The Indian XXXIV Corps was formed in March 1945 to be part of the British Fourteenth Army

British Fourteenth Army

The British Fourteenth Army was a multinational force comprising units from Commonwealth countries during World War II. Many of its units were from the Indian Army as well as British units and there were also significant contributions from West and East African divisions within the British Army.It...

 for Operation Zipper

Operation Zipper

During the Second World War, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it was never fully executed. Some of the proposed landings on Penang went...

, the invasion of British Malaya

British Malaya

British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...

. Significant formations under Fourteenth Army for 'Zipper,' possibly under XXXIV Corps, included 5th Indian Division, 23rd Indian Division, 25th Indian Infantry Division, and 26th Indian Infantry Division.

Since Japan surrendered before the operation could be executed, the corps, under the command of Lieutenant-General Ouvry Roberts

Ouvry Lindfield Roberts

General Sir Ouvry Lindfield Roberts, GCB, KBE, DSO was an officer in the British Army and the British Indian Army during World War I and World War II.-Military career:...

, did not see wartime service. It did, however, see occupation duty after the conflict was over.

XXXIV Corps was still active in September 1945 in Malaya, with HQ 2nd British Infantry Division, 25th Indian Division, 50th Indian Tank Brigade

50th Indian Tank Brigade

The 50th Indian Tank Brigade was an armoured formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed for service in the Burma Campaign of World War II from units of the British Army and the British Indian Army...

, and 150th Indian Infantry Brigade

150th Indian Infantry Brigade

The 150th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in March 1944, at Secunderabad as a Jungle Training Brigade assigned to the Southern Army....

, which was en route to Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

.