6th (Poona) Division

6th (Poona) Division
Unit name	6th (Poona) Division
Dates	1905–1920s
Country	British India
Branch	Indian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Garrison	Poona
Notable commanders	Arthur Barrett, John D'Ayer, James Willcocks

6th (Poona) Division

The 6th (Poona) Division was a formation of the British Indian Army based at Poona that served during the First World War and in the Mesopotamian campaign and influences on Indian Army (British Indian Empire) organisation. Raised from units garrisoning the Bombay Presidency, it included formations from Bengal Command, Bombay Command, and attached regiments drawn from across British India, contributing to battles alongside forces from the United Kingdom, the Ottoman Empire, and allied units operating from Basra and Baghdad.

History

The division traces origins to pre-1905 reforms linked to the Kitchener Reforms and the restructuring of the Indian Army under Lord Kitchener and Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener. During the First World War the division was mobilised for the Mesopotamian campaign to secure lines of communications for the Royal Navy and to protect oil interests associated with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and ports such as Basra. Commanders coordinated with formations from the Indian Expeditionary Force D, elements of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, and units diverted from the Western Front and the Gallipoli campaign. The division's service is entwined with campaigns, sieges, and notable engagements that affected strategy at the War Office and in theatres including Persia and the Tigris operations.

Formation and Organisation

Formed in the early 20th century at Poona within the Bombay Presidency, the division incorporated brigades formed in garrison towns like Ahmednagar, Belgaum, and Deolali. Its structure reflected the Indian Army’s brigade-divisional system established after the Indian Councils Act 1892 and subsequent army staff reforms influenced by officers such as Sir John Nixon and Sir Percy Lake. Component units included battalions drawn from regiments such as the Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, the Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry, the Punjab Regiment, the Sikh Regiment, and militia and volunteer units like the Imperial Service Troops and princely state contingents from Baroda, Gwalior, and Jodhpur. Administrative control linked the division to headquarters at Poona Cantonment and to transport and logistical nodes on the North Western Railway and riverine routes via the Tigris and Euphrates.

Operational Service

Deployed to Mesopotamia in 1914–1915, the division fought in operations to secure Basra and advance along the Tigris River towards Kut al Amara and Baghdad. It took part in riverine and desert operations alongside units such as the Royal Horse Artillery, the Indian Army Service Corps, and elements of the Royal Engineers. The division was engaged at actions during the Fall of Ctesiphon-era maneuvering and in the later attempts associated with the Siege of Kut relief efforts involving forces under commanders like General Townshend and Sir Charles Townshend. Logistical strains, disease, and climate affected operations as did coordination with naval gunfire from HMS Odin and supply convoys routed via Persian Gulf ports. The division’s experiences informed later campaigns including the Third Anglo-Afghan War and post-war frontier operations on the North-West Frontier.

Order of Battle

The division’s order of battle evolved; notable constituent formations included the Poona-area brigades and battalions such as the 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles, 1st Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, 36th Sikhs, 24th Punjabis, and the 7th Hariana Lancers when cavalry detachments were attached. Artillery components included batteries from the Royal Garrison Artillery and the Royal Field Artillery plus Indian Mountain Artillery units including the 3rd Mountain Battery. Support units comprised sections of the Indian Medical Service, the Royal Army Service Corps, field engineers from the Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners, signal detachments from the Royal Corps of Signals, and veterinary contingents tied to the Indian Ordinance Corps.

Commanders

Senior officers who commanded the division and influenced doctrine included Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Barrett, 1st Baronet, Major-General John D'Ayer (acting), and Major-General Sir James Willcocks, each associated with broader campaigns and institutional reform debates at the India Office and the War Cabinet. These commanders coordinated with theatre leaders such as General Townsend and staff officers drawn from the Staff College, Camberley and the Imperial Defence College.

Legacy and Commemoration

The division’s service is commemorated in regimental histories such as those of the Sikh Regiment, the Punjab Regiment, and the Gurkha Rifles and in memorials at Basra War Cemetery and on plaques in Poona and former garrison towns like Deolali Camp. Scholarly assessments in works by historians of the First World War and the Mesopotamian campaign link the division to lessons influencing the Indian Army (post-1919) reorganisation, the evolution of imperial strategy after the Treaty of Sèvres, and remembrance practices in India and the United Kingdom. The heritage of its constituent units continues within successor formations of the Indian Army and in museum collections at institutions like the National Army Museum (United Kingdom) and the Imperial War Museum.

Category:Divisions of the British Indian Army Category:Military units and formations of World War I