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{{Short description|Infantry brigade of the British Indian Army}}{{For|the Second World War formation|31st Indian Infantry Brigade}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 31st Indian Brigade
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| dates = 2 January 1915 – 13 February 1916
| country = {{flag|British India|23px}}
| allegiance = [[British Crown]]
| branch = {{army|British India|23px}}
| type = [[Infantry]]
| role =
| size = [[Brigade]]
| command_structure = [[11th Indian Division]]<br>[[10th Indian Division]]
| garrison =
| garrison_label =
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| march =
| mascot =
| anniversaries =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles = [[First World War]]
:[[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]]
::[[Raid on the Suez Canal|Actions on the Suez Canal]]
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
| battle_honours_label =
| disbanded =
| notable_commanders =
| identification_symbol =
| identification_symbol_label =
}}
The '''31st Indian Brigade''' was an [[infantry]] [[brigade]] of the [[British Indian Army]] that saw active service with the [[Indian Army during the First World War]]. It served in Egypt in 1915 before being broken up in February 1916.

==History==
The [[11th Indian Division]] was formed in Egypt on 24 December 1914, taking under command the [[22nd (Lucknow) Brigade|22nd (Lucknow)]] and [[32nd (Imperial Service) Brigade]]s. The 31st Indian Brigade was formed in January 1915 as the division's third brigade and served with it on the [[Suez Canal]] Defences. After the defeat of the Turkish attempts to [[Raid on the Suez Canal|cross the canal]] on 3–4 February 1915, the division acted as a relieving depot for the divisions in [[Western Front (World War I)|France]].{{efn|The infantry divisions in France were the [[3rd (Lahore) Division|3rd (Lahore)]]<ref name=Perry53>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=53}}</ref> and [[7th (Meerut) Division|7th (Meerut)]].<ref name=Perry89>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=89}}</ref>}} The division was broken up on 31 May 1915 and the brigade came under direct command of the Suez Canal Defences.<ref name=Perry122>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=122}}</ref>

On 7 January 1916, the [[10th Indian Division]] was reformed as part of the Suez Canal District, and the brigade joined it. The need to return depleted units that had served in France to India meant that this was short-lived. The brigade was broken up in February and the division followed in March.<ref name=Perry118>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=118}}</ref>

==Orders of battle==
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%; background:transparent;"
!11th Indian Division
|-
|The brigade had the following composition while serving with 11th Indian Division:<ref name=Perry120>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=120}}</ref>
* [[2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry]] ''(left [[Bombay Brigade]], [[6th Poona Divisional Area]] in October 1914 for Egypt; left in December 1915 for [[Mesopotamian campaign|Mesopotamia]] and joined [[21st (Bareilly) Brigade]], [[7th (Meerut) Division]])''
* [[27th Punjabis]] ''(left [[Derajat Brigade]] in October 1914 for Egypt; left in September 1915 for Mesopotamia and joined [[9th (Sirhind) Brigade]], [[3rd (Lahore) Division]])''
* [[93rd Burma Infantry]] ''(left [[Presidency Brigade]], [[8th (Lucknow) Division]] in October 1914 for Egypt; left in August 1915 for Mesopotamia and joined [[19th (Dehra Dun) Brigade]], 7th (Meerut) Division)''
* [[128th Pioneers]] ''(left [[Lucknow Brigade]], 8th (Lucknow) Division in October 1914 for Egypt; left in December 1915 for Mesopotamia and joined 7th (Meerut) Division as divisional [[Pioneer (military)|pioneers]])''
* [[6th Jat Light Infantry]] ''(joined in August 1915 from 19th (Dehra Dun) Brigade, 7th (Meerut) Division; left in December 1915 for Mesopotamia and joined 21st (Bareilly) Brigade, 7th (Meerut) Division)''
|}
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%; background:transparent;"
!10th Indian Division
|-
|The brigade was extensively reorganized for service with 10th Indian Division:<ref name=Perry116>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=116}}</ref>
* [[58th Vaughan's Rifles (Frontier Force)]] ''(joined in January 1916 from [[21st (Bareilly) Brigade]], [[7th (Meerut) Division]]; left in March and joined [[20th Indian Brigade]])''
* 1st Battalion, [[4th Gurkha Rifles]] ''(joined in January 1916 from [[29th Indian Brigade]]; left in February and joined [[44th (Ferozepore) Brigade]], [[3rd Lahore Divisional Area]])''
* 2nd Battalion, [[8th Gurkha Rifles]] ''(joined in January 1916 from 20th Indian Brigade; left in February for [[Lansdowne (town)|Lansdowne]] in [[7th Meerut Divisional Area]])''
* 1st Battalion, [[Patiala Infantry]] ([[Imperial Service Troops|I.S.]]) ''(joined in January 1916 from [[32nd (Imperial Service) Brigade]]; to 29th Indian Brigade in February)''
|}

==Commander==
The brigade was commanded throughout its existence by [[Brigadier-General]] [[A.H. Bingley]].<ref name=Perry119>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=119}}</ref><ref name=Perry115>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=115}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|World War I}}
* [[Force in Egypt]]


==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
* {{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/10_ind_div.htm |title=10th Indian Division on ''The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918'' by PB Chappell |access-date=2015-06-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517084941/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/10_ind_div.htm |archive-date=17 May 2008 |df=dmy }}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/11_ind_div.htm |title=11th Indian Division on ''The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918'' by PB Chappell |access-date=2015-06-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517084957/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/11_ind_div.htm |archive-date=17 May 2008 |df=dmy }}

[[Category:Brigades of India in World War I]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1915]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1916]]

31st Indian Brigade - Revision history

Bot at 16:10, 20 May 2022