I Corps ("First Corps") was an

army 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 formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...

in existence as an active formation in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

for most of the 80 years from its creation in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

until the end of the Cold War, longer than any other corps. It had a short-lived precursor during the

Waterloo Campaign The Waterloo campaign, also known as the Belgian campaign (15 June – 8 July 1815) was fought between the French Army of the North (France), Army of the North and two War of the Seventh Coalition, Seventh Coalition armies, an Anglo-allied arm ...

. It served as the operational component of the

British Army of the Rhine British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was the name given to British Army occupation forces in the Rhineland, West Germany, after the First and Second World Wars, and during the Cold War, becoming part of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) tasked ...

(part of NATO's

Northern Army Group The Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) was a NATO military formation comprising four Western European Army Corps, during the Cold War as part of NATO's forward defence in western Germany. The Army Group headquarters was established on 1 November 1952 ...

(NORTHAG)) during the Cold War, and was tasked with defending

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

Napoleonic precursor

Assembling an army in Belgium to fight Napoleon's resurgent forces in the spring of 1815, the

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

formed it into army corps, deliberately mixing units from the Anglo-Hanoverian, Dutch-Belgian and German contingents so that the weaker elements would be stiffened by more experienced or reliable troops. As he put it: 'It was necessary to organize these troops in brigades, divisions, and corps d’armee with those better disciplined and more accustomed to war'. He placed I Corps under the command of the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by the stadtholders of, and then the heirs apparent of ...

and it was this corps that was first contacted by the advancing French at

Quatre Bras Quatre Bras (, French for crossroads; literally "four arms") is a hamlet in the municipality of Genappe, Wallonia, Belgium. It lies on the crossroad of the Charleroi–Brussels road (currently named N5) and the Nivelles–Namur road south of G ...

on 16 June 1815. However, Wellington did not employ the corps as tactical entities, and continued his accustomed practice of issuing orders directly to divisional and lower commanders. When he drew up his army on the ridge at

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, 1815 battle where Napoleon's French army was defeated by Anglo-allied and Prussian forces * Waterloo, Belgium Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Australia * Waterloo, New South Wale ...

, elements of the various corps were mixed up, and although he gave the Prince of Orange nominal command of the centre, that officer had different forces under him. Subsequent to the battle, the corps structure was re-established for the advance into France, I Corps being commanded by Maj-Gen Sir John Byng, the Prince of Orange having been wounded at Waterloo.

Composition of I Corps in the Waterloo Campaign

General Officer Commanding General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC ...

(GOC): General The Prince of Orange * 1st (British) Division (British Guards) * 3rd (British) Division (Anglo-Hanoverian) * 2nd (Netherlands) Division (Dutch-Belgian) * 3rd (Netherlands) Division (Dutch-Belgian)

Prior to the First World War

After Waterloo the army corps structure largely disappeared from the British Army, except for ad hoc formations assembled during annual manoeuvres (e.g. Army Manoeuvres of 1913). In 1876 a Mobilisation Scheme for eight army corps was published, with 'First Corps' based on

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

. In 1880 First Corps' organization was: * 1st Division (Colchester) ** 1st Brigade (Colchester) *** 1st Bn. 2nd Foot (Colchester), 1st Bn. 10th Foot (Colchester) ** 2nd Brigade (Colchester) *** 1st Bn.

9th Foot The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

(Kinsale),

28th Foot The 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1694. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot to form the Gloucestershire R ...

(Fermoy) ** Divisional Troops *** 2nd Bn.

12th Foot The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army with a history dating back to 1685. It saw service for three centuries, participating in many wars and conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars, before ...

(Portsmouth),

Buckinghamshire Yeomanry The Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry is an Operational Hygiene Squadron of the Royal Logistic Corps, originally formed as cavalry in 1794, and has also served in artillery and signals roles. The lineage is continued by 710 (Royal Buckinghamshire Hu ...

(Buckingham), 1st Company

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

(Shorncliffe) ** Artillery *** F/1st Brigade

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 ...

(Ipswich), D/1st Brigade RA (Woolwich) * 2nd Division (Chelmsford) ** 1st Brigade (Chelmsford) *** 1st Bn.

15th Foot In music, a fifteenth or double octave, abbreviated ''15ma'', is the interval between one musical note and another with one-quarter the wavelength or quadruple the frequency. It has also been referred to as the bisdiapason. The fourth harmonic, ...

(Tipperary),

47th Foot The 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in Scotland in 1741. It served in North America during the Seven Years' War and American Revolutionary War and also fought during the Napoleonic Wars and ...

