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Home > Army Organisation > 7th (Meerut) Division, Order of Battle
A Regular Division of the Indian Army
History | Units | Commanders
Summary history of the division
 
August 1914 Based in Agra, India.
September 1914 Moved to France, landing at Marseilles on 12 October 1914. Took part in the following actions:
  Winter Operations 1914-1915
  The Battle of Neuve Chapelle
  The Battle of Aubers and the Battle of Festubert
  The Loos subsidiary attack at Pietre
December 1915 Moved to Mesopotamia, landing at Basra on 31 December 1915. Substantially reorganised. Took part in the following actions:
  The attempt to relieve the besieged garrison of Kut al Amara
January 1918 Moved to Palestine, arriving Suez 13 January 1918.
   
Order of Battle 
19th (Dehra Dun) Indian Infantry Brigade
1st Welsh Left Karachi 20 November 1914 for 28th Division assembling in England
1st Seaforth Highlanders  
1/2nd Ghurka Rifles Left and moved to the Divisional area at Meerut in September 1914
2/2nd Ghurka Rifles Left for Egypt, November 1915
1/9th Ghurka Rifles Left for Bareilly Brigade, December 1915
2/9th Ghurka Rifles Left and moved to the Divisional area at Meerut in September 1914
6th Jat Light Infantry Attached to Bareilly Brigade January - April 1915 and left for 31st Indian Brigade in Egypt, August 1915
1/4th Seaforth Highlanders Joined December 1914, left for 46th (North Midland) Division, November 1915
93rd Infantry Joined -?-, left for 31st Indian Brigade in Egypt, September 1915
1/3rd (City of London) London Regiment Joined February 1915, left November 1915
28th Punjabis Joined in Mesopotamia by February 1916
92nd Punjabis Joined in Mesopotamia by February 1916
125th Napier's Rifles Joined in Mesopotamia by February 1916, from Lahore Division
134th Machine Gun Company Formed by February 1917, left to form No 7 Machine Gun Battalion
19th Light Trench Mortar Battery Formed by March 1918
During July and August 1915, the following Indian units temporarily joined the Brigade: 40th Pathans, 47th Sikhs, 59th Rifles.
   
20th (Gharwal) Indian Infantry Brigade
This Brigade left the Division in Egypt in December 1915 and became an independent command.
2nd Leicesters Joined from Bareilly Brigade, September 1914, left for 28th Indian Brigade, November 1915
2/3rd (Queen Alexandra's Own) Ghurka Rifles  
2/8th Ghurka Rifles Left for Bareilly Brigade, September 1914, rejoined March 1915
1/39th Gharwal Rifles Amalgamated with 2/39th in April 1915, being retitled 39th Gharwal Rifles
2/39th Gharwal Rifles  
1/3rd (City of London) London Regiment  
   
21st (Bareilly) Indian Infantry Brigade
4th Cavalry Left to become Divisional mounted troops, September 1914
2nd Leicesters Moved to Gharwal Brigade, September 1914
3rd King's Royal Rifle Corps Left for England, October 1914
2nd Black Watch  
1/3rd (Queen Alexandra's Own) Ghurka Rifles Left for Divisional area at Bareilly, September 1914
41st Dogras Left for 32nd Indian Brigade in Egypt, August 1915; rejoined by February 1916
2/8th Ghurka Rifles Joined from Gharwal Brigade, September 1914, went back March 1915
58th Vaughan's Rifles Left December 1915
6th Jat Light Infantry Attached from Dehra Dun Brigade January - April 1915
1/4th Suffolk Regiment Attached from Lahore Division, January - March 1915
1/4th Black Watch Joined March 1915, amalgamated with 2nd Bn in September 1915; resumed identity and left for 46th (North Midland) Division, November 1915
125th Rifles Joined from Lahore Division April 1915; left for 28th Indian Brigade, June 1915
33rd Punjabis Joined by September 1915
69th Punjabis Joined by September 1915, left by February 1916
1/9th Ghurka Rifles Joined from Dehra Dun Brigade, January 1916 but soon moved to 3rd (Lahore) Division
9th Bhopal Infantry Joined by February 1916 from Lahore Division
2nd Rajputs Joined by February 1916
Composite Mahratta Battalion Joined by February 1916
135th Machine Gun Company Joined by February 1917, left to form No 7 Machine Gun Battalion
21st Light Trench Mortar Battery Formed by March 1918
   
28th Indian Infantry Brigade
Replaced Gharwal Brigade
2nd Leicesters Joined from Gharwal Brigade, November 1915
51st Sikhs Joined by February 1916
53rd Sikhs Joined by February 1916
56th Punjabi Rifles Joined by February 1916
136th Machine Gun Company Joined by February 1917, left to form No 7 Machine Gun Battalion
28th Light Trench Mortar Battery Formed by March 1918
   

Divisional Troops

4th Cavalry (joined from Bareilly Brigade, September 1914; left for 1st (Peshawar) Division in November 1917)

107th Pioneers (joined from Meerut Cavalry Brigade by November 1914, left by February 1917)

128th Pioneers (joined by February 1916, left by February 1917)

121st Pioneers (joined by February 1917)

272 Machine Gun Company (joined by February 1917, left to form No 7 Machine Gun Battalion)

No. 7 Machine Gun battalion (formed by March 1918)
 

Artillery

XII Brigade RHA (left September 1914)

4th Brigade RFA

8th Brigade RFA

9th Brigade RFA

13th Brigade RFA

59th Company RGA (retitled 59th Siege Battery RGA in 1915)

73rd Company RGA (left for Lahore area, October 1914)

74th Company RGA (left for Delhi area, October 1914)

81st Company RGA (retitled 81st Siege Battery RGA in 1915)

91st Company RGA (left for Egypt, 1914)

110th Heavy Battery (joined in France, October 1914; left for 1st Brigade RGA on 6 March 1915)

Heavy Brigade RGA (consisting of 72nd and 77th Heavy Batteries, joined by February 1916 but had left by February 1917)

A-M Stokes Mortar Companies, D-F Light Mortar Companies and 133-135 Medium Trench Mortar Companies all joined by February 1917.

7th Divisional Ammunition Column
 

Engineers

1st Sappers and Miners: originally 2/1, 3/1, 4/1 and 5/1st Field Companies. 2/1 and 5/1 left in September 1914. 13/2 Field Company joined by February 1916, but left by February 1917 and was replaced by 1/1. 522 Field Company RE joined by March 1918.

7th Divisional Signals Company
 

 

 

 

 

Medical and Veterinary

Two British (Nos 19 and 20 British) and Three Indian (Nos. 128, 129 and 130 Indian) Field Ambulances

Meerut Mobile Veterinary Section; later renamed No 2 MVS.

Transport

Divisional Train (432, 433, 434, 435 Companies ASC)

Divisional Supply and Transport Company

Sikh machine-gun section moves up to the front, in France
Divisional command  
 
Lieut.-Gen. Sir C. Anderson 21 December 1913
  Major-Gen. C. Jacob 7 September 1915 -17 November 1915

Major-Gen. Sir G. Younghusband 10 December 1915 - 8 May 1916 (sick)
  Brig-Gen. C. de Norie 8 May 1916, in temporary command
  Major-Gen. A. Cobbe 25 June 1916
  Major-Gen. V. Fane 3 September 1916 onwards
   
 

 
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