The 8th Indian Infantry Division is a division of the Indian Army which specialised in tactics and operations in mountainous territory. The Indian Army is one of the armed forces of India and has responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, bicycles, or other means. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Poland New Zealand Canada Free France India and others Germany Commanders Harold Alexander Mark Clark Oliver Leese Albert Kesselring Heinrich von Vietinghoff Frido von Senger Strength 105,000 80,000 Casualties 54,000 20,000 The Battle of Monte Cassino (also known as the Battle... A battle honour is a military tradition practiced in the Commonwealth countries of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and is an official acknowledgement rewarded to military units for their achievements in specific wars or operations of a military campaign. ... The Western Desert Campaign was the primary early theatre of the North African Campaign of World War II. It is sometimes referred to as the Egypt-Libya Campaign. ... Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to twenty thousand soldiers. ... The Indian Army is one of the armed forces of India and has responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

Orinally formed in Meerut on 25th October 1940 under Maj General C.O. Harvey, C.B., C.B.E., C.V.O., M.C. as part of the British Indian Army the Division was disbanded at the end of World War II but re-formed again in 1962 as a specialist mountain Division. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... (Redirected from 25th October) October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A group of native Indian muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

HISTORY: World War II

8th Indian Div was one of the most formidable fighting units of the war. Despite its relatively late introduction into the mainstream of battle its members won nearly 600 awards and honours including 4 Victoria Crosses. The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour in the face of the enemy to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. ...

Iraq and Iran

When originally formed the Division's main fighting formations were 17th, 18th and 19th Brigades.

On June 9, 1941 17 Brigade arrived in Basra to join the British Forces which had landed in Iraq in April and had fought the Anglo-Iraqi War to secure the British-owned oilfields. These oilfields were perceived to be threatened when a coup d'etat brought into power Rashid Ali al-Kaylani who was sympathetic to the Axis powers^[1]. By the second half of June the brigade had moved to Mosul to defend British-owned oilfields from an anticipated thrust by Axis forces south through the Caucasus. June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... This article is about the city of Basra. ... Combatants Kingdom of Iraq United Kingdom India Commanders Rashid Ali General Sir Edward Quinan Strength five divisions about two divisions Casualties 2,500 KIA, about 6,000 POWs 1,200 (KIA, MIA, WIA) The Anglo-Iraqi War is the name of hostilities between the United Kingdom and the Iraqi nationalist... Sayyad Rashid Ali al-Gillani Son of Sayyad Abdul Wahhab al-Gillani (رشيد علي الكيلاني)‎ (1892–1965) served as prime minister of Iraq on three occasions: March 20, 1933 – October 29, 1933 March 31, 1940 – January 31, 1941 April 3, 1941 – May 29, 1941 He is chiefly remembered for his efforts to bring... Mosul (Arabic: , Kurdish: موصل Mûsil, Syriac: Nîněwâ, Turkish: Musul) is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Battle of Caucasus is a generic name for a series of operations during the Great Patriotic War. ...

At the end of June 1 Battalion 12th Frontier Force Regiment and 5 Battalion 13th Frontier Force Rifles were detached from 17 Brigade to join 20 Indian Brigade (part of 10th Indian Infantry Division) to take the Duck's Bill area in north east Syria and secure the Mosul to Aleppo railway.^[2] The 12th Frontier Force Regiment was part of the British Indian Army . ... The 12th Frontier Force Regiment was part of the British Indian Army . ... Aleppo (or Halab Arabic: , ) is a city in northern Syria, capital of the Aleppo Governorate. ...

