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{{For|the First World War formation|51st Indian Brigade}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 51st Indian Infantry Brigade
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| dates = December 1941 – May 1946
| country = {{flag|British India|23px}}
| allegiance = [[British Crown]]
| branch = {{army|British India|23px}}
| type = [[Infantry]]
| role =
| size = [[Brigade]]
| command_structure = [[25th Infantry Division (India)|25th Indian Division]]
| garrison =
| garrison_label =
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| march =
| mascot =
| anniversaries =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles = [[Second World War]]
:[[Burma Campaign]]
::[[Arakan Campaign 1944–1945|Arakan 1944–45]]
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
| battle_honours_label =
| disbanded =
| notable_commanders = Brig. R.A. Hutton<br>[[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lt Col]] [[Kodendera Subayya Thimayya|K.S. Thimayya]]
| identification_symbol =
| identification_symbol_label =
}}
The '''51st Indian Infantry Brigade''' was an [[infantry]] [[brigade]] of the [[British Indian Army]] that saw active service in the [[Indian Army during the Second World War]]. It took part in the [[Arakan Campaign 1944–1945|Arakan Campaign]] and in the immediate post-war period reoccupied [[British Malaya|Malaya]].

==History==
The '''51st Indian Infantry Brigade''' was formed in December 1941, in India, and initially assigned to HQ [[Rawalpindi]] District. It was transferred to the [[20th Indian Infantry Division]] in April 1942, and transferred again in August 1942 to the [[25th Indian Infantry Division]] where it remained until the end of the war.<ref>{{cite web | access-date=23 October 2009 | publisher=Order of Battle | title=51 Indian Brigade | url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=6194&Tab=Su}}</ref>

The brigade moved to the [[Arakan Campaign 1944–1945|Arakan]] in March 1944 where it remained until April 1945 before returning to India. It took part in actions at [[Mayu Peninsula]], at [[Kangaw]] and at [[Tamandu]].<ref name=Kempton51>{{harvnb|Kempton|2003b|p=51}}</ref>

At the end of the war, it took part in [[Operation Zipper]], landing in [[British Malaya|Malaya]] on 9 September 1945 and reaching [[Kuala Lumpur]] by 13 September. It remained in Malaya with 25th Division until February 1946 then returned to India where it was disbanded in May.<ref name=Kempton51/>

==Order of battle==
The following units served with the brigade during and after the [[Second World War]]:<ref>{{cite web | access-date=23 October 2009 | publisher=Order of Battle | title=51 Indian Brigade Units | url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=6194&Tab=Sub}}</ref><ref name=Kempton5152>{{harvnb|Kempton|2003b|pp=51–52}}</ref>
* 17th Battalion, [[5th Mahratta Light Infantry]] ''(December 1941 to March 1944)''
* 8th Battalion, [[19th Hyderabad Regiment]] ''(December 1941 to July 1942 and March 1944 to April 1946)''{{efn|8th Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment was redesignated as 4th Battalion, [[Kumaon Regiment]] on 16 April 1945.<ref name=Kempton51/>}}
* 16th Battalion, [[10th Baluch Regiment]] ''(May 1942 to March 1946)''
* 8th Battalion, [[York and Lancaster Regiment]] ''(August 1942 to October 1944)''
* 2nd Battalion, [[2nd Punjab Regiment]] ''(September 1944 to March 1945 and September 1945 to February 1946)''
* 51 Brigade Signal Section
* 51 Brigade Workshop Section, [[Indian Army Ordnance Corps|IAOC]] ''(1942 to 1943)''
* 51 [[Light Aid Detachment|LAD]] Type E/F, [[Indian Army Corps of EME|IEME]] ''(1943 onwards)''{{efn|51 Brigade Workshop Section, IAOC was redesignated 51 LAD Type E/F, IEME in 1943.<ref name=Kempton52>{{harvnb|Kempton|2003b|p=52}}</ref>}}
* 75 Field Post Office ''(August 1942 to March 1946)''

==Commanders==
The brigade had the following commanders in the Second World War:<ref name=Kempton51/>
{| class="wikitable"
! From !! Rank !! Name !! Notes
|-
| 7 April 1942 || [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] || [[Tom Hardy Angus|T.H. Angus]] {{postnom|DSO|MC}} ||
|-
| 6 November 1944 || Brigadier || R.A. Hutton {{postnom|DSO|OBE}} ||
|-
| 11 December 1944 || [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lt. Col.]] || [[Kodendera Subayya Thimayya|K.S. Thimayya]] || acting ''(from 8th Battalion, [[19th Hyderabad Regiment]])''
|-
| 13 January 1945 || Brigadier || R.A. Hutton {{postnom|DSO|OBE}} ||
|-
| 22 September 1945 || Brigadier || J.M.K. Bradford {{postnom|DSO}} ||
|-
| 20 January 1946 || Brigadier || R.A. Hutton {{postnom|DSO|OBE}} ||
|}
2014-2016 Brigadier J.S. Yadav, VSM

==See also==
{{portal|World War II}}
* [[List of Indian Army Brigades in World War II]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book
| last = Kempton | first = Chris
| year = 2003b
| title = 'Loyalty & Honour', The Indian Army September 1939 – August 1947
| volume = Part II Brigades
| publisher = The Military Press
| location = Milton Keynes
| isbn = 0-85420-238-2
}}

==External links==
* {{oob unit | id = 6194 | name = 51 Indian Brigade }}

[[Category:Brigades of India in World War II]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1941]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1946]]
[[Category:Military units and formations in Burma in World War II]]

51st Indian Infantry Brigade - Revision history

Bot at 00:32, 15 April 2021