Force 401 in Iraq August 1946-August 1947

Discussion in 'British Indian Army' started by davidbfpo, Apr 20, 2020.

  1. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    I am currently researching Force 401, for an article in 'Durbar', the journal of the Indian Military History Society and this website has proved many times how valuable a resource it is. Force 401 was the last Indian Army expeditionary force sent abroad[1]; they left India in August 1946, the main force returned in June 1947, although some remained till August 1947.

    I have already posted on a number of threads my previous research, so have copied them below after some editing down.

    Hopefully readers might be able to help; several British officers have not been fully identified.

    Posted 13/1/2019

    Today looking for something quite different I found a previously unknown British officer who served with the ILRS, via an interview with the Imperial War Museum. One Benjamin Broughton Gingell, a British officer who served with the Indian Long-Range Squadron, Indian Armoured Corps in India and Iraq, 1945-1947. Then a long gap till his time as a civilian and police reservist in Rhodesia, 1959-1982
    Gingell, Benjamin Broughton (Oral history)

    There are five tapes to listen to, so there may be an update one day.

    Posted 15/1/2019 Indian Long Range Squadron

    Having listened to the five Oral History tapes Gingell provides a few details on his time with the ILRS in India and then Iraq, before he left them to await demobilization in March-April 1947. He was promoted to Captain and commanded two of the patrols and finally the Support Troop.

    I had seen references to the Anglo-Iranian Crisis 1946-1947 before, but had missed the deployment of Force 401, a brigade sized force (accounts vary, three brigades and up to 15,000 strong) to Basra, in response to concern over the British-owned oilfields in south-east Iran, including the oil refinery @ Abadan. The ILRS had a role in checking possible routes to the border and as tensions eased did night guard duties at a RAF ordnance depot which was being looted.

    As an aside there are two commentaries on this time: See Chapter 11, the author is Force 401's C.O.'s ADC: Nigel Buxton and a chapter on an Indian Signals officer, who commanded the brigade’ signals regiment: veekay's history book: Biography - Lieut. General R.N. Batra, PVSM, OBE

    If you want to read about the political crisis see this academic article, which is on open access:
    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00263206.2015.1124417

    Posted 15/1/2019 Central India Horse

    As an aside a CIH Squadron, were detached in mid-1946 to join 'Force 401', an Indian brigade-sized formation, which was sent to Basra, Iraq. Discovered when listening to IWM Oral History interviews of Captain Benjamin Gingell. Having read through this thread it is clear the CIH had spent quite a long time in south-west Persia, protecting the oilfields, before going onto the Italian campaign. Somehow I don't think they reached India before going to Iraq! Plus they had armoured cars.

    Posted 19/3 2020 Photos of 81st West African Division in Burma

    I have recently looked again at Frederick Joseph Loftus-Tottenham, mainly for when he was commander of Force 401, the last expeditionary deployment of the Indian Army to Basra, Iraq in August 1946. On a quick read through the following sources have not been mentioned:

    The memoirs of Nigel Buxton, his ADC, describing a longstanding plan to launch such an action into Iran and more details. Plus, life afterwards in Basra. See Ch. 11 on: Nigel Buxton

    Posted 6/4/2020 Punjab Regiment

    There is a Kindle book published in 2014, by one of the officers of the 6/13th Royal Scinde Frontier Force Regiment 'One Hell of a Life: An Anglo-Indian Wallah's Memoir from the Last Decades of the Raj' by Stan Blackford. Just skimmed parts of the book on Google books. He joined the battalion in 1946 just before its departure for Basra, Iraq as part of Force 401; he later left the Army for Australia. See: One Hell Of a Life: An Anglo-Indian Wallah's Memoir from the Last Decades of the Raj eBook: Blackford, Stan: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

    Posted 12/4/2020 6th Indian Field Regiment

    A Captain Nigel Buxton has published on-line a series of articles on his wartime service (October 1941 to April 1947) and he refers to joining an Indian artillery regiment at Poona (India’s second largest encampment), which had no guns and had served in India through the war. They were “under orders” without knowing where that would be. The regiment formed part of Force 401, that left India for Iraq in September 1946. See: Search Results for “Poona” – Buxton's blog

    In Chris Kempton's book 'Loyalty and Honour (Vol. 2)' has a list of Force 401's composition; it shows the 6th Indian Field regiment, Royal Indian Artillery. Hence this post!

    Posted 14/4/2020 6th Indian Field Regiment

    Digging away I found a British officer had served in the 6 Indian Field Regiment, Peter Merrick Knatchbull-Hugessen and on 21/4/2020 it appears he did not go to Basra. So I edited this passage.