On July 17 General Harvey and the divisional HQ arrived in Basra and had 24th Indian Brigade (which had arrived on June 16) assigned to the division. 18 Brigade arrived in Iraq on July 26^[3]. The British, having secured the Iraqi oilfields, now focused their concern on Persia (now Iran) where it had been estimated there were some 3,000 German nationals working as technicians, commercial agents and advisors^[4]. The division first saw shots fired in anger during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in August 1941 when 24th Brigade made a made a night-time amphibious assault across the Shatt al Arab to capture the oil refinery at Abadan in South Persia. Meanwhile 18 Brigade had crossed into Persia between Basra and Abadan to take Khorramshahr and became part of a three brigade advance towards Ahwaz, 75 miles north east of Basra. The fighting ended on August 28 when the Shah ordered his forces to cease hostlities^[5]. July 17 is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... July 26 is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Allies (UK, India and USSR) Persia/ Iran The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia was the invasion of Iran by the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, codenamed Operation Countenance, from August 25 to September 17 of 1941. ... The Shatt al-Arab (Arabic: شط العرب) or Arvand (called اروندرود: arvandrūd in Persian), also called the Shatt-al-Arab waterway, is a river in Southwest Asia of some 200 km in length, formed by the... Arvand river between Abadan (left) and khorramshahr (right). ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Khorramshahr (Persian: خرمشهر) is a port city in the Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran (Persia). ... Iranian province of Khuzestan and has a warm & humid climate. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Shah or Shahzad is a Persian term for a monarch (ruler) that has been adopted in many other languages. ...

19 Brigade arrived in Iraq in August, replacing in the division's formation 24 Brigade (which transferred to Indian 6th Infantry Division), and by October 17, 18 and 19 Brigades had concentrated at Kirkuk in northern Iraq and moved north of the oilfields where they were joined by the 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (6th DCO Lancers), the division's reconnaissance regiment. The Indian 6th Infantry Division was war formed Indian Army division during the Second World War . ... Kirkuk (also spelled Karkuk or Kerkuk; Arabic: كركوك, Kirkūk; Kurdish: كه‌ركووك, Kerkûk; Syriac: ܐܪܦܗܐ, Arrapha; Persian: کرکوک; Turkish: Kerkük) is a city in northern Iraq and capital of Taamim Governorate. ...

North Africa

In June 1942 18 Brigade, having been rushed over to North Africa from Mosul, and with only two days to prepare defensive positions, was over-run by Rommel's tanks at Deir el Shein in front of the Ruweisat Ridge. In the process, however, they gained valuable time for British Eighth Army to organise the defenses for what was to be the first battle of Alamein halting Rommel's advance towards Egypt. The Brigade was never re-formed. The Western Desert Campaign was the primary early theatre of the North African Campaign of World War II. It is sometimes referred to as the Egypt-Libya Campaign. ... Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ) (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was one of the most distinguished German field marshals of World War II. He was the commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and also became known by the nickname “The Desert Fox” (Wüstenfuchs,  ) for the skillful military campaigns he... The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the campaigns in North Africa and Italy. ... The First Battle of El Alamein 1–July 27, 1942 was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of World War II, fought between the German–Italian Afrika Korps commanded by Erwin Rommel and the British Eighth Army, commanded by Claude Auchinleck. ...

