| 30th Indian Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | October 1914 – 29 April 1916 |
| Country |  British India |
| Allegiance | British Crown |
| Branch |  British Indian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 10th Indian Division 12th Indian Division 6th (Poona) Division |
| Engagements | First World War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Br.-Gen.C.J. Melliss |
The30th Indian Brigade was aninfantrybrigade of theBritish Indian Army that saw active service with theIndian Army during the First World War. It initially saw active service in Egypt in 1915, before transferring toMesopotamia. It took part in a number of battles and actions before beingbesieged at Kut and going into Turkish captivity in April 1916.
The 30th Indian Brigade was formed in October 1914 as part ofIndian Expeditionary Force F (along with the28th and29th Indian Brigades) and sent to Egypt.[1]
After arriving in Egypt, it joined the10th Indian Division when it was formed on 24 December. It served on theSuez Canal Defences, notably taking part in theActions on the Suez Canal on 3–4 February 1915. After the defeat of the Turkish attempts to cross the canal, the division was dispersed and the brigade was sent toMesopotamia in March 1915.[2]
The brigade joined the12th Indian Division in Mesopotamia in April 1915.[3] With the division, the brigade took part in theBattle of Shaiba (12–14 April), theAffair of Khafajiya (14–16 May), theActions for Nasiriya (5, 13–14, 24 July) and the Occupation ofNasiriya (25 July).[4]
The brigade was attached to the6th (Poona) Division in September 1915.[5] It took part in theBattle of Kut al Amara (28 September), theBattle of Ctesiphon (22–24 November) and theAffair of Umm at Tubul (1 December). After the Battle of Ctesiphon it was decided to withdraw the division toKut where it wasbesieged. With the fall of Kut in April 1916, the brigade passed into Turkish captivity.[6]
The brigade commanded the following units in theFirst World War:[7][8][9]
The brigade was commanded throughout its existence in the First World War byMajor-GeneralC.J. MellissVC.[11][12][5] He went into captivity with his brigade.