4/6 Rajputana Rifles

Discussion in 'British Indian Army' started by DavidW, Mar 8, 2014.

  1. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Help please!

    My copy of Loyalty & Honour does not have 4/6 Raj as part of 5th Indian Infantry Brigade until 1943-4.

    Can anyone please tell me their movements, both geographically and parent unit for 1940-1942 please.
     
  2. Charpoy Chindit

    Charpoy Chindit Junior Member

    They were in 5 Ind Bde during that period.
    The source that you mention is badly phrased. I think the author meant that they were in 5 Ind Bde from its redesignation from 9 (Jhansi) Bde in 09/39 until 07/43.
     
  3. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    That's not how I read it initially, but I think that you are right.

    Any idea of the 4/6 physical movements during that period then?
     
  4. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/MONITOR/ISSUE5-1/subra.html

    All the best

    Andreas
     
  5. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Here are the movements of the 4th Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles in North Africa:

    4th (Outram’s) Battalion 6th Rajputana Rifles

    9th (Jhansi) Infantry Brigade – 3 September 1939 to 20 September 1939
    On the outbreak of war the battalion formed part of the 9th (Jhansi) Infantry Brigade at Jhansi. It mobilised on September 15th, 1939.

    5th Indian Infantry Brigade – 20 September 1939 to 8 July 1943
    The brigade was renamed the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade on September 20th, 1939. It sailed from India on September 23rd, 1939 and arrived in Egypt on October 3rd-4th, 1939. It moved to Benu Yusaf camp and remained there until August 1940. The battalion moved to Naghamish with the 4th Indian Division from August 19th-21st. The division occupied Baggush on September 14th, 1940 but returned to Naghamish on October 10th. The battalion moved forward to operate at the dumping area on November 9th and was relieved there on November 16th by the 4/7th Rajput Regiment. It returned to the division at Naghamish. The battalion served in the battle of Sidi Barrani with the 5th Brigade attacking Tummar West from December 9th-11th. After the attack, the battalion was withdrawn from the 5th Brigade to become the divisional reserve and was attached to the 16th British Infantry Brigade for the capture of Sidi Barrani on December 10th. The division then remained in the battle area until December 16th, when it was ordered to the Sudan
    The 5th Indian Brigade travelled overland and reached Atbara on January 9th, 1941. The battalion did not arrive with the brigade and was still on its way down the Nile when operations in the Sudan began. It rejoined the brigade by the time it concentrated at Keren on February 7th. It fought under command of the brigade at Keren on February 13th/14th. The brigade was withdrawn from the Acqua Gap position at Keren and relieved the 11th Indian Brigade in the front line on February 15th/16th. The battalion withdrew to the rest area attached to the 11th Indian Brigade. On February 23rd, the battalion moved to the left flank west of the 1/6th Rajputana Rifles and was in position by February 24th/25th. From February 25th-27th, the 11th Brigade relieved the 5th Brigade and the battalion remained on the left flank. The 5th Brigade relieved the 11th Brigade from March 5th-8th. For the second attack on Keren, the battalion served under the 11th Indian Brigade through March 27th. After the battle the battalion rejoined the 5th Indian Brigade in the rest area by Keren. The brigade moved to Agordat on March 30th on its way to Kassala. It arrived at Kassala on March 30th and left for Egypt on April 2nd, 1941.
    On arrival in Egypt, the brigade concentrated in the Baggush-Sidi Haneish area. Shortly after arrival, the 5th Brigade was sent to Palestine and crossed the Egypt-Palestine border on May 16th. It concentrated in the Irbid-Samakh area on May 23rd-25th and worked on the defences at Irbid, Smakh and Mafraq from May 26th through June 7th. The brigade began its attack on Syria on June 8th, 1941 and the battalion formed Column ‘A’, which was to advance from Magraq. The battalion captured Deraa on June 8th and Sheikh Meskine and Ezraa on the 9th. It moved through Kissoue on June 15th to capture Tell Kissoue. The brigade then captured Mezze on June 18th-19th. After the campaign the brigade remained in the Deir-ez-Zor area. It was relieved by the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade during the second week of October and moved to Egypt to rejoin the 4th Indian Infantry Division at Baggush.
    At the start of the ‘Crusader’ offensive, the 5th Indian Brigade was given the role of holding the line south from Buq Buq. At the start of the battle, it had no equipment and was held in the back area southwest of Matruh on local protection duties. The 5th Brigade was brought forward on November 16th to Conference Cairn to relieve the rest of the division. It was then given the role of capturing the Capuzzo area. It began to advance toward Bir el Gubi on December 4th and reached Nadaret el Chescenase in pursuit of the Axis on December 9th. The brigade then advanced toward Tmimi. An unsuccessful attack on Points 205-208 was put in by the battalion on December 13th. The Axis, meanwhile, withdrew from the Gazala Line by December 17th. The 5th Brigade was then given Martuba as an objective and was in action at Giovanni Berta and Lamluda on December 19th. The brigade occupied the line Apollonia-Cirene-El Faida on December 21st and swept west from there. Barce was reached on December 23rd. The brigade then took over the rear areas from Barce to Derna on December 25th with HQ at Barce. On January 28th, 1942, the brigade was given the task of securing the line Tocra-Sidi Mahies, which it did on January 29th. The battalion was located at D’Annunzio on January 31st. The brigade withdrew to Acroma on the Gazala Line by February 4th. The brigade went into the line on February 11th/12th but was withdrawn to Hamra from February 26th to March 1st, 1942. In early April 1942, it was decided that the 4th Indian Division was to be dispersed and the 5th Brigade was sent to Palestine as a garrison brigade.
    The brigade first withdrew to Kabrit, Egypt in early April then on April 29th it was sent to the Jenin-Nablus area of Palestine. It remained there until ordered to the desert on June 3rd. The 5th Brigade left Palestine on June 8th and reached Amiriya, Egypt on June 11th and El Mushiefa on the 13th. The brigade moved into defence positions at the ‘Kennels’ on June 14th and then into the ‘Playground’ on June 17th. The same day it was ordered to Sollum and reached there on June 20th. It was withdrawn from Sollum on June 23rd-24th and reached Mersa Matruh by June 25th. It fought at Mersa Matruh from June 26th-30th.
    The brigade, less the 1st/4th Essex Regiment, was withdrawn to Mena in the Delta on July 1st to rest and refit. It returned to the front on July 4th and remained on the Alamein front until November 15th, when it again withdrew to refit. The brigade moved to Tobruk after the Alamein battle on December 9th. This was followed by moves to Agedabia on January 3rd and Bengasi on January 10th, 1943. It fought at Marth-El Hamra from March 26th-29th and then at Wadi Akarit, Djebel Garcia and Endfidaville in April. It was involved in operations in North Africa through May 12th, 1943, when the brigade was withdrawn to the Misturata area. The 5th Brigade left for Alexandria on June 22nd and arrived there by July 6th, 1943.
     