Iraq and Syria

From August 1942 the Division, still a brigade short, became part of Paiforce when Persia and Iraq became a separate command under General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson in Baghdad, (General Quinan's Tenth Army in Iraq and Persia having previously come under Middle East Command in Cairo). As the threat from the North faded following the Axis defeats at Alamein and Stalingrad the Division withdrew in October 1942 to Kifri near Baghdad where it was joined by 21st Brigade and the 3rd, 52nd and 53rd Field Regiments, Royal Artillery. It spent the winter in intensive training. Combatants Allies (UK, India and USSR) Persia/ Iran The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia was the invasion of Iran by the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, codenamed Operation Countenance, from August 25 to September 17 of 1941. ... Henry Maitland Wilson, Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... General Sir Edward Quinan in Iraq General Sir Edward Pellew Quinan, KCB, KCIE, DSO, OBE (January 1885–November 1960), was a British army commander during World War II. Edward Pellew Quinan was of Anglo-Irish descent but born in Calcutta. ... The British Tenth Army was created in Iraq and formed the major part of Paiforce (Persia and Iraq Force). ... For the Battle of Alam Halfa, which is also often termed the Second Battle of El Alamein, see Battle of Alam Halfa Combatants British Eighth Army Panzer Army Africa Commanders Bernard Montgomery Erwin Rommel Strength 220,000 men 1,100 tanks[1] 116,000 men[1] 559 tanks(220 panzers... Combatants Germany Italy Hungary Romania Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Maximilian von Weichs Friedrich Paulus # Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Italo Garibaldi Gusztav Jany Petre Dumitrescu Constantin Constantinescu Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Georgiy Zhukov Semyon Timoshenko Konstantin Rokossovsky Rodion Malinovsky Strength German Sixth Army German Fourth Panzer Army Romanian Third Army... Diyala (Arabic: ديالى) is one of the constituent governorates of the nation of Iraq. ... Tactical Recognition Flash of the Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, generally known as the Royal Artillery (RA), is, despite its name, a corps of the British Army. ...

In January 1943 command of the Division passed to Major General (later Lieut Gen) Dudley Russell , D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C. (The Pasha), the highly successful commander of Indian 5 Brigade, part of the famous "Red Eagles" 4th Indian Division. The Division moved in March 1943 to Damascus and continued to spend much of its time training, notably in mountain warfare and combined operations. Fourth Indian division during world war two served first in egypt where with western desert force it fought the italians who had decided to invaded egypt. ...

In June 1943 the Division received orders to seize the Italian-occupied island of Rhodes, the chief Axis stronghold in the Aegean Sea. After frantic preparation and having loaded the first wave of ships, the operation was cancelled when the Italian government surrendered and the Division was redirected to Italy which the German army continued to occupy. Rhodes (Greek: Ρόδος (pron. ... Look up Aegean Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Italy

On 24th September 1943 the Division landed in Taranto (Italy), to take its part in the Italian Campaign, and for 19 months was almost continuously in action advancing through mountainous country, crossing river after river. (Redirected from 24th September) September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years). ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, southern Italy. ... Artillery being landed during the invasion of mainland Italy at Salerno, September 1943. ...

From October 1943 to April 1944 the Division was part of the Allied thrust by British 8th Army up the Adriatic front on the Eastern side of Italy. This involved opposed river crossings of the Biferno, Trigno (October 1943), Sangro (November 1943) and Moro (December 1943). The following three months proved almost as arduous for, although there was no formal offensive, the period was characterised by patrolling and vicious skirmishes in very difficult terrain and abominable winter weather which proved physically hugely demanding and stressful. The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the campaigns in North Africa and Italy. ... A satellite image of the Adriatic Sea. ...

When the spring came the Division was switched 60 miles west across the Central Apennine mountains to concentrate along the River Garigliano at a part of the river better known as the Rapido. Their heavily opposed night crossing of the Rapido in May 1944, supported by Canadian tanks (1st Canadian Armoured Brigade) with which the Division had formed a particularly close fighting relationship over the previous six months, was critical to the Allies' success in this fourth and final Battle of Monte Cassino. Following this, the Division advanced some 240 miles in June across mountainous country fighting many actions against rearguards and defended strongpoints. In late June they had reached Assisi and the Division was rested. It was during the fighting on the Rapido that Kamal Ram of the 3/8th Punjab Regiment won his Victoria Cross, at 19 years of age, the youngest recipient of the war. The Apennine Mountains (Greek: Απεννινος; Latin: Appenninus--in both cases used in the singular; Italian: Appennini) is a mountain range stretching 1000 km from the north to the south of Italy along its east coast, traversing the entire peninsula, and forming, as it were, the backbone of the country. ... The Garigliano is a river in central Italy. ... Rapido is the name of passenger train service introduced by Canadian National Railway on October 31, 1965, between Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Shortly after forming, the 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade was redesignated 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Poland New Zealand Canada Free France India and others Germany Commanders Harold Alexander Mark Clark Oliver Leese Albert Kesselring Heinrich von Vietinghoff Frido von Senger Strength 105,000 80,000 Casualties 54,000 20,000 The Battle of Monte Cassino (also known as the Battle... This article is about the Italian town. ... Kamal Ram Kamal Ram was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. ... The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour in the face of the enemy to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. ...