    Research

    There is very little known about Force 401; luckily there are references available in published sources, four Imperial War Museum Oral History interviews with: Captain Nigel Buxton, Royal Artillery[2]; Captain Benjamin Broughton Gingell, ILRS[3]; an un-named Royal Indian Army Service Corps (RIASC) officer[4]; RAF Wing Commander John Basil Wray[5] and a few books or on-line accounts concerning a few of the Indian Army units involved.


    Not to overlook that the Indian Army raised in WW2 was shrinking as Indian independence loomed; indeed, one battalion arrived back from Basra in Bombay on the 4th August 1947, ten days before independence. British officers continued to serve in the Indian Army; research found Force 401’s unit commanders were promoted into the gaps created as demobilisation and the exit from India approached – one only many years later became a Lt. Col. again in 1962.


    The main component was the 19th Indian Infantry Brigade[6]; with the 4th Indian (Bombay) Grenadiers[7], the 3/8th Punjab Regiment and the 6th/13th Royal Battalion (Scinde) Frontier Force Regiment[8]. For artillery the 6th Indian Field Regiment[9], three engineer companies, a signals squadron and assorted smaller, support units[10].

    The Basra Garrison had three infantry battalions: 7/11th Sikh Regiment; 2nd Sikh Light Infantry[11] and the 2nd Mahar Regiment. All three came under Force 401’s command[12].

    Force 401’s Commander was Major General Fergus Loftus-Tottenham[13], D.S.O., a career Indian Army officer[14], had commanded different units – up to divisional level - in Burma and was described as ‘a fine-looking man with a strong and forceful personality …The moment you met him you realised that he was a commander … a bulldog of a man … tenacious, stubborn’[15]. There is a Burma era photo: Major General F. J Loftus-Tottenham and three National Portrait Gallery photos taken in June 1947: Frederick Joseph Loftus Tottenham - National Portrait Gallery

    The Commander Royal Indian Artillery was the C.O. 6th Indian Field Regiment, Lt. Col. P.H.N. Findlay (Army No. 27915), there is little on-line about him, except this post-Partition quote – when he served in an artillery regiment of the Pakistani Army – which describes him:

    ‘an enthusiastic character who had immense war experience up his sleeves. He had gallantly fought in the Burma campaign and was injured when a hand grenade exploded in his hand during a training activity, resulting in loss of his right eye and arm. Such a trauma can potentially break the spirit of the best of men but not Brigadier Findlay, for he continued to be the rash driver that he was’[16].

    There were two Commander Royal Indian Engineers, a Lt. Col. D.W. Price, C.B.E., August to December 1946, nothing was found on-line about him; a Lt. Col. Peter Harburn Thompson, M.C., (Army No. 190556), December 1946 to May 1947, only his London Gazette entries were found[17]; these indicate his actual rank was a wartime Major and he became a Lt. Col. again in 1962.

    Intriguingly (Lt. Col.) Raj Basra’s biography refers to British troops who had been away from their homes for very long time, and with the war being over, wanted to return to 'Blighty' as soon as possible. Some of them wrote to their Members of Parliament, complaining against the terrible living conditions (presumably at RAF Shaibah)[18]. Since no British Army units have been identified I expect he is referring to RAF personnel.

    [1] Op. Cit. 16 From the Gingell interviews

    [2] In Chapter 11 Parts One & Two via: Buxton's blog

    [3] Reels 1, 2 & 3 refer: Gingell, Benjamin Broughton (Oral history)

    [4] Reels 27 & 28 refer: Oral history

    [5] Reels 16 & 17: Wray, John Basil (Oral history)

    [6] A slim history: 19th Indian Infantry Brigade - Wikipedia with different infantry units shown, they served in PAIFORCE and in Italy: 8th Infantry Division (India) | Wikiwand

    [7] The Indian (Bombay) Grenadiers are a multi-battalion regiment and the actual unit has not been identified.

    [8] I have not been able to read ‘The Regimental history of the 6th Royal Battalion (Scinde), 13th Frontier Force Rifles, 1934-1947’ by Noel Louis St Pierre Bunbury, as the only known copy is in The British Library. A second book has been partly used; it is by one of its officers, Stan Blackford, an Anglo-Indian: ‘One Hell of a Life: An Anglo-Indian Wallah's Memoir from the Last Decades of the Raj’

    [9] Op. Cit. 15 When Captain Buxton joined this unit at Poona, it had no guns and he mentions getting new equipment. See: Search Results for “poona” – Buxton's blog It is possible that a British officer who served in the 6 Indian Field Regiment might be Peter Merrick Knatchbull-Hugessen. When he died in 2008, a funeral speech referred to a book he wrote: ‘Meanderings’. The book appears to have been privately published and has yet to be traced. From: https://www.papplewick.org.uk/assets/newsletter-2009.pdf?phpMyAdmin=25fd7024cb1c0a99a248787afcb56758

    [10] Based on Chris Kempton’s book ‘Loyalty and Honour (Vol. 2)’ with additional research.

