6th Infantry Division India

2025-06-02T15:39:13Z

2A02:8012:227B:0:F8CB:B7A:90A8:48D5:

{{Short description|World War I-era army unit}}
{{for|the World War I formation|6th (Poona) Division}}

The '''6th Infantry Division''' is an infantry division of the [[Indian Army]]. It was a raised as a part of the [[Indian Army during World War II]] on 1 March 1941 in [[Secunderabad]]. On 11 September 1941 it was shipped to [[Iraq]] and later [[Iran]]. During 1942 and 1943 it was part of the [[Tenth Army (United Kingdom)|Tenth Army]]. The division remained in the Middle East where it was disbanded on 15 October 1944 in [[Basra]], Iraq. During World War II its commanders included Major-General [[James Noel Thomson]], Major-General [[Arthur Holworthy]], and Major-General B.H. Chappel.

==Component units as of 11 September 1941==
*[[1st Duke of Yorks Own Skinners Horse]]
*[[9th Indian Infantry Brigade]]
**2nd Battalion, [[The West Yorkshire Regiment]]
**3rd Battalion, [[12th Frontier Force Regiment]]
**3rd Battalion, [[5th Mahratta Light Infantry]]
*[[10th Indian Infantry Brigade]]
**2nd Battalion, [[The Highland Light Infantry]]
**3rd Battalion, [[18th Royal Garhwal Rifles]]
**4th Battalion, [[10th Baluch Regiment]]
*28th Field Regiment, [[Royal Artillery]]
*20th Field Company, [[Indian Engineers]]
*21st Field Company, [[Indian Engineers]]
*44th Field Park Company, [[Indian Engineers]]

In addition, the [[24th Indian Infantry Brigade]] was assigned or attached to the division at some time during World War II.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2009-10-22|publisher=Order of Battle|title=6 Division units|url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=1482&Tab=Sub|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314212503/http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=1482&Tab=Sub|archive-date=2007-03-14|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==6th Mountain Division==
After the [[Partition of India]], the post-independence [[Indian Army]] reraised the 6th Division as the 6th Mountain Division in 1963.<ref>Elite Forces of India and Pakistan By Kenneth Conboy, Paul Hannon, Osprey Publishing, 1992, p.8</ref> The division headquarters was initially at [[Naini Tal]]. The division is now headquartered at [[Bareilly]] and is part of the [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]]. The Garuda Division as it is known has been commanded amongst others by Maj Gen [[Siri Kanth Korla]], PVSM, DSO, MC, and Maj Gen R Z Kabraji, AVSM, ADC. Kabraji succeeded Korla and was GOC from December 1966 to January 1969. Maj Gen (later Lt Gen) D K Chandorkar took over from Kabraji. The division later relocated to Bareilly.

The division took part in the 1965 and 1971 wars. It was moved to Kashmir in May 1999 during Op Vijay, however, it was not deployed for operations.<ref name="indiandefencereview_post-independence-indian-wars">{{cite web |url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/post-independence-indian-wars-an-overview/2/ |title=Post Independence Indian Wars: An Overview
|author=Khanna, KK |date=7 August 2021 |work=Indian Defence Review |publisher=Lancer Publishers |access-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814052017/http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/post-independence-indian-wars-an-overview/2/ |archive-date=14 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2005, Major General Gur Iqbal Singh, the then division commander, was found to be involved in a corruption case. He was tried and dismissed for corruption in late 2006. At that time, Brigadier G. Illangovan commanded the 99 Mountain Brigade at [[Chaubatia]] and Brigadier D.S. Grewal commanded the 69 Mountain Brigade in [[Pithoragarh]], both in [[Uttarakhand]]. Both brigadiers reported to Singh. As of June 2007, both brigadiers were accused of misdirection of monies.<ref>
[http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?id=706270462&cat=&n_date=20070627 Two Indian army brigadiers being tried for corruption], June 27, 2007, IANS, New Delhi</ref><ref>The attached school affiliation articles supports the possibility that 69 Mountain Brigade is part of 6 Mountain Division. http://pithoragarh.nic.in/Bcj_sm.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705132014/http://pithoragarh.nic.in/Bcj_sm.htm |date=2010-07-05 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{oob unit | id = 1482 | name = 6 Indian Infantry Division }}

{{Indian Divisions in World War II}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:06 Indian Infantry Division}}
[[Category:Indian World War II divisions]]
[[Category:Divisions of the Indian Army]]
[[Category:British Indian Army divisions]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1941]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944]]

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6th Infantry Division India