By the end of July 1944 the Division was back in the line with 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade in front of Florence pushing towards the River Arno. Florence was occupied by 21 Brigade on 12th August where they had the unusual task to recover some of the world's greatest art treasures and arrange safe custody. By mid September the Division was in the mountains again breaking through the Gothic Line and then spending two months of grim battling in foul weather towards the plains of Northern Italy together with British 1st Infantry, Brititish 78th Infantry and British 6th Armoured Divisions forming British XIII Corps, the right wing of the U.S. 5th Army. It was during this time that Thaman Gurung of the 1/5 Royal Gurkha Rifles won his Victoria Cross. Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ... Arno can refer to: the Arno River in Italy Arno Bay, South Australia the singer Arno Hintjens the American cartoonist Peter Arno the German sculptor Arno Breker Madame Arno, Parisian artist and fighter. ... German defensive positions in Northern Italy 1944 370th Infantry Regiment walking toward the mountains at north of Prato - April 1945 The Gothic Line, also known as Linea Gotica, formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselrings last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits... List of military divisions — List of British divisions in WWII The British 1st Infantry Division was a permanently established Regular Army division. ... The British 78th Infantry Division also known as the Battleaxe Division fought in the Second World War in North Africa and Italy. ... // History This Second World War British Army formation was created on the 12th September 1940. ... The Western Desert Force, during World War II, was a British Commonwealth Army unit stationed in Egypt. ... The Fifth United States Army was a field army of the United States Army. ... Thaman Gurung was a Nepalese recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...

In December 1944 the New Zealand 2nd Division, advancing from the Adriatic on the division's right along the Lombardy Plain, took Faenza and the resistance on the 8th Division's front weakened as the Germans withdrew to shorten their front. In late December 1944 19 and 21 Brigades were rapidly switched across the Apennines to reinforce the US 92nd Infantry Division on the 5th Army's left flank in front of Lucca. By the time they had arrived the Germans had broken through but decisive action by Maj-Gen Russell halted their advance and the situation was stabilised by the New Year. The Division then moved to Pisa for a period of rest. The New Zealand 2nd Division was that countrys major land formation during much of World War II. Commanded for much of its existence by Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Freyberg. ... Faenza is an old Italian cathedral town, situated 50 km southeast of Bologna. ... The 92nd Infantry Division (colored) was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. Nicknamed the Buffalo Soldiers Division, this segregated unit was the only African American infantry division to see combat in Europe during WWII, as part of the 5th Army. ... Lucca is a city in Tuscany, northern central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near (but not on) the Ligurian Sea. ... This article discusses the Italian city. ...

