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{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 18th Indian Division
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| dates = 24 December 1917 – 1921
| 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]] [[Hew Dalrymple Fanshawe|H.D. Fanshawe]]
| identification_symbol =
| identification_symbol_label =
}}
The '''18th Indian Division''' was an [[infantry]] [[Division (military)|division]] of the [[British Indian Army]] that saw active service in the [[Indian Army during World War I|First World War]]. It took part in the [[Mesopotamian campaign]] and formed part of the occupation force for Iraq post-war. The division was not reformed for the [[Second World War]].<ref>{{harvnb|Kempton|2003a|loc=i}}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:QF3pdrHotchkissMesopotamia1917.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Indian troops Mesopotamia]]
The '''18th Indian Division''' was formed in [[Mesopotamian campaign|Mesopotamia]] on 24 December 1917, although the last of its brigades ([[55th Indian Brigade|55th]]) was not formed until January 1918. Many of the division's units transferred directly from [[British India|India]] so time was needed for them to become acclimatized. It remained in Mesopotamia for the rest of the [[First World War]], taking part in the action at [[Fat-ha Gorge]] on the [[Little Zab]] (23–26 October 1918) and the [[Battle of Sharqat]] (28–30 October 1918) under the command of [[I Corps (British India)|I Corps]].<ref name=Perry150>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=150}}</ref><ref name=Warpath>{{cite web|url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/18_ind_div.htm |title=18th Indian Division on ''The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918'' by PB Chappell |access-date=2015-06-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517085232/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/18_ind_div.htm |archive-date=17 May 2008 |df= }}</ref>

At the end of the war, the 18th 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]] and was broken up in the following year.<ref name=Perry150/>

==Order of battle==
The division commanded the following units, although not all of them served at the same time:<ref name=Perry148>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=148}}</ref>

===[[53rd Indian Brigade]]===
* [[9th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment|1/9th Battalion]], [[Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment)]]
* 1st Battalion, [[89th Punjabis]]
* 1st Battalion, [[3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles]]
* 1st Battalion, [[7th Gurkha Rifles]]
* 207th Machine Gun Company
* 53rd Light Trench Mortar Battery

===[[54th Indian Brigade]]===
* 1/5th Battalion, [[Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)]]
* [[25th Punjabis]]
* 1st Battalion, [[39th Garhwal Rifles]]
* [[52nd Sikhs (Frontier Force)]]
* 238th Machine Gun Company
* 54th Light Trench Mortar Battery

===[[55th Indian Brigade]]===
* 1/5th Battalion, [[East Surrey Regiment]]
* 1st Battalion, [[10th Jats]]
* [[87th Punjabis]]
* 1st Battalion, [[94th Russell's Infantry]]
* [[116th Mahrattas]]
* 1st Battalion, [[5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force)]]
* 239th Machine Gun Company
* 55th Light Trench Mortar Battery

===Divisional Artillery===
* [[2nd Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers|CCCXXXVI Brigade]], [[Royal Field Artillery]] (A, B, C and D ([[Howitzer|H]]) Batteries){{efn|CCCXXXVI Brigade, [[Royal Field Artillery]] was originally the [[2nd Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers|2/II Home Counties Brigade]] of the [[67th (2nd Home Counties) Division]], [[Territorial Force]].<ref name=Perry149>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=149}}</ref>}}
* [[1st Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers|CCCXXXVII Brigade]], Royal Field Artillery (A, B, C and 341st (H) Batteries){{efn|CCCXXXVII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery was originally the [[1st Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers|2/III Home Counties Brigade]] of the 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division, Territorial Force.<ref name=Perry149/>}}
* X.18 Medium [[Trench mortar|Trench Mortar]] Battery
* 18th Divisional Ammunition Column

===Engineers and Pioneers===
* 2nd, 5th, 6th and 8th Field Companies, [[1st King George's Own Sappers and Miners]]
* 18th Division Signal Company, [[Royal Engineers Signal Service]]
* [[106th Hazara Pioneers]]
* 1st Battalion, [[32nd Sikh Pioneers]]

===Divisional Troops===
* 249th Machine Gun Company
* 18th Machine Gun Battalion{{efn|18th Machine Gun Battalion was organised in November 1918 from the 207th, 238th, 239th and 249th Machine Gun Companies.<ref name=Perry149/>}}
* 37th, 38th, 39th and 40th Combined Field Ambulances, [[Royal Army Medical Corps|RAMC]]
* No. 12 Mobile Veterinary Section, [[Royal Army Veterinary Corps|AVC]]
* 18th Division Train, [[Royal Army Service Corps|ASC]]

==Commanders==
The division was commanded from 7 January 1918 by [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] [[Hew Dalrymple Fanshawe|H.D. Fanshawe]]<ref name=Perry147>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=147}}</ref> and from 12 March 1919 by Major-General [[Theodore Fraser]].

==See also==
{{portal|World War I}}
* [[List of Indian divisions in World War I]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{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 = Kempton | first = Chris
| year = 2003a
| title = 'Loyalty & Honour', The Indian Army September 1939 – August 1947
| volume = Part I Divisions
| publisher = The Military Press
| location = Milton Keynes
| isbn = 0-85420-228-5
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Moberly | first = F.J.
| year = 1923
| 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
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Wilson-Johnston | first = Lt.-Col. W.E.
| year = 2001 | orig-year = 1919
| title = Account of the Operations of the 18th (Indian) Division in Mesopotamia December 1917 to December 1918
| publisher = Naval & Military Press
| location =
| isbn = 978-1-84574-323-9
}}

==External links==
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517085232/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/18_ind_div.htm |date=17 May 2008 |title=18th Indian Division on ''The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918'' by PB Chappell }}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/sharqat.htm | title = Battle of Sharqat, 1918 | publisher = FirstWorldWar.com | access-date=31 May 2015}}

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

{{#seo:
|keywords=British Indian Army divisions, Indian World War I divisions, Military units and formations established in 1917, Military units and formations disestablished in 1921
|description=
}}

[[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 1921]]

18th Indian Division - Revision history

MetaBOT at 13:43, 8 July 2023