THE 10TH INDIAN DIVISION IN THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN, 1944-45: TRAINING, MANPOWER AND THE SOLDIER’S EXPERIENCE By MATTHEW DAVID KAVANAGH A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of MA BY RESEARCH, HISTORY School of History and Cultures College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham September 2014 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract This dissertation will observe the capabilities and experience of the Indian Army in the Second World War, by examining the 10th Indian Division’s campaign in Italy. The focus will be on three themes of the division’s deployment to Italy; its training, manpower and the experience of the Indian soldier. Whilst these themes are part of the wider historiography of the Indian Army; there has been no significant study of these topics in relation to Italy, which this work seeks to redress. Observing the division’s training and manpower will indicate its capabilities during the Second World War. How did the Indian Army maintain an expeditionary force far from its home base, given the structural weaknesses in its recruitment and organisation? Did the Indian Army’s focus on the war in Japan, and jungle warfare, have a detrimental effect on the training of troops deployed to Italy? The reforms that the Indian Army, made to its training and organisation were critical in overcoming the difficulties that arose from campaigning in Italy. Studying the experience of the Indian soldier through morale and censor reports will demonstrate their attitude towards military service, and how this shaped their attitudes on the post-war future of India. Acknowledgement This dissertation would not have been possible without the help of my supervisor, Dr Michael Snape. His advice and guidance have been invaluable in the researching and writing of this work. Table of Contents LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................. i CHAPTER 1: HISTORIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER 3: TRAINING AND OPERATIONS ............................................................................... 47 CHAPTER 4: MANPOWER ......................................................................................................... 82 CHAPTER 5: THE INDIAN SOLDIER’S EXPERIENCE OF THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN .................... 121 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................... 139 APPENDIX 1: BRITISH ARMY CASUALTIES IN ITALY, 1943-45 ................................................. 144 APPENDIX 2: VICEROY'S COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ............................................................. 145 APPENDIX 3: AREAS OF RECRUITMENT FOR THE INDIAN ARMY, 1862-1914 ....................... 146 APPENDIX 4: INDIAN AND BRITISH TROOP NUMBERS IN INDIA ............................................ 147 APPENDIX 5: ISF UNITS IN 1938 ............................................................................................. 148 APPENDIX 6: ORGANISATION OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ISF ................................... 149 APPENDIX 7: TRAINING ESTABLISHMENTS IN INDIA COMMAND ......................................... 152 APPENDIX 8: UNIT ALLOCATION TO INDIAN REINFORCEMENT CAMPS ................................ 153 APPENDIX 9: DEPLOYMENT OF THE 10TH INDIAN DIVISION'S INFANTRY BATTALIONS PRIOR TO THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN ................................................................................................... 155 APPENDIX 10: PROPOSED RELIEF OF INFANTRY BATTALIONS IN CMF BY THOSE IN PAIFORCE ................................................................................................................................................ 158 APPENDIX 11: OVERSEAS SERVICE OF INDIAN ARMY TROOPS BY 1 SEPTEMBER 1945 ........ 159 APPENDIX 12: TIME TAKEN FOR INDIAN TROOPS IN ITALY TO TAKE LEAVE TO INDIA ......... 160 APPENDIX 13: CONVERSION OF BRITISH AA PERSONNEL TO INFANTRY ............................... 161 APPENDIX 14: THE FOURTH INDIAN ARMY MANPOWER REVIEW ........................................ 164 APPENDIX 15: DIVISIONS AND BRIGADES RAISED BY THE INDIAN ARMY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR .......................................................................................................................... 