In mid-February 1945 the Division was back in the line on the Adriatic front, as part of 8th Army's British V Corps, in front of the River Senio. The main assault on the Senio started on 9th April. In desperate fighting two members of the Division, Namdeo Jadav and Ali Haidar, won Victoria Crosses. By 11th April the Division reached and crossed the River Santerno breaking open a hole for the 78th Division and elements of British 56th Infantry Division to engage the enemy and defeat them in the Argenta Gap. This opened the way to Ferrara and the Po River and for 6th Armoured Division to pass through, veer left and race across country to link with the advancing U.S. 5th Army and complete the encirclement of the divisions of the German 10th and 14th Armies defending Bologna. In the aftermath of the Argenta fighting, the Division drove on rapidly through to Ferrara and across the Po and shortly therefter to their last river crossing of the war, the Adige. Namdeo Jadav was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... Photo submitted by John Cawkill Ali Haidar (August 21, 1913 - July 15, 1999) was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... The Santerno is a river of Romagna[1], northern Italy, the major tributary of the Reno River. ... The British 56th (1/1st London) Division was a first-line Territorial Army division. ... German defensive positions in Northern Italy 1944 370th Infantry Regiment walking toward the mountains at north of Prato - April 1945 The Gothic Line, also known as Linea Gotica, formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselrings last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits... Ferrara is a city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, capital city of the province of Ferrara. ... The Po (Latin: Padus, Italian: Po) is a river that flows 652 kilometers (405 miles) eastward across northern Italy, from Monviso (in the Cottian Alps) to the Adriatic Sea near Venice. ... The German Tenth Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ... The German Fourteenth Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ... Bologna (IPA , from Latin Bononia, Bulåggna in Emiliano-Romagnolo) is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, in the Pianura Padana, between the Po River and the Apennines, exactly between the Reno River and the Sàvena River. ... Adige (Italian; Etsch in German) is a river with its source in the region of South Tyrol, Italy. ...

The campaign ended at the end of April 1945. The 6th DCO Lancers marked the occasion with a special mission, sending an officer and nine men far up the road towards Austria and arranged the surrender of 11,000 men of their old enemy the German 1st Parachute Division. The German 1st Parachute Division was a German military parachute-landing Division that fought during World War II. A division of paratroopers was termed a Fallschirmjäger Division. ...

Formation During World War II

According to the booklet issued to mark the inauguration of the Indian Divisions Memorial 1939-1945 at the UK Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in June 1982 the Formation of the Division during WW2 was as follows: New College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst New Colours are presented to RMAS, June 2005. ...

Headquarters

• 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Div Reconnaissance Reg)
• Royal Artillery
  • HQ
  • 3, 52 & 53 FD Regts RA
  • 26 Light A.A. Regt RA
  • 4 Mahratta Anti-Tank Regt
• Indian Engineers: Sappers & Miners
  • 7, 66 69 FD Coys K.G.O Bengal
  • 47 FD Park Coy K.G.O. Bengal
• 8 Indian Div Signals
• 5 Royal Bn MG 5TH Maharatta Regiment

Tactical Recognition Flash of the Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, generally known as the Royal Artillery (RA), is, despite its name, a corps of the British Army. ...

17 Indian Infantry Brigade

• • HQ
  • 1 BN Royal Fusiliers
  • 1 BN (Prince of Wales Own Sikhs) 12th Frontier Force Regt
  • 1 BN 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles

The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a regiment in the British Army. ... The 12th Frontier Force Regiment was part of the British Indian Army . ... The 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. ...

18 Indian Infantry Brigade (up to June 1942)

• • HQ
  • 2 BN 5th Essex Regiment
  • 4 BN 11th Sikh Regiment
  • 2 BN 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles

The Essex Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. ... The 3rd Queen Alexandras Own Gurkha Rifles, first raised in 1815, was a regiment of the British Indian Army. ...

19 Indian Infantry Brigade

• • HQ
  • 1/5 BN The Essex Regt (up to early 1944)
  • 1 BN Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (from early 1944)
  • 3 BN 8th Punjab Regt
  • 6 Royal BN 13th Frontier Force Rifles

The Essex Regiemnt was an infantry regiment of the British Army. ... The 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was formed in 1881 when the 91st (Princess Louises Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot were amalgamated with the 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot to form the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders . ... The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. ... The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. ...

