20th Infantry Division ( India ) The Indian 20th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II , formed in India , and took part in the Burma Campaign during World War II . In the immediate aftermath of the War , the bulk of the division reoccupied French Indochina . Formation . The division was formed at Bangalore in April , 1942 . It was commanded by Major General Douglas Gracey and at first it consisted of the Indian 32nd , 51st and 53rd Brigades . In July that year , the 51st and 53rd Brigades were detached to form the Indian 25th Infantry Division , and replaced by the Indian 80th Infantry Brigade and Indian 100th Infantry Brigade ( the latter brigade being transferred from the 34th Division which had recently disbanded in Ceylon ) . The division was intended from the start for operations in jungle and mountain and was on a Mixed Animal and Mechanical Transport establishment for maintenance in rough country . The division ' s insignia was a hand wielding a tulwar , in white on black . After training in Southern India and Ceylon , the Division joined Indian XV Corps at Ranchi in Bihar in December , but from July , 1943 , it was transferred to IV Corps in Imphal . Battle of Imphal . At the start of the Battle , 20th Division was deployed forward to Tamu in the Kabaw Valley . To avoid being cut off , it retreated to the Shenam Saddle in the hills surrounding the Imphal Plain . Because Indian 17th Infantry Division was in difficulty in its sector , 32nd Brigade was temporarily detached to 17th Division . With other detachments , 20th Division was reduced to only five battalions to defend the Saddle against the Japanese " Yamamoto Force " . During April and the first part of May , 20th Division held the saddle against attacks by infantry , tanks and heavy artillery . It was then relieved in place , and ordered to counter - attack north - east from Imphal to Ukhrul . The monsoon had broken , and movement was very difficult . After several Japanese counter - attacks , at the start of July the division was transferred to Indian XXXIII Corps and slowly eliminated large numbers of Japanese in and around the village ( which had been made into a Japanese communication and logistic centre ) . Battle of Central Burma . During the remainder of the monsoon , the division rested around Dimapur . As the monsoon ended , it moved into a bridgehead across the Chindwin River at Kalewa . It attacked southward on December 4 , and cleared Japanese rearguards from Monywa . On 13 February 1945 , the division made a crossing of the Irrawaddy River 20 miles west of Mandalay . The boats used were leaky , and other items of equipment already worn out . The first precarious footholds were counterattacked every night for a week , but were eventually linked up into a single solid bridgehead . On 13 March , 20th Division attacked southward , gaining immediate success against the understrength Japanese 31st Division . A column formed from the divisional reconnaissance unit and an attached tank unit , known as " Claudecol " , reached far into the Japanese rear before turning north and mopping up the disorganised enemy . Southern Burma . In early April , two of the division ' s brigades were converted to lorried infantry by acquiring the vehicles from the British 2nd Infantry Division which was being withdrawn to India . The division fought its way southward along the east bank of the Irrawaddy until linking up with units of the Indian XV Corps which had occupied Rangoon in Operation Dracula . During this period the 22nd ( East Africa ) Infantry Brigade was attached to the division , from 28 June to 11 August 1945 . Indochina . In August , 1945 , the Japanese surrendered after two atomic weapons were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki . The Allied South East Asia Command ' s area of responsibility was expanded to embrace several countries including French Indochina . While Chinese troops occupied the northern part of the country , Gracey ' s division occupied the southern part in what was codenamed Operation Masterdom . The division ' s tasks were the release of former Allied prisoners of war and the disarming and repatriation of occupying Japanese units . Later , the division was instructed to hand over to the returning French regime before returning to India . There were several battles with Viet Minh who were intent on achieving independence . Gracey , never one to mince his words , criticised the French for their dismissive attitude towards his Indian and Gurkha units . The division was disbanded in India in 1946 .