| 34th Indian Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | December 1915 – August 1923 |
| Country |  British India |
| Allegiance | British Crown |
| Branch |  British Indian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 12th Indian Division 15th Indian Division 17th Indian Division |
| Engagements | First World War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Br.-Gen.A.G. Wauchope[1] |
The34th Indian Brigade was aninfantrybrigade of theBritish Indian Army that saw active service in theMesopotamian campaign in theIndian Army during the First World War. It was reformed for theSecond World War as the34th Indian States Forces Infantry Brigade.[2]
The 34th Indian Brigade was formed inMesopotamia in December 1915 with fourbattalions newly arrived from India. It joined the12th Indian Division to replace the33rd Indian Brigade that was broken up on 7 December.[3] While with the division, it took part in theAffair of Butaniya on 14 January 1916. The division never reached full strength as units were constantly detached to support the efforts to relieve the6th (Poona) Divisionbesieged at Kut.[4] The division was broken up on 10 March 1916 and the brigade joined Corps Troops before it was posted to the new15th Indian Division in May 1916.[5]
The 15th Indian Division was formed on 7 May 1916 to replace the 12th Indian Division on the Euphrates Front; the brigade joined the division on formation. It remained with the division on the Euphrates Front until August 1917. The only significant action that the brigade took part in as part of the 15th Indian Division was theaction of As Sahilan on 11 September 1916.[6]
The brigade joined the newly formed17th Indian Division, swapping places with the50th Indian Brigade.[6] It remained with the division for the rest of the war, taking part in the action atFat-ha Gorge on theLittle Zab (23–26 October 1918) and theBattle of Sharqat (28–30 October 1918).[7]
At the end of the war, the 17th Division was chosen to form part of the occupation force for Iraq. It took part in theIraq Rebellion in 1920. In August 1923, the division was reduced to a single brigade; the last British troops left in March 1927 and the Indian ones in November 1928.[7]
The brigade had the following composition in theFirst World War:[5][8][9]
The brigade had the following commanders:[3][12][13]
| From | Rank | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2 December 1915 | Brigadier-General | E.C. Tidswell |
| 1 May 1917 | Brigadier-General | A.G. Wauchope |