(The Curragh) ** 2nd Brigade (Warley) *** 1st Bn. 3rd Foot (Shorncliffe), 49th Foot (Dover), 55th Foot (Shorncliffe) ** Divisional Troops *** 1st Bn. 23rd Foot (Woolwich),

Hertfordshire Yeomanry The Hertfordshire Yeomanry was a Yeomanry Cavalry regiment of the British Army that could trace its formation to the late 18th century. First seeing mounted service in the Second Boer War and World War I, it subsequently converted to artillery. Th ...

(St Albans), 20th Company Royal Engineers (Chatham) ** Artillery *** I/4th Brigade RA (Newcastle), N/4th Brigade RA (Woolwich), M/4th Brigade RA (Newcastle) * 3rd Division (Gravesend) ** 1st Brigade (Gravesend) ***

77th Foot The 77th (East Middlesex) Regiment of Foot (The Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line regiment of the British Army, raised in 1787. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot to form the Duke of Ca ...

(Dublin),

104th Foot The 104th Regiment of Foot (Bengal Fusiliers) was a regiment of the British Army, raised by the Honourable East India Company in 1765. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 101st Regiment of Foot (Royal Bengal Fusiliers) to form t ...

(Belfast), 105th Foot (Newry) ** 2nd Brigade (Chatham) *** 2nd Bn.

5th Foot The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution and ...

(Chatham), 31st Foot (Chatham), 86th Foot (Chatham) ** Divisional Troops ***

87th Foot The 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 89th (Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot to form the Princess Victoria's (Roy ...

(Limerick), West Kent Yeomanry (Maidstone), 22nd Company Royal Engineers (Woolwich) ** Artillery *** O/4th Brigade RA (Weedon), A/5th Brigade RA (Weedon) * Cavalry Brigade (Maldon) **

3rd Hussars The 3rd (The King's Own) Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, including the First and the Second World Wars, before being amalgamated with the 7th Queen's Own Hussars, to ...

(Colchester),

4th Hussars The 4th Queen's Own Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, including the World War I, First World War and the World War II, Second World ...

(Shorncliffe),

Suffolk Yeomanry The Duke of York's Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army. Originally formed as a volunteer cavalry force in 1793, it fought in the Second Boer War as part of the Imperial Yeomanry. In World War I the regiment fough ...

(Bury St Edmunds), F Battery C Brigade

Royal Horse Artillery The Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) was formed in 1793 as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery (commonly termed Royal Artillery) to provide horse artillery support to the cavalry units of the British Army. Although the cavalry link rem ...

(Canterbury) * Corps Artillery (Colchester) ** E Battery C Brigade RHA (Woolwich), H Battery A Brigade RHA (Woolwich) ** G/1st Brigade RA (Woolwich), B/5th Brigade RA (Sheffield) * Corps Engineers (Colchester) ** A (Pontoons) Troop Royal Engineer Train (Aldershot) ** C (Telegraph) Troop Royal Engineer Train (Aldershot) ** 23rd Company Royal Engineers and Field Park (Chatham) This scheme had been dropped by 1881. The Stanhope Memorandum of 1891 (drawn up by

Edward Stanhope Edward Stanhope PC (24 September 1840 – 21 December 1893) was a British Conservative Party politician who was Secretary of State for War from 1887 to 1892. Background and education Born in Belgravia in London in 1840, Stanhope was the seco ...

when

Secretary of State for War The secretary of state for war, commonly called the war secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The secretary of state for war headed the War Offic ...

) laid down the policy that after providing for garrisons and India, the army should be able to mobilise three army corps for home defence, two of regular troops and one partly of militia, each of three divisions. Only after those commitments, it was hoped, might two army corps be organised for the unlikely eventuality of deployment abroad. When the

Second Anglo-Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...

was imminent in September 1899, a field army, referred to as the Army Corps (sometimes I Army Corps) was mobilised and sent to Cape Town. It was, in fact, 'about the equivalent of the First Army Corps of the existing mobilization scheme', and was placed under the command of Gen Sir

Redvers Buller General Sir Redvers Henry Buller, (7 December 1839 – 2 June 1908) was a British Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He served as Commander-in-Chief ...

, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Aldershot Command. However, once in South Africa the corps never operated as such, and the three divisions (

1st First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds, The Second, or (The) 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Minute and second of arc, ...

and 3rd) were widely dispersed. The 1901 Army Estimates introduced by

St John Brodrick William St John Fremantle Brodrick, 1st Earl of Midleton, KP, PC, DL (14 December 185613 February 1942), styled as St John Brodrick until 1907 and as Viscount Midleton between 1907 and 1920, was a British Conservative and Irish Unionist Al ...

allowed for six army corps based on the six regional commands (Aldershot, Southern, Irish, Eastern, Northern and Scottish) of which only I Corps (

Aldershot Command Aldershot Command was a Home Command of the British Army. History After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, reformers of the British Army decided to create a permanent training camp at Aldershot. To begin the preliminary work a smal ...

