5th Infantry Division (India)

5th Indian Infantry Division
Ball of Fire insignia of the 5th Indian Infantry Division.
Active	1939–1945
Country	British India
Allegiance	British Empire
Branch	British Indian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Nickname(s)	"Ball of Fire".
Engagements	East Africa Western Desert Campaign Burma Campaign Battle of Kohima Operation Tiderace Battle of Surabaya
Commanders
Notable commanders	Lewis Heath Harold Rawdon Briggs Geoffrey Evans

The 5th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II which fought in several theatres of war and was nicknamed the "Ball of Fire". It was one of the few Allied divisions to fight three major enemy armies, Italian, German, and Japanese.

The division was raised in 1939 in Secunderabad with two brigades under command. In 1940 the 5th Indian Division moved to Sudan and took under command three British infantry battalions stationed there and was reorganised into three brigades of three battalions each. The division fought in the East African Campaign in Eritrea and Ethiopia during 1940 and 1941, thence moving to Egypt, Cyprus and Iraq. In 1942 the division was heavily engaged in the Western Desert Campaign and the First Battle of El Alamein. From late 1943 to the Japanese surrender in August 1945 it fought continuously from India through the length of Burma. After the end of the war, it was the first unit into Singapore and then fought pro-Independence forces in Eastern Java.

The Division was raised at Secunderabad in India from the Deccan District Headquarters, with two brigades of three Indian infantry battalions each. It moved to the Sudan in 1940 and was joined by three British infantry battalions already there. The division was reorganised into three brigades each with one British and two Indian battalions (as was the prevailing custom).

The divisional sign, of a red circle on a black background which gave the division its nickname, was selected after the first selection of a boar's head was deemed offensive to Moslem soldiers and every other animal suggested had already been selected by other newly raised divisions.

Between 1940 and 1941 the 5th Division was involved in the campaign in East Africa. After periods in Egypt, Cyprus and Syria, by 1942 it was involved in the fighting in the Western Desert of North Africa and the withdrawal of the Allied troops to El Alamein. By late 1943 the 5th Division had shipped to India and took part in the campaign in Burma initially deployed to the Arakan front. After the Japanese had been defeated in the Battle of the Admin Box the division was airlifted north to take part in the Battle of Imphal and the Battle of Kohima. Thereafter, the division was almost constantly involved in the advance through central Burma until fighting ended with the Japanese surrender in August 1945. After the end of the war, it was the first unit into Singapore and then fought pro-Independence forces in Eastern Java while protecting the recovery of Allied prisoners of war who had been incarcerated there.