21 Indian Infantry Brigade (from October 1942)

• • HQ
  • 5 BN The West Kent Regt
  • 1 BN 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
  • 3 BN 15th Punjab Regt
  • 1 Jaipur Infantry, State Forces (from late 1944)

Support Units

• Royal Indian Army Service Corps
  • 8 Ind Div Troops Tpt Coy
  • 17, 19 & 21 Brigade Tpt Coys
  • Div Supply Units
• Medical Services
  • I.M.S-R.A.M.C-I.M.D-I.H.C-I.A.M.C
  • 29, 31,& 33 Indian Field Ambulances
  • 8 Indian Div Provost Ubit
• Indian Army Ordnance Corps
  • 8 Indian Div Ordnance FD Park
• Indian Electrical & Mechanical Engineers
  • 120,121 & 122 Infantry Workshop Coys
  • 8 Indian Div Recovery Coy

HISTORY: Post World War II

Re-raised in 1962, the Division differs from more conventional infantry divisions in the emphasis that is placed on infantry tactics and the limited role that armour can be expected to take in operations. The armour that is used may differ from that used by other infantry divisions, for example, specialised mountain guns are required in many areas where the Division might be expected to operate. Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, bicycles, or other means. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Armoured warfare. ...

The Division was initially created for operations against insurgents fighting for a separate state of Nagaland. In the mid-1990s, the formation was moved to the Kashmir valley in response to conflict there. Nagaland (Hindi: नागालैंड)   Nagaland is a vibrant hill state located in the far northeastern part of India. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Kashmir (or Cashmere) may refer to: Kashmir region, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent India, Kashmir conflict, the territorial dispute between India, Pakistan, and the China over the Kashmir region. ... This article encapsulates the history of a border issue between India and Pakistan, generally termed as the Kashmir conflict. ...

During the early summer of 1999, the Division was moved north to the Kargil District to augment the beleaguered 3rd Division, which was based in Leh, during Operation Vijay II. It is now permanently based in that sector as part of XIV Corps. Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... The town and district of Kargil was a part of Baltistan District before 1947, but is now administratively part of Ladakh in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. ... View of Leh from Namgyal hill Leh Bazaar prior to 1871 Leh is the capital of the former Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, which is now a district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. ...

The Division has been constantly involved in operations since its creation.

Badge

During World War II the insignia of the Division was a yellow four-leafed clover (some versions appear as three-leafed -see images) flanked on each side by a yellow three-leafed clover, their stalks forming a "V", all on a red background. The Division and its members were thus referred to as "clovers".

In its second incarnation the formation sign of the Division depicts a red dagger superimposed on two overlapping gold circles on a black background.

Sources

• Anon (1946). One More River: The Story of The Eighth Indian Division. Bombay: H.W. Smith, Times of India Press. 
• Anon (1946). The Tiger Triumphs: The Story of Three Great Divisions in Italy. HMSO. 
• Compton McKenzie (1951). Eastern Epic. Chatto & Windus, London. 
• Gregory Blaxland (2001). Alexander's Generals (the Italian Campaign 1944-1945). London: William Kimber & Co. ISBN 0 7183 0386 5. 
• Douglas Orgill (1967). The Gothic Line (The Autumn Campaign in Italy 1944). London: Heinemann. 
• Fred Majdalany (1957). Cassino: Portrait of a Battle. Longmans, Green & Co Ltd., London. 
• Yeats-Brown, F (1945). Martial India. London: Eyre and Spottiswood. 
• Lt.-Colonel P.B. Kirrage (1947). War Experiences. Unpublished. 

References

1. ^ Compton Mackenzie, Eastern Epic, p83
2. ^ Compton Mackenzie, Eastern Epic, p124
3. ^ Compton Mackenzie, pp125-6
4. ^ Compton Mackenzie, Eastern Epic, p129
5. ^ Compton Mackenzie, pp130-139

See Also

Operation Sabine (1941) Combatants Kingdom of Iraq United Kingdom India Commanders Rashid Ali General Sir Edward Quinan Strength five divisions about two divisions Casualties 2,500 KIA, about 6,000 POWs 1,200 (KIA, MIA, WIA) The Anglo-Iraqi War is the name of hostilities between the United Kingdom and the Iraqi nationalist...