History 10th Indian Infantry Division

in march 1942 command of division passed major general slim major general thomas pete rees when slim ordered india take command of burma corps, kernel become british fourteenth army.

the division moved on north africa battle libya. 10th indian infantry division committed piecemeal units involved el adem , sidi rezegh during 1942 battle of gazala. in june division, 2nd free french brigade under command, ordered lieutenant general william gott, xiii corps commander, hold position near egyptian border libya 72 hours during british eighth army s retreat el alamein. major general rees responded division had concentrated , defensive works yet inadequate. believed therefore division unlikely able withstand full-scale attack rommel. gott visited rees , relieved him of command of division, telling him lacked resolution. command passed major general john nichols , rees had foretold, division overrun @ mersa matruh defences. rees posted command 19th indian infantry division in burma campaign. nichols posted command of british 50th infantry division.

the division went cyprus regrouping , hill training under major general alan blaxland , iraq join tenth army, part of paiforce. in july 1943, major general wilfrid lloyd took command when blaxland promoted , in january 1944, command passed major general denys reid when lloyd killed in air crash. reid remained in command until end of british involvement in division in 1947.

a patrol no. 8 platoon, c company of 2nd battalion, 3rd gurkha rifles advances cautiously through snow, near castel bolognese, italy, 23–24 january 1945.

after year of relative inactivity , training, 10th indian infantry division, under major general reid, sent italy in march 1944 join british eighth army on adriatic front. division fought rest of italian campaign, facing hard fighting northwards through central italy eighth army. numerous mountain battles , river crossings followed operation olive on gothic line , operation grapeshot. 10th indian infantry division earned many battle honours , decorations , suffered many casualties before final victory in italy , end of world war ii in europe in may 1945. security tasks on yugoslav border around trieste completed 10th indian division s war service.