Neha Patil (Editor)

XI Corps (United Kingdom)

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Active
  
1915–1919 1940–1943

Branch
  
British Army

Notable commanders
  
Sir Richard Haking

Country
  
United Kingdom

Type
  
Corps

Engagements
  
World War I Battle of Fromelles Italian Campaign Battle of the Lys The Advance in Flanders The Final Advance in Artois

XI Corps was a corps-sized formation of the British Army, active during the Great War that served on the Western Front and in Italy. It was recreated as part of Home Forces defending the United Kingdom during World War II.

Contents

Western Front

XI Corps was formed in France on 29 August 1915 under Lt-Gen Richard Haking. Its first serious engagement (as part of Sir Charles Monro's First Army) was the Battle of Fromelles (19 July 1916), a diversion to the Somme offensive in which two untried divisions were launched into an ill-planned subsidiary attack in Flanders. It achieved nothing but cost thousands of casualties, and caused great resentment in Australia.

Order of Battle at Fromelles

General Officer Commanding Lt-Gen R. Haking

  • 61st (2nd South Midland) Division
  • 5th Australian Division

    • Italian Front

    XI Corps was one of two corps HQs moved to the Italian Front in November 1917.

    Order of Battle in Italy 1 December 1917

    GOC Lt-Gen Sir Richard Haking

    Corps Troops:

  • 1/1st King Edward's Horse
  • HQ Corps Heavy Artillery Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA)
  • 11th Cyclist Battalion Army Cyclist Corps
  • Corps Topographical Section Royal Engineers (RE)
  • Signal Troops RE (L Corps Signal Company; 27 (Motor) Airline Section; R and LC Cable Sections, *Corps Heavy Artillery Signal Section RGA)
  • Corps Siege Park Army Service Corps (ASC)
  • Corps Ammunition Park (345 (MT) Company (25 Ammunition Sub-Park) ASC)
  • 491 (MT) Company ASC, attached Corps Heavy Artillery
  • 5th (Light) Mobile Workshop Army Ordnance Corps (AOC)
  • Area Employment Company
  • Corps School

    • Return to the Western Front

    XI Corps returned to the Western Front in March 1918 in time to take part in the defence against the German Spring Offensive (the Battle of the Lys) and the final battles of the war as part of Sir William Birdwood's Fifth Army.

    Order of Battle 27 September 1918

    GOC Lt-Gen Sir Richard Haking
    Brigadier-General, General Staff: Brig-Gen J.E.S. Brind
    Deputy Adjutant & Quartermaster-General: Brig.-Gen A.F.U. Green
    Commander, Royal Artillery: Brig-Gen S.F. Metcalfe
    Commander, Heavy Artillery: Brig-Gen F.A. Twiss
    Commander, Engineers: Brig-Gen H.J.M. Marshall

  • 19th (Western) Division (to Third Army 4 October)
  • 47th (1/2nd London) Division (to III Corps 13 October)
  • 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division (from Third Army 11 October)
  • 59th (2nd North Midland) Division
  • 61st (2nd South Midland) Division (to Third Army 5 October)
  • 74th (Yeomanry) Division (from Fourth Army 2 October; to III Corps 8 October)

    • Second World War

    XI Corps was reformed in the United Kingdom early in the Second World War. It was based at Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire with a major operational base at Felsted School.

    Order of Battle Autumn 1940
  • 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division
  • 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division
  • Royal Artillery
  • 147th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
  • 72nd Medium Regiment

    • General Officers Commanding

    Commanders included:

  • 1915-1918 Lieutenant-General Richard Haking
  • Jul 1940-Nov 1941 Lieutenant-General Hugh Massy
  • Nov 1941-Mar 1942 Lieutenant-General Noel Irwin
  • Mar 1942-Sep 1942 Lieutenant-General John Crocker
  • Sep 1942-Apr 1943 Lieutenant-General Gerard Bucknall
  • Apr 1943-Jul 1943 Lieutenant-General Gerald Templer

    • References

    XI Corps (United Kingdom) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA