XI Corps was a
corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
-sized formation of the
British Expeditionary Force, active during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
that served on the
Western Front and in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. It was recreated as part of Home Forces defending the United Kingdom during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
First World War
Western Front
XI Corps was formed in France on 29 August 1915 under Lt-Gen
Richard Haking
General Sir Richard Cyril Byrne Haking, (24 January 1862 – 9 June 1945), was a British general who commanded XI Corps in the First World War.
Arguments over the late release of Haking's Corps on the first day of the Battle of Loos were instr ...
.
Its first serious engagement (as part of
Sir Charles Monro
General Sir Charles Carmichael Monro, 1st Baronet, (15 June 1860 – 7 December 1929) was a British Army General in the First World War. He held the post of Commander-in-Chief, India in 1916–1920. From 1923 to 1929 he was the Governor of Gibr ...
's
First Army) was the
Battle of Fromelles (19 July 1916), a diversion to the
Somme offensive
The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place be ...
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
The 61st (2nd South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised in 1915 during the Great War as a second-line reserve for the first-line battalions of the 48th (South Midland) Division. The division was sent to the W ...
*
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
King Edward's Horse (The King's Overseas Dominions Regiment) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1901, which saw service in the First World War.
Early history
The regiment was originally formed as part of the Imperial Yeomanry ...
* HQ Corps Heavy Artillery
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) ...
(RGA)
* 11th Cyclist Battalion
Army Cyclist Corps
The Army Cyclist Corps was a corps of the British Army active during the First World War, and controlling the Army's bicycle infantry.
History Formation
Volunteer cyclist units had been formed as early as the 1880s, with the first complete bicy ...
* Corps Topographical Section
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
(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
= Corps Headquarters Command Staff
=
*
GOC Lt-Gen Sir
Richard Haking
General Sir Richard Cyril Byrne Haking, (24 January 1862 – 9 June 1945), was a British general who commanded XI Corps in the First World War.
Arguments over the late release of Haking's Corps on the first day of the Battle of Loos were instr ...
* Brigadier-General, General Staff: Brig-Gen
J.E.S. Brind
* Deputy Adjutant & Quartermaster-General: Brig.-Gen A.F.U. Green
* Assistant Director Ordnance Services, Lt Col A.J. Herbert, NZAOC
* Commander, Royal Artillery: Brig-Gen S.F. Metcalfe
* Commander, Heavy Artillery: Brig-Gen F.A. Twiss
* Commander, Engineers: Brig-Gen H.J.M. Marshall
= Divisions attached to XI Corps
=
*
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
The 61st (2nd South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised in 1915 during the Great War as a second-line reserve for the first-line battalions of the 48th (South Midland) Division. The division was sent to the W ...
(to Third Army 5 October)
*
74th (Yeomanry) Division
The 74th (Yeomanry) Division was a Territorial Force infantry division formed in Palestine in early 1917 from three dismounted yeomanry brigades. It served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War, mostly as part of XX Corps. ...
(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
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It was based at
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, just west of the M11 motorway on the county boundary with Essex, north-east of central London, and by rail from Liverpool Street station. Stortford had an estimated po ...
in
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
with a major operational base at
Felsted School
(Keep your Faith)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public schoolIndependent day and boarding
, religion = Church of England
, president =
, head_label = Headmaster
, head = Chris Townsend
, r_head_l ...
.
;Order of Battle Autumn 1940
*
15th (Scottish) Infantry Division
The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that served during the Second World War. It was raised on 2 September 1939, the day before war was declared, as part of the Territorial Army (TA) and served in ...
*
55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division
*
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
**
147th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
The Essex Yeomanry was a Reserve unit of the British Army that originated in 1797 as local Yeomanry Cavalry Troops in Essex. Reformed after the experience gained in the Second Boer War, it saw active service as cavalry in World War I and as ar ...
** 72nd Medium Regiment
General Officers Commanding
Commanders included:
* 29 August – 4 September 1915 Major-General the
Earl of Cavan
Earl of Cavan is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1647 for Charles Lambart, 2nd Baron Lambart. He was made Viscount Kilcoursie, in the King's County, at the same time, also in the Peerage of Ireland. Lord Cavan was the son o ...
(temporary)
* 4 September 1915 – 13 August 1916 Lieutenant-General
Richard Haking
General Sir Richard Cyril Byrne Haking, (24 January 1862 – 9 June 1945), was a British general who commanded XI Corps in the First World War.
Arguments over the late release of Haking's Corps on the first day of the Battle of Loos were instr ...
* 13 August – 30 September 1916 Lieutenant-General
Sir Charles Anderson
* 30 September 1916 – 1919 Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Haking
* July 1940 – November 1941 Lieutenant-General
Hugh Massy
* November 1941 – March 1942 Lieutenant-General
Noel Irwin
* March 1942 – September 1942 Lieutenant-General
John Crocker
General Sir John Tredinnick Crocker, (4 January 1896 – 9 March 1963) was a senior British Army officer who fought in both world wars. He served as both a private soldier and a junior officer in the First World War, and as a distinguished br ...
* September 1942 – April 1943 Lieutenant-General
Gerard Bucknall
Lieutenant General Gerard Corfield Bucknall, (14 September 1894 – 7 December 1980) was a senior British Army officer who served in both the First and Second World Wars. He is most notable for being the commander of XXX Corps during the Norman ...
* April 1943 – July 1943 Lieutenant-General
Gerald Templer
Field Marshal Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer, (11 September 1898 – 25 October 1979) was a senior British Army officer. He fought in both the world wars and took part in the crushing of the Arab Revolt in Palestine. As Chief of the Imperia ...
Notes
References
*
* Official History 1918: Brigadier-General Sir James E. Edmonds, ''Military Operations France and Belgium, 1918 Volume V: 26 September–11 November: The Advance to Victory'' 1947 (reprint Imperial War Museum, 1992)
Further reading
*
External sources
''The Long Long Trail''
{{DEFAULTSORT:11 Corps
British field corps
Corps of the British Army in World War I
Corps of the British Army in World War II
Military units and formations of the British Empire in World War II