment, (raised from a battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry)
150th Regiment, Royal armoured Corps (raised from 10th battalion York and Lancaster Regiment)

Infantry Brigades
1st (Withdrawn after Spring 1942)
3rd Commando
4th Indian
5th Indian (Part of 2nd Division)
6th (Part of 2nd Division)
9th (Salomons) (Part of 5th Division)
13th (Withdrawn after Spring 1942)
16th (Withdrawn after Spring 1942)
23rd
28th East Africa
32nd
33rd
37th (Collingridge) (Part of 23rd Division)
44th (Part of 17 Division)
48th (Part of 17 Division)
49th (Part of 23rd Division)
50th Para
51st Indian
62nd
63rd (Part of 17 Division)
64th
71st (Part of 26 Division)
74th (Part of 25 Division)
89th (Crowther) (Part of 7 Division)
99th (Part of 17 Division)
123rd (Part of 5th Indian Division Evans)
161st

British and Indian Infantry Regiments
British Infantry Regiments Indian Infantry Regiments
The Border Regiment Baluchis 7/10th, 5th
Cameronians Bombay Grenadiers 3/4th, 4/4th
No 1 Cammando Burma Frontier Force (BFF), 2nd(FF2), 8th(FF8), Kokine
No 5 Commando Burma Rifles 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 20th
No 44 Commando Dogras 1/17th, 5/17th
2nd Duke of Wellington's Frontier Force Rifles 2/13th, 4/12th
1st Gloucestershire Garhwal Rifles 1/8th. 1/18th
2nd Green Howards Gurkha Rifles 3/2nd, 1/3rd, 1/4th, 3/4th, 3/5th, 4/5th, 1/6th, 1/7th, 4/8th, 1/10th, 4/10th, 2/5th, 3/7th
2nd King's Own Scottish Borderers Jats 1/9th Royal, 3/9th
2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Punjabis 1/1st, 5/1st, 4/14th, 9/14th, 4/15th, 6/15th, 7/16th
1st Linconshire Rajputs 2/7th, 4/7th, 6/7th
2nd Northamptonshire Sikhs 1/11th
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Sikh Light Infantry
1st Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Royal Berkshire
Royal West Kent
2nd South Lancashire
1st West Yorkshire
2nd Worcester
7th York and Lancaster
1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers



Allied Burma Command March 1944

Special Force Wingate 3 Indian Division

XV Corps Christison

IV Corps Scoones

XXXIII Corps Stopford


Later in the Year Messervy took over IV Corps

Make up of the Corps of 14th Army March 1944
XV Corps IV Corps XXXIIICorps
5 Indian Division 17 Indian Division 2 British Division
7 Indian Division 20 Indian Division 23 Long Range Penetration Brigade
25 Indian Division 23 Indian Division
26 Indian Division 50 Indian Para Brigade
36 British Division 254 Indian Tank Brigade
81 West Africa Division
3 Special Service Brigade



Allied Forces Battle of Meiktila-Mandalay
IV Corps XXXIIICorps
7 Indian Division 2 Division
17 Indian Division 20 Division
19 Indian Division 254 Tank Brigade
268 Brigade
255 Tank Brigade
28 East Africa Brigade


XV Corps December 1944 Known Brigades and Regiments
25th Indian Division 74th Infantry Brigade
26th Indian Division 71st Infantry Brigade
82nd West African Division
2 Brigades 81st West African Division
3 Commando Brigade
50th Indian Tank Brigade 19th King George V Lancers,(Shermans)
146 Regiment RAC,(Lees)
45th Cavalry (Stuarts)

The 19th Lancers had been sent to Arakan in July 1943

Road to Mandalay XXXIII Corps December 1944-January 1945
XXXIII Corps
British 2nd Division
Indian 19th Division
Indian 20th Division

Make up of IV and XXXIII corps beginning December 1944
IV Corps XXXIII Corps
19th Division 2 Division
7th Indian Division 20 Indian Division
255 Tank Brigade 268 Brigade
254 Tank Brigade

January-March 1945
IV Corps
7 Indian Division
17 Indian Division
28 East Africa Brigade
255 Indian Tank Brigade 116 RAC (raised from Gordon Highlanders) (Shermans)
5th King Edward VII Own Lancers (Probyn's light horse) (Shermans)
9th Cavalry (Royal Deccan horse) (Shermans)
B squadron PAVO

Allied Forces in the race for Rangoon March-April 1945
IV Corps XXXIIICorps
5 Division 7 Division
17 Division 20 Division
19 Division 254 Tank Brigade 3rd Carabiniers (Lees)
150 Regiment RAC (Lees)
C Squadon 7th Light Cavalry (Stuarts)
3 PAVO Squadrons
255 Tank Brigade 116 RAC (Shermans)
7th Light Cavalry (Stuarts)
16th Light Cavalry (Armoured Cars)


Other Forces in Burma 1944-1945
Chindits
11th East Africa Division arrived late 1944
Mauraders(US)
Stilwell's (from October 1944 Sultan's) Chinese Army in India
A varied number of Chinese groups comprising several armies and divisions

__________________


"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

HAKUNA MATATA

Officer of Engineers

Sir,

Philipj made a comment on another thread, that the British Indian Army was as big as politically acceptable to the Indians. Would you comment?

__________________
Chimo

Ray

Colonel,

The mindset is a very Indian type of a thing - the father figure stuff. We are little mentally soft.

The British were the 'Mai - Baap' (mother father).

Therefore, it is not surprising that everything was fine.

Blademaster

Well sir,

I strongly rebut that. My ancestors never accepted the British. How do you explain the freedom fighters and the mass revolt of some sections of the British Indian Army that led to the Indian Nationalistic Army?

Parihaka

sorry bud, the same myth applies to nz troops maori battalion etc, and it's complete *******s, theres no record or first-hand account of him saying anything of the sort. They still kicked his **** tho, didn't they....

Hawk_eye

Dont See any Pakistni Units mentioned here so i thought i would just add our two cents.

Well in Pakistan we have the Following Units: With the best undourbtly being the SSG or Special Services Group (Army&Navy)

SSG:





Pakistan's most Elite and well-armed force, the Special Services Group (Commando Group) works under the guidance of Pak-Army. Its group combining high level training and expertise.

The course combines specializations in assault, sniping, survival, demolitions, grenade throwing, rappelling, MG firing, FIBUA (Fighting In Built Up Areas), CQB (Close Quarter Battle), Para-jumping, stealth and espionage, marine courses, physical and psychological training as well as criminal psychology courses and many other courses. After the course, the passed candidates have the choice to go and join their initial forces or remain in the SSG.

The SSG has really well equipped itself with the latest and most advanced weapons. It has a wide arsenal in its use to suit its needs. It includes the famed Heckler and Koch 9mm MP5 SMG, Heckler and Koch 7.62 x 51mm Gewher-3 (G3, a.k.a. HK91 in USA) assault rifle, China made Type- 56 7.62 x 39mm autos (Chinese version of Russian AK47), the new Steyr's 5.56mm NATO A.U.G assault rifle. In their Sniper weapons, they use scoped up G3s, Finnish Tikka bolt actions, as well as Steyr SSG 69 7.62 x 51mm (.308 win) bolt actions. The pistols in use are Austrian 9mm Glock 15, the Berretta M9 (M92F), the SIG Pro 226. The latest Fabrique Nationale Herstal's (FN-Herstal) 5.7x28mm P90 SMG is also reserved for very high-risk applications.

The high standard of training has won the SSG titles such as Crème de La Crème (Best of the Best). The main strike team is called the "Zarrar Jareeh" company, (Zarrar Jareeh means "Seek and Destroy") It works on the motto: Ambush, Engage and Destroy (or Let the regular army destroy their target) Another strike team is called Iqbal Buland (Meaning "Highly Praised")

The SSG was used in border situations and covert operations mostly, until 1985, when a PAN AM airliner was hi-jacked by anonymous terrorists.
- Then it all changed and the SSG were converted into a full time Counter Terrorist unit/ unconventional warfare (For Situations across the border)


Orginization:
Pakistani Elite Special Forces have 4 Brigades
First & Second Brigade is dedicated to Military Operations.

Third Brigade is an Anti-Terrorist Brigade, and it is known as Musa-Colony.

Fourth Brigade is Permantely stationed in Saudi Arabia for the protection of the Saudi Royal Family.

Here is a video of the SSG Marching in Islamabad: http://www.pakistanidefence.com/vide...March/SSG.html


Second come the Naval SSG(N)



Special services of the navy include Commandos, Divers and Mariners. Specific training for those sailors who volunteer to serve in any of these services is conducted at the respective training schools/centers of each.

Pakistan Navy operates a full-fledged base for Naval Commandos. The base houses facilities for physical and tactical training of the elite Special Services Group (SSG). Courses for officers and men range from basic frogmen to advanced midget qualification. The base can also trained commandos through OJTs and planned exercises. Commandos from allied countries have also been regularly trained at this base.

THE Quick reaction force:


“quick reaction force” units of crack anti-terrorist commandos have been posted to the border region, where hundreds of Al Qaeda-linked fighters have taken refuge and run training camps since fleeing Afghanistan.

Work mainly invloves responding to intellience lead raids and Joint Operations with the US on Pak Afhgan Border.

And Lastly the Various Law enforcement related Units, I have only mentioned the best which at the moment are:

THE "ELITE FORCE":









Special branches of Punjab and Sindh police Classified as Elite Force. Devided into thee Functions: Crime Prevention, Anti-Terror and Vip detail. Similar to a SWAT Team.

The First is based in Punjab and is well eqquiped and well trained, i have worked with these guys, they know what they are doing.

These were the same units charged with the protection of the Indian Cricket Team when they visited Pakistan. Most Commonly know by te locals as "Andhi" = Storm, due to their skills in Riot Control.

The Elite also have a specialist unit, trained by US Military Instructors they are based in Karachi and Islamabad, and have a full on Counter Terrorist Role.

Here is a Vido for you to enjoy:
www.pakdef.info/temp/pakistaniswat.rm

It dose take some time to load

Ray

SSG is good.

Ray

BM,

I was explaining the Army.

In so far as the civilians, we tend to deify our leaders and fail to see their fault, even in their lifetime. Or do we don't?

Hawk_eye

Thankyou, and quite frankly your Indian Army Snipers arent that bad either...

Ray

Colonel,

Where is this comment. I would like to read it and then comment.

lemontree

Hawk eye,
One of my course mates (from the spl forces) had attended a SOF course in the US. There he met an SSG officer, and they both got along very well. My course mate spoke very highly of the SSG officer.

lemontree

Ray/OoE sirs',

I think Philipj made that comment, due to the fact that the Congress had unleashed the 'Quit India' movement, the British desperately required troops and they did not want the Congress to be negative towards the allied war effort. They required the Congress and in particular Mahatma Gandhi to show support towards the war effort, so that Indians would'nt shy away from joining the forces.

lemontree

Did you happen to come across any?