) and II Corps ( Southern Command on Salisbury Plain) would be entirely formed of regular troops. However, these arrangements remained theoretical, the title 'I Corps' being added to Aldershot Command. In early October 1902 a memorandum was issued showing the organization and allocation of the 1st Army Corps, to which Sir John French had recently been appointed in command: * 1st Division ** 1st Brigade (Guards) (Marlborough Lines) ** 2nd Infantry Brigade (HQ Blackdown) ** One squadron of cavalry, two brigade divisions

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It was created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of the regiment, the ...

, an ammunition column, a field company

, one company Army Service Corps, a field hospital * 2nd Division ** 3rd Infantry Brigade (HQ Stanhope Lines) ** 4th Infantry Brigade (HQ Wellington) ** One squadron of cavalry, two brigade divisions

, an ammunition column, a field company

, one company Army Service Corps, a field hospital * 3rd Division ** 5th Infantry Brigade (HQ Bordon) ** 6th Infantry Brigade (HQ Bordon) ** One squadron of cavalry, two brigade divisions

, an ammunition column, a field company

, one company Army Service Corps, a field hospital * 1st Cavalry Brigade (South Cavalry Barracks) In 1907 the title changed to 'Aldershot Corps' but reverted to simply 'Aldershot Command' the following year. Finally, the

Haldane Reforms The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the " Childers Reforms" of the e ...

of 1907 established a six-division British Expeditionary Force for deployment overseas, but only Aldershot Command possessed two infantry divisions and a full complement of 'army troops' to form an army corps in the field.

First World War

Pre-war planning for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) did not envisage any intermediate headquarters between GHQ and the six infantry divisions, but it was assumed that if corps HQs became necessary, then the GOC Aldershot Command would automatically become GOC I Corps in the field. On mobilisation in August 1914 the decision was made to conform to the two-division army corps organisation employed by the French armies alongside which the BEF was to operate. Sir

Douglas Haig Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (; 19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the British Army. During the First World War he commanded the British Expeditionary F ...

, then commanding at Aldershot, therefore took I Corps HQ to France with 1st Division and 2nd Division under command, and it remained on the Western Front throughout the war. It had a peripheral part at the

Battle of Mons The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force (World War I), British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies of World W ...

, then saw hard fighting at the Battle of the Aisne and

First Battle of Ypres The First Battle of Ypres (, , – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. The battle was part of the First Battle of Flanders, in which German A ...

in 1914, at the

Battle of Aubers Ridge The Battle of Aubers (Battle of Aubers Ridge) was a British offensive on the Western Front on 9 May 1915 during the First World War. The battle was part of the British contribution to the Second Battle of Artois, a Franco-British offensive int ...

in the Spring of 1915 and alongside the

Canadian Corps The Canadian Corps was a World War I corps formed from the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September 1915 after the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France. The corps was expanded by the addition of the 3rd Canadian Division in December 19 ...

at the

Battle of Hill 70 The Battle of Hill 70 took place in the First World War between the Canadian Corps and attached units against five divisions of the German 6th Army. The battle took place along the Western Front on the outskirts of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Ca ...

, as well in many other large battles of the First World War.

Composition of I Corps in First World War

The composition of army corps changed frequently. Some representative orders of battle for I Corps are given here. Order of Battle at Mons 23 August 1914

: Lieut-Gen Sir

* Brigadier-General, General Staff (BGGS): J.E.

Gough Gough ( ) is a surname. The surname may derive from the Welsh language, Welsh (English: "red"),Farrar-Hockley 1974, pp. 2–3 possibly given as a nickname to someone with red hair or a red complexion. Another possible derivation is that it was a ...

VC * Brigadier-General,

: H.S. Horne *

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

: Brig-Gen Spring R. Rice * 1st Division * 2nd Division * Army Troops attached (20 August 1914) ** 1st Army HQ Signal Company,

*** D (Air Line) Section *** G, K & L (Cable) Sections ** No 2 Section, 1st Printing Company, Royal Engineers ** No 1 Bridging Train, Royal Engineers ** B Squadron,

North Irish Horse The North Irish Horse was a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War. Raised and patronised by the nobility from its inception to the present day, it was o ...