    Owen likes this.
  6. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Thank you both very much.
    Can you confirm the other 2 Battalions within the Brigade at this time?
    I'm struggling to sort out between the Buffs, 3/10 Baluchi & 3/1 Punjabi.
     
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Hope this helps , it's from the 4th Indian Division history
     

    Attached Files:

  8. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Here is the order of battle and location statement for 5th Indian Infantry Brigade 1939-45:

    5th Indian Infantry Brigade - Raised at Jhansi on 23 September 1939 from 9th (Jhansi) Brigade

    1st Royal Fusiliers 23/9/39 - 3/8/41
    3/1st Punjab Regiment 23/9/39 - 3/1/42
    4/6th Rajputana Rifles 23/9/39 - 8/7/43
    4/11th Sikh Regiment 19/8/44 - 9/11/44
    1st Essex Regiment 1/8/41 - 17/9/41
    1st Buffs 9/41 - 16/12/41
    1st Welch Regiment 30/12/41 - 4/42
    1/6th Rajputana Rifles 8/7/43 - 14/6/44
    1/1st Punjab Regiment 3/1/42 - 4/42 - detached 2/42 to 4/42
    1st/4th Essex Regiment 30/4/42 - 10/8/44
    16/11/44 - 31/8/45
    3/10th Baluch Regiment 18/4/42 - 8/2/43
    23/4/44 - 31/8/45 - attached 7th Brigade till 14/6/44
    1/9th Gurkha Rifles 8/2/43 - 31/8/45

    4/11th Sikh Regiment 1/41 - 3/41 - attached
    3/14th Punjab Regiment 2/41 - 2/41 - attached
    Transjordan FF Cavalry Regt. 6/41 - 6/41 - attached
    2/3rd Australian Infantry Bn. 6/41 - 6/41 - attached
    1/6th Rajputana Rifles 12/41 - 2/42 - attached
    4/6th Rajputana Rifles 1/44 - 2/44 - attached
    3/44 - 4/44 - attached
    5/44 - 6/44 - attached
    6th Royal West Kent Regiment 3/44 - 3/44 - attached
    2/7th Gurkha Rifles 8/44 - 9/44 - attached
    2nd Cameron Highlanders 9/44 - 9/44 - attached

    Location Statement
    India 23/9/39 - 23/9/39
    At sea 23/9/39 - 3/10/39
    Egypt 3/10/39 - 21/12/40
    Sudan and East Africa 21/12/40 - 13/4/41
    Egypt 13/4/41 - 8/6/41
    Syria 8/6/41 - 10/41
    Egypt and Libya 10/41 - 4/42
    Palestine 4/42 - 10/6/42
    Egypt 10/6/42 - 1/1/43
    Cyrenaica 1/1/43 - 13/3/43
    Tripolitania 13/3/43 - 16/3/43
    Tunisia 16/3/43 - 6/7/43
    Egypt 6/7/43 - 16/11/43
    At sea 16/11/43 - 22/11/43
    Italy 22/11/43 - 8/12/44
    Greece 8/12/44 - 31/8/45
     
  9. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Thanks very much to you both.
     
  10. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Where was the Benu Yusaf camp that David spoke of above?
     
  11. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    You can find Beni Yusaf located on the attached map of Egyptian bases.

    Problem with attached map. I will fix and add a revised map.
     
  12. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Here is the corrected map of Egyptian Base.
    EgyptBase.jpg
     
  13. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Thanks David.

    If I had had the correct spelling I might have been able to find it for myself!

    Happy New Year!
     

Share This Page