    [11] An online edition of the regimental history of the Sikh Light Infantry is on: A Regimental History Of The Sikh Light Infantry 1941-1947 [134w161j0ml7] This shows that the 2nd Sikh Light Infantry was deployed to Iraq (from Syria) April 1946-June 1947.

    [12] From Chris Kempton’s book ‘Loyalty and Honour (Vol. 2)’

    [13] There is a Burma era photo: Major General F. J Loftus-Tottenham and three National Portrait Gallery photos taken in June 1947: Frederick Joseph Loftus Tottenham - National Portrait Gallery

    [14] See: Officers of the Indian Army 1939-1945  -- L and Frederick Joseph Loftus-Tottenham - Wikipedia

    [15] Captain Nigel Buxton cites this description from Arthur Swinson in ‘Kohima’, his book about the engagement between the British Fourteenth Army and the Japanese in Burma in 1944.

    [16] Quote from: https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/the-...sit-to-5-heavy-anti-aircraft-regiment.607872/

    [17] He joined the Army in June 1941: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35211/supplement/3912/data.pdf He was a Temporary Captain by November 1945: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37368/supplement/5830/data.pdf In August 1949 shown as a Substantive Major Wartime Service, becoming a Captain with seniority: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38701/supplement/4182/data.pdf Finally a Lt. Col, in October 1962: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/42893/supplement/491/data.pdf and he retired in 1967: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44296/supplement/4581/data.pdf

    [18] Op. Cit. 80 Unknown RIASC officer
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2020
    GeorgyB and dml34 like this.
  2. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Nearly completed my research and thanks to the wonders of YouTube found information on what the RAF could provide in combat support: a squadron of Mosquito fighter-bombers, in the photo-reconnaissance role, except in the heat @ RAF Habbiniya the glue holding the wood together failed. So within weeks no Mosquitoes until some Hawker Tempest fighters arrived after several months.

    Unable to identify or quantify how many British servicemen were in Iraq by June 1946. Most of the soldiers were Indian at RAF Shaibah, near Basra and the three RAF stations (two were near Basra). Looked through the threads here which feature PAIFORCE and a trawl through Google. The Official History of PAIFORCE is naturally in closed London libraries.
     
  3. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Finally finished the research today having located a book referred to Footnote 9 in the opening post:
    Peter Merrick Knatchbull-Hugessen joined the British Army upon WW2 being declared and was posted as a gunner to 113 Field Regiment. He was at Oxford University and was commissioned in 1940 and in 1941 was posted to India, he left India in October 1944 and was demobbed in 1946 to return to Oxford University. Having read the book he never saw combat and had at least two extended periods in hospital - which may explain his return to the UK in late 1944.

    The book has many amusing tales, notably on the voyage on a troopship from Liverpool to Bombay via Durban; the place of the Anglo-Indians and learning to adjust to ways of the Royal Artillery.
     
  4. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Whoops, I overlooked adding the final research article - alerted when reading High Woods latest post on a 14th 5th Mahratta Light Infantry being posted to Basra in 1945.
     

    Attached Files:

  5. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    The regimental history of the 12th Frontier Force Regiment refers to the 25th FFR serving in Iraq, guarding No. 7 Base Ordnance Depot (BOD) at Shaibah (called Shaiba) and a camp nearby at Zubair. Guard duties were sometimes enlivened by "desert columns to counter marauding Arabs". They served there from 23/12/1942 till February 1946, arriving at Karachi 7/2/1946 and then disbanded.

    512 Garrison Company were in Basra November 1941 till February 1944 returning to India and redeployed to Abadan, Persia to Basra May 1945 and left February 1946.

    From, thanks to DRyan's post: The Frontier Force Regiment : Condon : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

    There is very little online about No.7 BOD (a designation also used by Australia and South Africa many years later). One article describes a REME soldiers time there: BBC - WW2 People's War - Arabian Adventures
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2023
  6. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    An old thread has an update that gives a summary of the history of PAIForce, in particular who were the senior officers and has this wrong passage at the end:
    Link: https://www.britishmilitaryhistory....Persia-and-Iraq-Command-History-Personnel.pdf

    No personnel from Force 401 (all Indian Army formations with British officers) entered Iran and yes the last formation left in June 1947.
     

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