** Company, 1st Bn Cameron Highlanders ** B & C Sections, No 19 Field Ambulance,

RAMC The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

By the time of the battles of

Aubers Ridge The Battle of Aubers (Battle of Aubers Ridge) was a British offensive on the Western Front on 9 May 1915 during the First World War. The battle was part of the British contribution to the Second Battle of Artois, a Franco-British offensive int ...

and

Festubert Festubert () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France southwest of Lille. The village was on the Western Front during the First World War and was largely destroyed in the May 1915 Battle of Festubert ...

(May 1915), I Corps still had 1st and 2nd Divisions under command, but had been reinforced by

47th (1/2nd London) Division The 47th (1/2nd London) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force. Formation The Territorial Force (TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of the Territorial and Res ...

of the Territorial Force, and

1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short notice, and is staffed and ...

. Once the era of trench warfare had set in on the Western Front (1915–17), the BEF left its army corps in position for long periods, so that they became familiar with their sector, while rotating divisions as they required rest, training, or transfer to other sectors. From May 1916 to August 1917, I Corps Cavalry Regiment was provided by the 1st South Irish Horse. On 25 September 1918, for the final battles, I Corps was transferred from First Army to Sir William Birdwood's Fifth Army. Order of Battle during the final advance in Artois 2 October-11 November 1918

: Lieut-Gen Sir Arthur Holland
BGGS: Brig-Gen G.V. Hordern
Deputy Adjutant & Quartermaster-General: Brig-Gen N.G. Anderson
Commander, Royal Artillery: Brig-Gen H.C. Sheppard
Commander, Heavy Artillery: Brig-Gen F.G. Maunsell
Commander, Engineers: Brig-Gen H.W. Gordon *

15th (Scottish) Division The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that served in the First World War. The 15th (Scottish) Division was formed from men volunteering for Kitchener's Army, and served from 1915 to 1918 on the Wes ...

16th (Irish) Division The 16th (Irish) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised for service during World War I. The division was a voluntary 'Service' formation of Lord Kitchener's New Armies, created in Ireland from the 'National Volunteers', ...

55th (West Lancashire) Division The 55th (West Lancashire) Division was an infantry division of the British Army's Territorial Force (TF) that saw extensive combat during the First World War. It was raised initially in 1908 as the West Lancashire Division. Following the ou ...

(transferred to III Corps on 8 October) * 58th (2/1st London) Division (transferred from VIII Corps/First Army on 14 October). *

** 133rd Army Troops Company ** 135th Army Troops Company ** 290th (Staffordshire) Army Troops Company ** 556th (Glamorgan) Army Troops Company ** 170th Tunnelling Company **

3rd Australian Tunnelling Company The 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company was one of the tunnelling companies of the Royal Australian Engineers during World War I. The tunnelling units were occupied in offensive and defensive mining involving the placing and maintaining of mines ...

** 'A' Corps Signal Company *** 5 and 85 (Motor) Airline Sections *** K and AN Cable Sections

Second World War

Battle of France

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, I Corps' first assignment was again to the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) where it was commanded by General Sir John Dill, and then Lieutenant General Michael Barker from April 1940. After the

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

broke through Allied lines in the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

in May 1940, the BEF was forced to retreat to

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

for evacuation to England. The Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the BEF, General Lord Gort, ordered Barker to form the rearguard with I Corps to cover the evacuation, and surrender to the Germans as a last resort. However, the acting commander of II Corps, Major General

Bernard Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and the ...

, advised Gort that Barker was in an unfit state to be left in final command, and recommended that Major General

Harold Alexander Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (10 December 1891 – 16 June 1969), was a senior and highly decorated British Army officer who served in both of the world wars. ...

of the 1st Division should be put in charge. Gort did as Montgomery advised, and in the event the bulk of I Corps was successfully evacuated. As Montgomery recalled: '"Alex" got everyone away in his own calm and confident manner'.

Composition of I Corps in the Battle of France

The order of battle was as follows:
General Officer Commanding: Lieutenant General M.G.H. Barker * 1st Infantry Division * 2nd Infantry Division * 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division *

** 27th Army Field Regiment (21/24 & 37/47 Batteries) ** 140th (5th London) Army Field Regiment (366 (10th London) & 367 (11th London) Batteries) ** 3rd Medium Regiment (2/11 & 6/10 Batteries) ** 5th Medium Regiment (15/17 & 20/21 Batteries) ** 52nd (East Lancashire) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (154, 155 & 156 Batteries) ** 2nd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery ** 1st Survey Regiment * I Corps Troops, Royal Engineers ** 102nd, 107th, 221st Army Field Companies ** 105th Corps Field Park Company ** 13th Corps Field Survey Company * Infantry—Machine Gun ** 2nd Battalion,

Cheshire Regiment The Cheshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The 22nd Regiment of Foot was raised by the Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk in 1689 and was able to boast an independent existence ...

