7th Indian Infantry Division | |
---|---|
Active | 1940–1947 |
Country | British India |
Allegiance | British Empire |
Branch | British Indian Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Garrison/HQ | Peshawar |
Nickname(s) | Golden Arrow Division |
Engagements |
Battle of the Admin Box Battle of Kohima Battle of Central Burma Irrawaddy River |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders |
Frank Messervy Geoffrey Charles Evans |
The 7th Indian Infantry Division was a war-formed infantry division, part of the Indian Army during World War II that saw service in the Burma Campaign.
The division was created on 1 October 1940 at . Its formation sign was an arrow, pointing bottom left to top right, in yellow on a black background. The division was sometimes known as the "Golden Arrow" division from this sign. When first formed, the division consisted of the 13th, 14th and 16th Indian Infantry Brigades, but within eighteen months, both the 13th and 16th Brigades were removed and dispatched to Burma, where both fought during the Japanese conquest of Burma. The 14th Brigade was renumbered the 114th Indian Infantry Brigade and remained with the division.
During 1942, the 33rd and 89th Brigades were added to the division. The division trained for operations in the deserts in the Middle East but by the end of the year, the North African Campaign was clearly at an end. In early 1943, the division was reassigned to the Burma Campaign. Major General Frank Messervy was appointed to command.
After extensive retraining and preparation, 7th Division took part in an offensive in Arakan, the coastal province of Burma. Starting in December 1943, the division advanced down the Kalapanzin River valley as part of XV Corps. In February 1944, Japanese troops infiltrated through the division's front and overran the divisional HQ. Units of the division took part in the subsequent Battle of the Admin Box, in which the Japanese failed to capture positions supplied by parachute drops and were forced to retreat.