| > > > The
6th (Poona) Division |
| A
Division of the Indian Army |
|
| Summary
history of the division |
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| Formed
in Bombay and ordered to Mesopotamia, where it remained. The Division
fought the early engagements in Mesopotamia virtually on its own, taking
part in the following actions: |
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| The
Division surrendered after the 5-month long siege of Kut-al-Amara.
During the siege, sickness increased to epidemic propostions, especially
scurvy and beri-beri, colic and dysentery. Once in captivity the men
were cruelly treated by the Turks, mostly through wilful neglect but
with many cases of beatings, executions and other crimes. Of the 2,592
Other Ranks of the 6th (Poona) Division who were British, more than 1,700
died in captivity. Of the 9,300 Indian troops, at least 2,500 died. |
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| Order
of Battle |
| Infantry: |
| 16th
(Poona) Brigade |
| 29th
Lancers [left September 1914, to 1st
Indian Cavalry Division] |
| 2nd
Cameron Highlanders [left September 1914] |
| 105th
Mahrattas [left October 1914] |
| 48th
Pioneers [left September 1914] |
| 2nd
Bn, the Dorsets |
| 20th
Infantry (Brownlow's Punjabis) [left October 1915] |
| 117th
Mahrattas |
| 104th
Wellesley's Rifles [joined October 1914 from Mhow] |
| 66th Punjabis
[joined October 1915] |
|
| 17th
(Ahmednagar) Brigade |
| 33rd
Light Cavalry [left
October 1914] |
| 130th
Baluchis [left
October 1914] |
| 1st
Bn, the Ox & Bucks LI |
| 119th
Infantry (The Mooltan Regiment) |
| 103rd
Mahratta Light Infantry |
| 22nd
Punjabis [joined
October 1914 from 8th (Lucknow) Division] |
|
| 18th
(Belgaum) Brigade |
| 81st
Pioneers [left October 1914] |
| 2nd
Bn, the Norfolks |
| 120th
Rajputana Infantry |
| 110th
Mahratta Light Infantry |
| 7th
Duke of Connaught's Own Rajputs [joined October 1914 from Mhow] |
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| Artillery: |
| X
Brigade RFA [originally
76, 81 and 82 Batteries and Ammunition Column. By December 1914 81
had been replaced by 63 Battery]] |
| XIX
Brigade RFA [96 Battery][left
September 1914] |
| II.
M.A. [23 and 30 Batteries] |
| 1/5th
Hampshire (Howitzer) Battery RFA [joined from II Wessex Brigade 23
March 1915] |
| Madras
Volunteer Artillery [joined November 1915] |
| 52,
79 and 85 Companies of Bombay coastal defence heavy artillery. Did
not move overseas. |
| 77 Company
of Bombay coastal defence heavy artillery. Became 77 Heavy Battery
in January 1915. |
| 86
Company [attached to Division March to April and from September 1915] |
| 104
Company [attached to Division January to April and - one Section
only - from September 1915] |
|
| Engineers: |
| 17th
Company, 3rd Sappers and Miners |
| 20th
Company, 3rd Sappers and Miners [left September 1914] |
| 21st
Company, 3rd Sappers and Miners [left September 1914] |
| 22nd
Company, 3rd Sappers and Miners [joined October 1914] |
| Sirmur
Company, Sappers and Miners [joined November 1914] |
| No.
34 (6th
Divisional) Signal Company |
| Wireless
Signal Squadron |
|
| Pioneers: |
| 48th
Pioneers [joined September 1914 from 16th Brigade] |
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| Other
Divisional Troops: |
| one
8-gun Maxim Machine Gun Battery [joined September 1915] |
|
| Transport: |
| Divisional
Supply Column |
| Nos
7,10,12,13 and 30 Companies of the Mule Corps |
| Jaipur
Cart Transport Train |
| 52nd,
Kolat, Las Bela and Khaipur Camel Corps |
|
| Medical: |
| Nos
16 and 17 Field Ambulances (British RAMC units) |
| 125th,
126th and 127th Field Ambulances (Indian) |
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| Divisional
command |
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|
Lieut-Gen.
Sir Arthur Barrett, in command since 1912, took the Division
to Mesopotamia |
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Major-Gen.
C. J. Melliss took over temporarily on 13 April 1915 |
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|
Major-Gen.
Charles Townshend, Divisional CO from 22 April 1915, who pushed
forward, only to be repulsed at Ctesiphon and besieged at Kut.
Went into a comfortable captivity while his men were being maltreated
by their captors. |
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