** 4th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment ** 2nd Battalion,

Manchester Regiment The Manchester Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1958. The regiment was created during the 1881 Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot and the 96th R ...

North-West Europe

After returning to Britain, I Corps remained there, based at Hickleton Hall in

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...

within Northern Command, on anti-invasion duties, preparing defences to repel a German invasion of the United Kingdom. I Corps, now commanded by 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. During the Second World ...

, then took part in the

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...

on 6 June 1944 where, along with XXX Corps, under Lieutenant General Gerard Bucknall (who had commanded I Corps between April and August 1943), it was a spearhead corps of Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey's

British Second Army The British Second Army was a Field Army active during the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front throughout most of the war and later ...

, itself part of the

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...

. The corps was then involved in the

Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the N ...

in fierce attritional fighting for control of the Normandy beachhead. After fighting for two months in the

Battle for Caen The Battle for Caen (June to August 1944) was a military engagement between the British Second Army and the German in the Second World War for control of the city of Caen and its vicinity during the Battle of Normandy. Caen is about inland f ...

, I Corps was subordinated on 1 August 1944 to the

Canadian First Army The First Canadian Army () was a field army and a formation of the Canadian Army in World War II in which most Canadian elements serving in North-West Europe were assigned. It served on the Western Front from July 1944 until May 1945. It was Cana ...

, commanded by

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Harry Crerar General Henry Duncan Graham Crerar, (28 April 1888 – 1 April 1965) was a senior officer of the Canadian Army who became the country's senior field commander in the Second World War as commander of the First Canadian Army in the campaign i ...

, for the remainder of the Normandy campaign and the subsequent operations in the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

. I Corps participated in

Operation Astonia Operation Astonia was the code name for an Allied attack on the German-held Channel port of Le Havre in France, during the Second World War. The city had been declared a '' Festung'' (fortress) by Hitler, to be held to the last man. Fought from ...

(the capture of

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

) and

Clearing the Channel Coast Clearing the Channel Coast was a World War II task undertaken by the First Canadian Army in August 1944, following the Allied Operation Overlord and the victory, break-out and pursuit from Normandy. The Canadian army advanced from Normandy to ...

. I Corps later helped to garrison "The Island" area between Arnhem and Nijmegen in the aftermath of Operation Market Garden. During

Operation Pheasant Operation Pheasant, also known as the Liberation of North Brabant, was a major operation to clear German troops from the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands during the fighting on the Western Front in the Second World War. This offensiv ...

North Brabant North Brabant ( ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, Dutch Brabant or Hollandic Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to ...

, I Corps was unique in fielding divisions from several nations:

Polish 1st Armoured Division The Polish 1st Armoured Division (Polish ''1 Dywizja Pancerna, Pierwsza Dywizja Pancerna'') was an armoured division of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. Created in February 1942 at Duns in Scotland, it was commanded by M ...

, Canadian 4th Armoured Division, British 49th ''Polar Bears'' Division, and US 104th ''Timberwolf'' Division. After the

Battle of the Scheldt The Battle of the Scheldt in World War II was a series of military operations to open up the Scheldt river between Antwerp and the North Sea for shipping, so that Antwerp's port could be used to supply the Allies in north-west Europe. The oper ...

, I Corps gave up command of any combat forces. Its headquarters administered 21st Army Group's logistics area around the port of

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

until the end of the war.

Composition of I Corps in NW Europe Campaign

General Officer Commanding: Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General

* Corps troops: ** Inns of Court Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps (armoured cars) ** 6th County of London Brigade, Royal Field Artillery#62nd (6th London) Anti-Tank Regiment, 62nd (6th London) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery ** 102nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery ** 9th Survey Regiment, RA ** I Corps Troops, Royal Engineers ** 7 Signal Regiment (United Kingdom), I Corps Signals, Royal Corps of Signals Attached: * 4th Army Group, Royal Artillery ** 150th (South Nottinghamshire Hussars) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (suspended animation January 1945) ** London Heavy Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery, 53rd (London) Medium Regiment, RA (209 & 210 (London) Batteries) ** 65th (Highland) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery, 65th (Highland) Medium Regiment, RA (222 (Fraserburgh) & 223 (Banffshire) Batteries) ** 4th Lancashire Artillery Volunteers#68th (4th West Lancs) Medium Regiment, 68th Medium Regiment, RA (233 & 234 Batteries) ** 79th (Scottish Horse Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery, 79th (Scottish Horse Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, RA ** 51st (Lowland) Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery, 51st (Lowland) Heavy Regiment, RA Assignments of corps to armies, and divisions to corps, changed frequently during the campaign: As of 6 June 1944 * 3rd Division (United Kingdom), British 3rd Infantry Division * 3rd Canadian Division, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division * 6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom), 6th Airborne Division As of 7 July 1944 * British 3rd Infantry Division * 3rd Canadian Infantry Division * 51st (Highland) Division, 51st (Highland) Infantry Division * 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division * 6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom), 6th Airborne Division As of 1 August 1944 (now part of First Canadian Army) * 51st (Highland) Infantry Division * 6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom), 6th Airborne Division (returned to United Kingdom 3 September 1944) * 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division * 7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 7th Armoured Division

