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The division had two different formation signs. The first was a lightning bolt (white) on a blue background. This was used until the middle of 1942. Major
General CT Cowan decided to change the formation sign to a black cat on a yellow/orange background. It is said that the General wanted to motivate
476:
For the campaigning season of 1943, the division was reorganised as a "Light" formation, with two brigades only (48th and 63rd), supported by mountain artillery, and with mules and jeeps only for transport. It disputed the mountainous and jungle-covered region around
582:
In the last months of the campaign, the division participated in the mopping up of
Japanese stragglers in Burma. After the war ended, elements of it formed part of the Commonwealth Occupation force in Japan (under Cowan). The division was disbanded in India in 1946.
413:
The
Japanese attacked Burma on January 22, 1942. It was soon apparent that the British and Indian troops in Burma were too few in number, wrongly equipped and inadequately trained for the terrain and conditions. After failing to hold the Kawkareik Pass,
441:, was forced to order the bridge to be destroyed, with most of the division cut off on the far side of the river. Only a few thousand men without equipment succeeded in crossing the river. Smyth was dismissed and replaced by Major General
481:, with mixed success. The division was at the end of a long and precarious supply line, and the "light" establishment was found to be inadequate in some respects. Some heavier equipment and transport was restored.
437:. Air attacks, poor organization and vehicle breakdowns delayed the division, and Japanese parties infiltrated around them to threaten the vital bridge over the Sittang. The division's commander, Major General
917:
military operations in 1961. It had two brigades under its command - the 63rd
Brigade and the 48th Brigade. The swift operations between the 17th and 19th December 1961 culminated in the surrender by the
1552:
1562:
1074:
497:
temporarily under command). In July, the
Japanese were broken by heavy casualties and starvation, and retreated. Some units of the 17th Division had suffered nearly 100% casualties.
500:
During the late monsoon season, the division was temporarily withdrawn to India and reorganised once again. The 48th and 63rd
Brigades were fully equipped with vehicles to become
942:
of 1967. The formation also played a role in the merger and statehood of Sikkim in 1975. The division is presently deployed in East and South East Sikkim. It was involved in the
1557:
1231:
1025:
1567:
960:
based on its second and current formation sign. The present formation sign has a black background signifying an infantry division and black cat drawn with a yellow outline.
1572:
1547:
1276:
1099:
1169:
956:
his troops to fight back the
Japanese and he felt that no one fights more fiercely and aggressively than a cornered cat. The division is sometimes called
720:
493:, the 17th Division first successfully fought its way out of encirclement at Tiddim, and then disputed the vital Bishenpur sector south of Imphal (with
1007:(1992), a memoir of his experiences as an infantryman in the Border Regiment, part of 17th Infantry Division, during the Burma Campaign of World War II
1269:
922:. General Candeth was immediately appointed Goa's first Indian administrator (acting as the Military Governor), a post he held till June 1962.
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Major
General W. A. Crowther, GOC 17th Indian Division, takes the salute at a March Past after the surrender ceremony, 1945.
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Major
General RC Tiwari, GOC 17 Mountain Division, meets the Chief Minister of Sikkim Mr PS Golay in June 2019
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930:- On November 15, 1963, the division relocated to Sikkim and took on the role of guarding a portion of the
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which was flown into the airfields around
Meiktila, they subsequently withstood a Japanese siege. This
402:
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All these brigades were assigned or attached to the division at some time during World War II
655:
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442:
423:
196:
397:. The 46th Brigade and the division HQ went to Burma, where the Division was reinforced by
871:
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326:
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17:
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The Bilin was not a proper defensive position, and the division tried to retreat over the
8:
970:
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394:
268:
208:
155:
123:
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1026:"Doklam: How India misjudged China's intentions and it escalated into a major standoff"
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32:
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broke out and the division was split; 44th and 45th Brigades were despatched to
317:(except for brief periods of refit). The division was re-raised in 1960 and the
390:
386:
382:
314:
237:
191:
93:
1232:"Post Doklam resolution, Nirmala Sitharaman to visit tri-junction border area"
1526:
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just before the monsoon broke, fighting off a Japanese attempt to trap it at
232:
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In late February 1945, the motor elements of the division, with the bulk of
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In 1944, the Japanese launched a major invasion of India. During the long
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135:
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Military units and formations of the British Empire in World War II
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Jon Latimer, "Burma: The Forgotten War", London: John Murray, 2004
901:, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command visiting Black Cat Division, June 2021.