165 APPENDIX 16: STRENGTHS OF THE BRITISH AND INDIAN INFANTRY BATTALIONS OF THE 10TH INDIAN DIVISION DURING 1944 ............................................................................................. 166 APPENIDX 17: STRENGTHS OF THE BRITISH AND INDIAN INFANTRY BATTALIONS OF THE 10TH INDIAN DIVISION DURING 1945 ............................................................................................. 171 APPENDIX 18: AVERAGE STRENGTHS OF THE BRITISH AND INDIAN INFANTRY BATTALIONS OF THE 10TH INDIAN DIVISION IN 1944 & 1945 ..................................................................... 175 APPENDIX 19: BATTLE CASUALTES SUFFERED BY THE 4TH, 8TH AND 10TH INDIAN DIVISIONS IN THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR....................................................... 177 APPENDIX 20: ORDER OF BATTLE OF 10TH INDIAN DIVISION IN ITALY, LATE MARCH 1944 .. 179 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 188 Maps MAP 1: ITALY .......................................................................................................................... 180 MAP 2: INDIAN BATTLEFIELDS IN ITALY .................................................................................. 181 MAP 3: THE ITALIAN FRONT MAY 1944 .................................................................................. 182 MAP 4: FROM THE TRASIMENO LINE TO THE RIVER ARNO, 21 JUNE – 5 AUGUST 1944 ...... 183 MAP 5: THE TIBER VALLEY ..................................................................................................... 184 MAP 6: THE ITALIAN FRONT ON 25 AUGUST 1944 ................................................................ 185 MAP 7: ADRIATIC SECTOR ZONE OF OPERATIONS FOR 10TH INDIAN DIVISION ................... 186 MAP 8: THE ALLIED SPRING OFFENSIVE IN ITALY 9 APRIL – 2 MAY 1945 ............................... 187 Tables Table 1: Battle Casualties in Italy 3 September 1943 – 2 May 1945 ................................. 141 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 6th D.C.O. Lancers – 6th Duke of Connaught’s Own Lancers AA – Anti-Aircraft AAI – Allied Armies in Italy Adv O2E (Ind) CMF – Advanced 2nd Echelon (Indian) Central Mediterranean Forces AFHQ – Allied Force Headquarters ATM – Army Training Memorandum Bn – Battalion BO – British Officer BOR – British Other Rank C.M.P. (Ind) – Corps of Military Police (Indian) C.O. – Commanding Officer C.R.A. – Commander Royal Artillery CCDC – Claims Commission District Officer CMF – Central Mediterranean Forces Coy – Company Div – Division DLI – Durham Light Infantry DSO – Distinguished Service Order E.S.O. – Embarkation Staff Officer i FF – Frontier Force Fmns – Formations GOC – General Officer Commanding HQ – Headquarters I.P.O. – Indian Postal Office I.S.C. – Indian Service Corps IAMC – Indian Army Medical Corps IAOC – Indian Army Ordnance Corps ICO – Indian Commissioned Officer IEME – Indian Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Inf – Infantry IOR – Indian Other Rank IRC – Indian Reinforcement Camp IRTD – Infantry Reinforcement Training Depot ISF – Indian States Forces IST – Imperial Service Troops IWO – Indian Warrant Officer K.O. – King’s Own KCO – King’s Commissioned Officer LAD – Light Aid Detachment ii LOB – Left Out of Battle M.L.I. – Mahratta Light Infantry M.T. – Motor Transport MIDEAST – Middle East NCO – Non-Commissioned Officer NWFP – North West Frontier Province O2E (Ind) ME – 2nd Echelon (Indian) Middle East OR – Other Rank PAIC – Persia and Iraq Command PAIFORCE - Persia and Iraq Force POW – Prisoner of War R Sigs – Royal Corps of Signals R.I.A.S.C. – Royal Indian Army Service Corps RA (A/tk) – Royal Artillery, Anti-Tank RA (Fd) – Royal Artillery, Field RA (Grn) – Royal Artillery, Garrison RA (LAA) – Royal Artillery, Light Anti-Aircraft RAC – Royal Armoured Corps RAOC – Royal Army Ordnance Corps RASC – Royal Army Service Corps iii RE (Fd) – Royal Engineers, Field RE (L of C) – Royal Engineers, Line of Communication Recce – Reconnaissance REME – Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Rft – Reinforcement RTC – Regimental Training Centres SEAC – South East Asia Command TEWTs – Tactical Exercise without Troops Tps – Troops VCO – Viceroy’s Commissioned Officer VE Day – Victory in Europe Day W.E. – War Establishment iv CHAPTER 1: HISTORIOGRAPHY In recent years the study of the Indian Army in the Second World War has experienced a renewed interest from historians; however this has mostly concentrated