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{{short description|British Indian Army unit during World War I}}
{{For|the World War II formation|17th Infantry Division (India)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 17th Indian Division
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| dates = August 1917 – August 1923
| country = {{flag|British India|23px}}
| allegiance = [[British Crown]]
| branch = {{army|British India|23px}}
| type = [[Infantry]]
| role =
| size = [[Division (military)|Division]]
| command_structure = [[I Corps (British India)|I Corps]]
| garrison =
| garrison_label =
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| march =
| mascot =
| anniversaries =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles = [[World War I]]
:[[Mesopotamian Campaign]]
::[[Battle of Sharqat]]
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
| battle_honours_label =
| disbanded =
| notable_commanders = [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] [[Webb Gillman]]<br>Major-General [[G.A.J. Leslie]]
| identification_symbol =
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}}
The '''17th Indian Division''' was formed in 1917 from units of the [[British Indian Army]] for service in the [[Mesopotamia Campaign]] during [[World War I]]. After the war, it formed part of the occupation force for Iraq and took part in the [[Iraqi revolt against the British|Iraq Rebellion in 1920]]. In August 1923, the division was reduced to a single brigade.

==History==
[[Image:QF3pdrHotchkissMesopotamia1917.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Indian troops Mesopotamia]]
The '''17th Indian Division''' started forming in [[Mesopotamian campaign|Mesopotamia]] from August 1917 with the [[50th Indian Brigade|50th]], [[51st Indian Brigade|51st]], and [[52nd Indian Brigade]]s. Shortly after being formed, the 50th Brigade exchanged places with the [[34th Indian Brigade]] of [[15th Indian Division]].<ref name=Perry146>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=146}}</ref>

Most of the infantry [[battalion]]s that had already been guarding lines of communications in Mesopotamia for some months, were somewhat acclimatized and accustomed to the country.<ref name=Perry146/> The division was involved in the action at [[Fat-ha Gorge]] on the [[Little Zab]] between 23–26 October 1918 and the [[Battle of Sharqat]], 28–30 October 1918<ref name="warpath">{{cite web|url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/17_ind_div.htm |title=17th Indian Division on ''The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918'' by PB Chappell |accessdate=2015-05-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528042736/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/17_ind_div.htm |archivedate=28 May 2008 |df=dmy }}</ref> under command of [[I Corps (British India)|I Corps]]<ref name=Perry146/>

At the end of the war, the 17th Division was chosen to form part of the occupation force for Iraq. It took part in the [[Iraqi revolt against the British|Iraq Rebellion in 1920]]. In August 1923, the division was reduced to a single brigade; the last British troops left in March 1927 and the Indian ones in November 1928.<ref name=Perry146/>

==Order of battle==
The division commanded the following units, although not all of them served at the same time:<ref name=Perry144>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=144}}</ref>
===[[34th Indian Brigade]]===
* 2nd Battalion, [[Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)]]
* [[31st Punjabis]]
* 1st Battalion, [[112th Infantry]]
* [[114th Mahrattas]]
* 129th Machine Gun Company
* 34th Light Trench Mortar Battery

===[[51st Indian Brigade]]===
* 1st Battalion, [[Highland Light Infantry]]
* 1st Battalion, [[2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry]]
* [[14th Ferozepore Sikhs]]
* 1st Battalion, [[10th Gurkha Rifles]]
* 257th Machine Gun Company
* 51st Light Trench Mortar Battery

===[[52nd Indian Brigade]]===
* 1/6th Battalion, [[Hampshire Regiment]]
* [[45th Rattray's Sikhs]]
* [[84th Punjabis]]
* 1st Battalion, [[94th Russell's Infantry]]
* 1st Battalion, [[113th Infantry]]
* 258th Machine Gun Company
* 52nd Light Trench Mortar Battery

===Divisional Artillery===
* [[1st Sussex Artillery Volunteers|CCXX Brigade]], [[Royal Field Artillery]] (1064th, 1065th, 403rd ([[Howitzer|H]]) and Anglo-Indian Batteries){{efn|CCXX Brigade, Royal Field Artillery was originally the 1/I Home Counties Brigade of the [[44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division|Home Counties Division]], [[Territorial Force]], plus the 403rd ([[Howitzer|H]]) Battery. The Anglo-Indian Battery joined in May 1918.<ref name=Perry145>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=145}}</ref>}}
* [[2nd Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers|CCXXI Brigade, Royal Field Artillery]] (1067th, 1068th, 404th (H) and Volunteer Batteries){{efn|CCXXI Brigade, Royal Field Artillery was originally the [[2nd Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers|1/II Home Counties Brigade]] of the Home Counties Division, TF, plus the 404th (H) Battery. The Volunteer Battery joined in April 1918<ref name=Perry145/> from [[15th Indian Division]].<ref name=Perry135>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=135}}</ref>}}
* X.17 Medium [[Trench mortar|Trench Mortar]] Battery
* 17th Divisional Ammunition Column

===Engineers and Pioneers===
* [[Sirmoor Sappers|Sirmoor]], [[Tehri Garhwal Sappers|Tehri Garhwal]] and [[Malerkotla Sappers|Malerkotla]] Sappers and Miners, [[Indian State Forces|ISF]]
* 17th Division Signal Company, [[Royal Engineers Signal Service]]
* 1st Battalion, [[32nd Sikh Pioneers]]

===Divisional Troops===
* 276th Machine Gun Company
* 17th Machine Gun Battalion{{efn|17th Machine Gun Battalion was organised in November 1918 from the 129th, 257th, 258th and 276th Machine Gun Companies.<ref name=Perry145/>}}
* 3rd, 19th, 35th and 36th Combined Field Ambulances, [[Royal Army Medical Corps|RAMC]]
* No. 7 Mobile Veterinary Section, [[Royal Army Veterinary Corps|AVC]]
* 17th Division Train, [[Royal Army Service Corps|ASC]]

==Commanders==
The division was commanded from 25 August 1917 by [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] [[Webb Gillman|W. Gillman]]. On 17 December 1917, Major-General [[G.A.J. Leslie]] took command.<ref name=Perry141>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=141}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[List of Indian divisions in World War I]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book
| last = Haythornthwaite | first = Philip J.
| year = 1996
| title = The World War One Source Book
| publisher = Arms and Armour Press
| location = London
| isbn = 1-85409-351-7
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Moberly | first = F.J.
| orig-year = 1923
| year = 1997
| title = Official History of the War: Mesopotamia Campaign
| publisher = Imperial War Museum
| location = London
| isbn = 1-870423-30-5
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Perry | first = F.W.
| year = 1993
| title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions
| publisher = Ray Westlake Military Books
| location = Newport
| isbn = 1-871167-23-X
}}

==External links==
*{{cite web|url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/17_ind_div.htm |title=17th Indian Division on ''The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918'' by PB Chappell |accessdate=2015-05-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528042736/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/17_ind_div.htm |archivedate=28 May 2008 |df=dmy }}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/sharqat.htm | title = Battle of Sharqat, 1918 | publisher = FirstWorldWar.com | accessdate=31 May 2015}}

{{Indian Divisions in World War I}}
{{Indian Expeditionary Forces}}

[[Category:British Indian Army divisions]]
[[Category:Indian World War I divisions]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1917]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1923]]

17th Indian Division - Revision history

Godavari at 07:25, 10 February 2024