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870:(India) on November 15, 1960, under the command of Major General
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Military units and formations in British Malaya in World War II
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The division now broke the last Japanese defensive position at
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322:
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358:
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105:
75:
1047:"Maj Gen Rohit Sawhney inaugurates Band Display on Army Day"
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and advanced on the vital Japanese communications centre of
882:
568:
378:
548:, they captured Meiktila in only four days. Reinforced by
914:
508:
was added to the division, equipped to be transported by
556:
largely destroyed the Japanese armies in Central Burma.
37:
Upper sleeve patch of the 17th Indian Infantry Division.
460:
valley, the division subsequently retreated north into
1558:
Military units and formations in Burma in World War II
586:
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Military units and formations disestablished in 1946
1100:"Weather and terrain biggest challenges in Doklam"
909:- The division under the command of Major General
1573:Military units and formations established in 1960
1548:Military units and formations established in 1941
345:inspects troops of the 17th Infantry Division in
1524:
740:82nd Light Anti-aircraft / Anti-tank Regiment RA
575:broke. Rangoon fell to an assault from the sea,
544:which was flown into the captured airfield at
1270:
361:under the command of Major General H V Lewis
881:, which was soon detached for service with
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1263:
1069:
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1065:
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913:moved from Ambala and participated in the
31:
1075:"17 Mountain Division-Army Postal Cover"
892:
857:
519:
452:, and narrowly escaped being trapped in
336:
1098:Gurung, Shaurya Karanbir (2018-08-12).
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710:(Divisional defence / machine gun unit)
1525:
1097:
456:. After trying to hold a front in the
393:before both brigades were lost in the
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721:129th (Lowland) Jungle Field Regiment
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934:. Under the then GOC, Major General
853:
768:
1190:"The visionary warrior Sagat Singh"
938:, it performed credibly during the
381:. At the end of the year, war with
332:
16:For the World War I formation, see
13:
1170:"The Goa Daman and Diu Operations"
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587:Order of Battle, as of May 1, 1944
365:in 1941. It consisted then of the
14:
1584:
1147:. Order of Battle. Archived from
1088:
963:
950:
623:(Brigadier Ronald Thomas Cameron)
448:The division was reinforced with
389:where 45th Brigade fought in the
353:The division was first raised at
701:(Divisional reconnaissance unit)
542:the 99th Indian Infantry Brigade
506:The 99th Indian Infantry Brigade
450:the 63rd Indian Infantry Brigade
422:, the division fell back to the
128:
116:
98:
86:
68:
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1287:Indian Army during World War II
1224:
1124:"17th Indian Infantry Division"
877:. Among its new formations was
550:the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade
377:, and was intended to garrison
1203:
1182:
1162:
1137:
1116:
1039:
1018:
866:The division was re-raised at
1:
1543:British Indian Army divisions
1533:Indian World War II divisions
1011:
888:
833:50th Indian Parachute Brigade
603:Brigadier the Baron de Robeck
601:Commander, Royal Artillery –
592:General Officer Commanding –
375:46th Indian Infantry Brigades
26:17th Indian Infantry Division
1538:Divisions of the Indian Army
838:99th Indian Infantry Brigade
828:32nd Indian Infantry Brigade
823:49th Indian Infantry Brigade
818:37th Indian Infantry Brigade
813:63rd Indian Infantry Brigade
803:48th Indian Infantry Brigade
798:16th Indian Infantry Brigade
788:46th Indian Infantry Brigade
783:45th Indian Infantry Brigade
778:44th Indian Infantry Brigade
698:12th Frontier Force Regiment
650:63rd Indian Infantry Brigade
619:48th Indian Infantry Brigade
495:32nd Indian Infantry Brigade
428:48th Indian Infantry Brigade
399:16th Indian Infantry Brigade
7:
940:Nathu La and Cho La clashes
848:9th Indian Infantry Brigade
762:414th Field Park Company IE
759:Tehri Garhwal Field Company
532:under command, crossed the
254:Major General Gambhir Singh
10:
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793:2nd Burma Infantry Brigade
737:29th Mountain Regiment, IA
611:17 Division HQ and Signals
403:2nd Burma Infantry Brigade
15:
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1483:
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1446:
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1293:
1211:"The romance of a paltan"
1003:George Macdonald Fraser,
843:255th Indian Tank Brigade
530:255th Indian Tank Brigade
426:, where it was joined by
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730:21st Mountain Regiment,
563:, and advanced south on
321:is presently located in
175:"The Black Cat Division"
1005:Quartered Safe Out Here
879:the 99 Infantry Brigade
689:West Yorkshire Regiment
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484:
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1447:Long-range Penetration
971:"17 Infantry Division"
958:The Black Cat Division
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756:70th Field Company, IE
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305:is a formation of the
303:17th Infantry Division
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656:Arthur Edward Cumming
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340:
197:Battle of Bilin River
975:Orders of Battle.com
808:7th Armoured Brigade
749:60th Field Company,
707:10th Baluch Regiment
502:a Motorized infantry
319:17 Mountain Division
287:N. S. Raja Subramani
18:17th Indian Division
1145:"17 Division units"
897:Lieutenant General
596:David Tennent Cowan
395:Battle of Singapore
269:David Tennant Cowan
233:Battle honours
209:Burma Campaign 1944
124:British Indian Army
1438:1st Burma Division
1237:The Times of India
1104:The Economic Times
932:Tibet-India border
903:
864:
676:10th Gurkha Rifles
554:Battle of Meiktila
526:
351:
343:Sir Frank Messervy
291:Ram Chander Tiwari
202:Battle of Meiktila
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1285:Divisions of the
854:Post independence
769:Assigned brigades
684:Divisional Units
670:4th Gurkha Rifles
664:3rd Gurkha Rifles
641:7th Gurkha Rifles
635:5th Gurkha Rifles
577:Operation Dracula
439:"Jackie" Smyth VC
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223:Annexation of Goa
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751:Indian Engineers
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491:Battle of Imphal
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333:Second World War
311:Second World War
283:Siri Kanth Korla
214:Battle of Imphal
187:Second World War
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983:Further reading
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944:Doklam standoff
907:Operation Vijay
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725:Royal Artillery
705:7th Battalion,
696:4th Battalion,
687:1st Battalion,
674:1st Battalion,
668:1st Battalion,
662:1st Battalion,
639:1st Battalion,
633:2nd Battalion,
629:Border Regiment
627:9th Battalion,
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458:Irrawaddy River
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64:British India
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1454:3 (Chindits)
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1242:. Retrieved
1240:. 2017-10-06
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1215:. Retrieved
1213:. 2018-09-14
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1194:. Retrieved
1192:. 2021-08-11
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1149:the original
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1077:. 2016-07-01
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540:. Joined by
527:
510:Douglas DC-3
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412:
352:
327:XXXIII Corps
318:
302:
300:
1126:. July 2019
936:Sagat Singh
899:Manoj Pande
872:K S Katoch
654:(Brigadier
424:Bilin River
307:Indian Army
279:Sagat Singh
272:WA Crowther
180:Engagements
172:Nickname(s)
162:Garrison/HQ
136:Indian Army
1527:Categories
1244:2021-09-23
1217:2021-09-23
1196:2021-09-23
1175:2021-09-23
1155:2009-10-22
1130:2021-09-23
1109:2021-09-23
1081:2021-09-23
1053:2021-09-23
1032:2021-09-23
1012:References
920:Portuguese
911:KP Candeth
889:Operations
692:(attached)
512:aircraft.
355:Ahmednagar
275:KP Candeth
261:commanders
244:Commanders
82:Allegiance
1505:Emergency
546:Thabutkon
401:and took
251:commander
46:1941–1946
1463:Training
1346:Infantry
1315:Armoured
1294:Airborne
999:Memoirs
946:in 2017.
538:Meiktila
416:Moulmein
156:Division
146:Infantry
573:monsoon
565:Rangoon
561:Pyawbwe
454:Rangoon
349:, 1944.
259:Notable
249:Current
166:Gangtok
53:Country
992:
928:Sikkim
868:Ambala
479:Tiddim
466:Kalewa
420:Kuzeik
387:Malaya
325:under
323:Sikkim
133:
121:
112:Branch
103:
91:
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43:Active
567:. At
462:Assam
443:Cowan
359:India
347:Burma
238:Burma
106:India
76:India
48:1960–
990:ISBN
883:ONUC
753:(IE)
734:(IA)
727:(RA)
569:Pegu
516:1945
485:1944
472:1943
418:and
409:1942
379:Iraq
373:and
371:45th
367:44th
301:The
152:Size
142:Type
915:Goa
1529::
1512:21
1496:12
1475:39
1470:14
1433:36
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