British Army of the Rhine

After the defeat of Germany, the 21st Army Group became the

(BAOR), and 1 Corps, under the command of Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General Ivor Thomas (British Army officer), Ivor Thomas, was transformed into a corps district, with an administrative, rather than combat, role. It was disbanded in 1947.The British Army in Germany: An Organizational History 1947-2004 By Graham Watson, Richard A. Rinaldi, Page 11
Tiger Lily, 2005, In October 1951 the corps was reactivated to become the principal combat element of the BAOR, with its headquarters in Bielefeld. In March 1952, following the reactivation of 6th Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 6th Armoured Division, its component formations were: * 2nd Infantry Division * 6th Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 6th Armoured Division * 7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 7th Armoured Division * 11th Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 11th Armoured Division Included as part of this was Canadian Forces Europe, as Canada's contribution to the NATO land forces in Germany. A Canadian mechanised brigade remained part of BAOR until 1970, until it was moved south. The size of this force, 6,700, was such that it was referred to within British circles as a "light division". 4th Division was reformed from 11th Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 11th Armoured Division on 1 April 1956. On 1 July 1960, the 5th Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 5th Division was redesignated as the 1st Division and the renamed formation took on the 1st Division's lineage and insignia. The division was located at Verden an der Aller, Germany, and formed part of the

(BAOR). The formation conducted division-wide trials using the "square brigade" concept. When they were deemed successful in 1970, all brigades within the BAOR were reorganised accordingly. The square brigade was developed in the 1950s. It called for a brigade to contain two Armoured regiment (United Kingdom), armoured regiments and two mechanised infantry battalions. In the late 1960s, new Anti-tank warfare, anti-tank and defence in depth concepts were developed as fears of a possible surprise attack by the Warsaw Pact grew. Major-General Edwin Bramall promoted these new ideas when he took command of the 1st Division in January 1972. Bramall felt there was an over-reliance on the arrival of reinforcements to resist an offensive by the Soviet Union rather than the BAOR being able to do so itself. Using the division, the new tactics were refined and were later adopted by the BAOR, and further developed at a higher level in the mid-1970s. The basic concept was to draw Soviet armoured forces into kill zones along their anticipated route of advance. These zones would be Anti-tank mine, mined, and Soviet tanks engaged by anti-tank guided missile-equipped infantry and tanks in hull down positions to inflict heavy casualties. BAOR would conduct a Withdrawal (military), fighting withdrawal as needed using its own reinforcements to counterattack any Soviet breakthroughs. It was expected such methods would allow BAOR to resist an offensive for five days without receiving external reinforcements. Because this strategy required tanks to be used in a more-defensive manner, it ran counter to the then-established doctrine that called for tanks to be used in a more-offensive capacity and in a local counterattack role. Between 1958 and 1960 the Corps was reorganised into three mixed armour/infantry divisions including five brigade groups. In 1965 these brigade groups were brought together into three centralised divisions (1st, 2nd, and 4th). In 1958, the "infantry" designation was dropped from the 2nd Infantry Division's title as part of this reorganisation. During the 1970s, 4th Division consisted of two "square" brigades. With the end of Conscription in the United Kingdom, National Service, manpower across the whole of BAOR dropped from around 77,000 to 55,000. In the late 1970s the Corps was reorganised as four small five-battle-group armoured divisions plus a roughly brigade sized infantry 'Field Force'. It then comprised: * 1st Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 1st Armoured Division * 2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 2nd Armoured Division * 3rd Division (United Kingdom), 3rd Armoured Division * 4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 4th Armoured Division - formed 1978 and served with I (BR) Corps with its headquarters at Hammersmith Barracks in Herford. * 5th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 5th Field Force In 1981, John Nott, the Secretary of State for Defence for the government 1979 United Kingdom general election, elected in 1979, announced the 1981 Defence White Paper. It, like the Mason Review, aimed to balance the British military in line with the nation's financial resources and save manpower. Resultingly, the BAOR was restructured from four armoured divisions of two brigades, into a force of three divisions of three brigades. Following the 1981-3 reorganisation, the Corps consisted of 1st Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 1st and 4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 4th Armoured Divisions, which would have manned the front line against the anticipated attack by the 3rd Shock Army (Soviet Union), Soviet 3rd Shock Army, plus in an in-depth, reserve role the 3rd Armoured Division (United Kingdom) and finally the 2nd Infantry Division which was tasked with rear-area security. 3rd Armoured Division then comprised the 4th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom), 4th (based in Münster), the 6th (Soest), and the 33rd Armoured Brigades (Paderborn). Formations from the early 1980s to the 1990s included: * 1st Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 1st Armoured Division (Verden (district), Verden) ** 7th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom), 7th Armoured Brigade ** 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 12th Armoured Brigade ** 22nd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom), 22nd Armoured Brigade * 3rd Division (United Kingdom), 3rd Armoured Division (Soest, Germany, Soest) ** 4th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North East, 4th Armoured Brigade ** 6th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 6th Armoured Brigade ** 33rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom), 33rd Armoured Brigade * 4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 4th Armoured Division (Herford) ** 11th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom), 11th Armoured Brigade ** 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 20th Armoured Brigade ** 19th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 19th Infantry Brigade (in UK) * 2nd Infantry Division (in UK) ** 15th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 15th Infantry Brigade (TA) ** 24th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 24th Airmobile Brigade ** 49th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), 49th Infantry Brigade (TA) * Artillery Division (British Army), Artillery Division (HQ Ripon Barracks, Bielefeld) : During the 1980s, the 33rd Armoured Brigade joined the 4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 4th Armoured Division and in exchange the 3rd Armoured Division received the 19th Brigade (United Kingdom), 19th Infantry Brigade (Colchester, England). During 1983, the 6th Armoured Brigade converted into the 6th Airmobile Brigade and maintained that role until 1988. I British Corps - 1989

