33rd Indian Corps

The first Badge of the 33rd indian corps was a black silhouette of  the head of the Duke of Wellington on a green background within a red circle.  The badge was chosen by the then Corps Commander Lieut/Gen Alexander Frank Philip Christison (CSI CB DSO MC) because the Operational Area allocated to the formation covered most of the territory over which the Duke of Wellington fought whilst in India (1800-1805).

The Corps was raised in November  1942 to Command the 19th and 25th Indian Divisions, the 251st Indian Tank Brigade and other units and formations allocated to the Defence of Southern India.

As they were intended as an Amphibious Expeditionary Force, the new badge was made up of the ""trident"" for the Royal Navy, the ""sword"" for the Army and the ""wings"" for the Royal Air Force,  (a similar motif as Combined Operations).

From April 3rd 1944 to the 27th May 1945, the 33rd Corps travelled a distance of 27,127 miles from Jorhat to Rangoon, liberating some 55,500 square  miles of  enemy held territory.

The Corps had the Task of halting the Northern most Japanese drive at Kohima, following the reopening of the land route to Imphal, by continuous action through the 1944-1945 monsoons the Japanese 15th Army were driven back across the Chindwin, from where the drive to the Irrawaddy was launched culminating in the Capture of Mandalay on the 19th March 1945.

Operating South of the line of the Irrawaddy the Corps cleared the Oilfields Area around Yenaugyaung to link with the Troops pushing North from Rangoon on the 15th May 1945.

The Corps was reassigned to the Twelfth Army on the 2nd May 1945.

They were commanded by Lieut/Gen Sir M Stopford (CB DSO MC).

Order of Battle

Lieut-General Sir Montague Stopford

Brigadier General Staff

Brigadier GN Wood Brigadier F C Scott (October 13, 1944 - ?)

Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General

Brigadier D F Wilson-Haffenden

Deputy Director Medical Services

Brigadier G. J. V. Crosby

Corps Armour    

254th Indian Tank Brigade (Brigadier R L Scoones) 3rd Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers)  150th Regiment, RAC  7th Light Cavalry ( ? - April 1945) 3/4th Bombay Grenadiers 401st Field Squadron, IE 2nd Independent Bridging Troop 400th Scorpion Squadron (1 troop)

Corps Artillery Brigadier D J Stevens

1st Medium Regiment, RA 44th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA 101st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA 1st Indian Survey Regiment 8th Mahratta Anti-tank Regiment

Corps Engineers Brigadier J F D Steedman

474th Army Group Engineers (HQ) XXXIII Corps Troops Engineers (HQ) 10th Engineer batallion, IE 67th Field Company, IE 76th Field Company, IE 361st Field Company, IE 322nd Field Park Company, IE ? Mechanical Equipment platoon, IE

Corps Signals Brigadier C N Stafford

XXXIII Corps Signals

Corps Infantry

2nd suffolk Regiment (March 1945 - ?)