With the end of the Cold War, in 1992 1 (BR) Corps was disbanded, and its HQ closed. Some of the staff serving in HQ 1(BR) Corps were reassigned to the new HQ United Kingdom Support Command (Germany) which was formed from the rump of HQ BAOR. The remainder of the staff formed the British component (50% of the total staff in the HQ) in the Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps (HQ ARRC), a newly instated multi-national NATO Rapid Reaction Corps HQ. The Corps Commander reported to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR, but had no troops under command except when assigned to ARRC by NATO member nations, for operations or for exercises. HQ ARRC moved to Rheindahlen Military Complex, Rheindahlen in 1994.

General Officers Commanding

Commanders have included: * 1815 General The Prince of Orange ''From 1901 to 1905 the commander of Aldershot Command, the troops at Aldershot was also commander 1st Army Corps'' * 1 October 1901: General Redvers Buller, Sir Redvers Buller * 25 October 1901: Lieutenant-General Henry Hildyard, Sir Henry Hildyard, temporary * 15 September 1902: Lieutenant-General John French, 1st Earl of Ypres, Sir John French * 1914 Lieutenant-General Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, Sir Douglas Haig * 1914–1915 Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Monro, 1st Baronet, Sir Charles Monro * 1915–1916 Lieutenant-General Hubert Gough, Sir Hubert Gough * 1916 Lieutenant General Charles Kavanagh * 1916 Major-General Havelock Hudson * 1916 Lieutenant-General Charles Alexander Anderson, Sir Charles Anderson * 1917 Major-General John Capper * 1917–1918 Lieutenant-General Arthur Holland (British Army officer), Arthur Holland * 1918 Major-General Hugh Jeudwine, Sir Hugh Jeudwine * 1918 Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Holland ''Note: I Corps was disbanded at the end of the First World War and reformed at the start of the Second World War'' * 1939–1940 General Sir John Dill * 1940 Lieutenant-General Michael Barker * 1940 Lieutenant-General

* 1940–1941 Lieutenant-General Laurence Carr * 1941–1942 Lieutenant-General Henry Willcox * 1942–1943 Lieutenant-General Frederick E. Morgan, Frederick Morgan * Apr-Aug 1943 Lieutenant-General Gerard Bucknall * 1943–1945 Lieutenant-General

* 1945 Lieutenant-General Sidney Kirkman * 1945–1947 Lieutenant-General Ivor Thomas (British Army officer), Ivor Thomas ''Note: I Corps was disbanded in June 1947 and reformed in late 1951'' * 1951–1953 Lieutenant-General Alfred Dudley Ward, Sir Dudley Ward * 1953–1954 Lieutenant-General James Cassels (British Army officer), Sir James Cassels * 1954–1956 Lieutenant-General Hugh Stockwell, Sir Hugh Stockwell * 1956–1958 Lieutenant-General Harold Pyman, Sir Harold Pyman * 1958–1960 Lieutenant-General Michael West (British Army officer), Sir Michael West * 1960–1962 Lieutenant-General Charles Phibbs Jones, Sir Charles Jones * 1962–1963 Lieutenant-General Kenneth Darling, Sir Kenneth Darling * 1963–1966 Lieutenant-General Richard Elton Goodwin, Sir Richard Goodwin * 1966–1968 Lieutenant-General John Mogg (British Army officer), Sir John Mogg * 1968–1970 Lieutenant-General Mervyn Butler, Sir Mervyn Butler * 1970–1972 Lieutenant-General John Sharp (British Army officer), Sir John Sharp * 1972–1974 Lieutenant-General Roland Gibbs, Sir Roland Gibbs * 1974–1976 Lieutenant-General Jack Harman (British Army officer), Sir Jack Harman * 1976–1978 Lieutenant-General Richard Worsley, Sir Richard Worsley * 1978–1980 Lieutenant-General Peter Leng, Sir Peter Leng * 1980–1983 Lieutenant-General Nigel Bagnall, Sir Nigel Bagnall * 1983–1985 Lieutenant-General Martin Farndale, Sir Martin Farndale * 1985–1987 Lieutenant-General Brian Kenny (British Army officer), Sir Brian Kenny * 1987–1989 Lieutenant-General Peter Inge, Baron Inge, Sir Peter Inge * 1989–1991 Lieutenant-General Charles Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank, Sir Charles Guthrie * 1991–1992 Lieutenant-General Jeremy Mackenzie, Sir Jeremy Mackenzie

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * Dunlop, Colonel John K., ''The Development of the British Army 1899–1914'', London, Methuen (1938). * Ellis, John, ''The World War II Databook''. BCA Publishing, 2003. CN 1185599. * Forty, George, ''British Army Handbook 1939-1945'', Sutton Publishing (1998). * Hart, Stephen, ''Road To Falaise'', Sutton Publishing (2004). * Hofschroer, Peter, ''1815: The Waterloo Campaign: Wellington, his German Allies and the Battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras'', London: Greenhill Books (1998) (). * Hofschroer, Peter, ''1815: The Waterloo Campaign: The German Victory'', London: Greenhill Books (1999) (). * Brian Horrocks, Horrocks, Lt-Gen Sir Brian, (1960) ''A Full Life'', London: Collins. * Isby, David, & Kamps, Charles Jr, ''Armies of NATO's Central Front'', Jane's Publishing Company (1985). * * Brig E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914–18'', London: Samson Books, 1978, ISBN 0-906304-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9. * JPS Cigarette card series, ''Army, Corps and Divisional Signs 1914–1918'', John Player and sons, 1920s. * * * Montgomery, Viscount, ''The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Montgomery'', London: Collins (1958). * * Neillands, Robin ''The Great War Generals on the Western Front 1914-18'', London: Robinson Publishing (1999). * * * Official History 1914: Edmonds, Brigadier-General Sir James E., ''Military Operations France and Belgium, 1914, Volume I: Mons, the Retreat to the Seine, the Marne and the Aisne, August–October 1914'' 3rd revised edn 1933 (reprint Imperial War Museum, 1992) (). * Official History 1915: Edmonds, Brigadier-General Sir James E., and Wynne, Capt G.C., ''Military Operations France and Belgium, 1915'' Volume II: ''Battle of Aubers Ridge, Festubert, and Loos'', London: Macmillan, 1928. * Official History 1918: Edmonds, Brigadier-General Sir James E., ''Military Operations France and Belgium, 1918 Volume V: 26 September–11 November: The Advance to Victory'' 1947 (reprint Imperial War Museum, 1992) (). * Official History 1939-40: Ellis, Major L.F., ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The War in France and Flanders 1939-1940'', London: HMSO, 1954. * * * * * The National Archives, WO 171/258-260, I Corps HQ War Diaries, January - December 1944. * Graham E. Watson & Richard A. Rinaldi, ''The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organization and Units 1889–2018'', Tiger Lily Books, 2018, . * Williams, Mary H., (compiler), "U. S. Army in World War II, Chronology 1941-1945", Washington D.C.: United States Government Publishing Office, Government Printing Office (1958).

External sources

''The Long Long Trail''

''Official History 1939-40''

British Army Locations from 1945

{{DEFAULTSORT:01 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 disestablished in 1992