I Corps (United Kingdom)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

I Corps
Waterloo Campaign

First World War[2]

Second World War

Cold War

Commanders
Notable
commanders
Harold Alexander
John Crocker
Insignia
Corps formation sign during the First World War.[3]

I Corps ("First Corps") was an

Waterloo Campaign. It served as the operational component of the British Army of the Rhine (part of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG)) during the Cold War, and was tasked with defending West Germany
.

Napoleonic precursor

Assembling an army in Belgium to fight Napoleon's resurgent forces in the spring of 1815, the Duke of Wellington 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'.[4] He placed I Corps under the command of the Prince of Orange and it was this corps that was first contacted by the advancing French at Quatre Bras 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, 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.[5]

Composition of I Corps in the Waterloo Campaign

Main article:
Order of Battle of the Waterloo Campaign

General Officer Commanding (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. In 1880 First Corps' organization was:

This scheme had been dropped by 1881.[6] The Stanhope Memorandum of 1891 (drawn up by Edward Stanhope when Secretary of State for War) 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.[7]

When the

3rd
) were widely dispersed.

The 1901 Army Estimates introduced by

St John Brodrick 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) and II Corps (Southern Command on Salisbury Plain) would be entirely formed of regular troops.[9] 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:[10]

In 1907 the title changed to 'Aldershot Corps' but reverted to simply 'Aldershot Command' the following year.[11] Finally, the Haldane Reforms 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.[12]

First World War

Pre-war planning for the

Battle of Aubers Ridge in the Spring of 1915 and alongside the Canadian Corps at the Battle of Hill 70
, 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[15]

Lieut-Gen Sir Douglas Haig

By the time of the battles of

Aubers Ridge and Festubert (May 1915), I Corps still had 1st and 2nd Divisions under command, but had been reinforced by 47th (1/2nd London) Division of the Territorial Force, and 1st Canadian Division.[17] 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.[18]

From May 1916 to August 1917,

1st South Irish Horse.[19]

On 25 September 1918, for the final battles, I Corps was transferred from First Army to Sir William Birdwood's Fifth Army.[20]

Order of Battle during the final advance in Artois 2 October-11 November 1918[2][21]

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

Second World War

Battle of France

General Sir John Dill, General Officer Commanding I Corps, inspecting soldiers digging trenches at Flines, France. Stood three away from is his Brigadier General Staff (BGS), Brigadier Arthur Percival.

During the

acting commander of II Corps, Major General Bernard Montgomery, advised Gort that Barker was in an unfit state to be left in final command, and recommended that Major General Harold Alexander 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'.[24]

Composition of I Corps in the Battle of France

The order of battle was as follows:[25]
General Officer Commanding: Lieutenant General M.G.H. Barker

North-West Europe

After returning to England I Corps then remained in the United Kingdom, based at Hickleton Hall in South Yorkshire within Northern Command on anti-invasion duties, preparing defences to repel a German invasion of the United Kingdom.[33]

Lieutenant General John Crocker, pictured here in August 1944.

I Corps, now commanded by Lieutenant General

Canadian 4th Armoured Division the British 49th Polar Bears Division and the US 104th Timberwolf Division. After the Battle of the Scheldt I Corps Headquarters then took over administration of the 21st Army Group's logistics area around the port of Antwerp, Belgium
until the end of the war.

Composition of I Corps in NW Europe Campaign

General Officer Commanding: Lieutenant-General John Crocker

Attached:

Assignments of corps to armies, and divisions to corps, changed frequently during the campaign:

As of 6 June 1944[46]

As of 7 July 1944

As of 1 August 1944 (now part of First Canadian Army)

British Army of the Rhine

After the defeat of Germany, the 21st Army Group became the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), and 1 Corps, under the command of Lieutenant-General Ivor Thomas, was transformed into a corps district, with an administrative, rather than combat, role. It was disbanded in 1947.[47]

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, its component formations were:

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 on 1 April 1956.[48]

Between 1958-60 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.[49] During the 1970s, 4th Division consisted of two "square" brigades.[50]

With the end of 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:

Following the 1981-3 reorganisation, the Corps consisted of

3rd Armoured Division and finally the 2nd Infantry Division which was tasked with rear-area security.[52]

Formations from the early 1980s to the 1990s included:

See also:
NORTHAG War Time Structure § I British Corps
Structure of the 1 British Corps in 1989.
Structure of the 1 British Corps in 1989.

With the end of the

Rheindahlen
in 1994.

General Officers Commanding

Commanders have included:[53]

From 1901 to 1905 the commander of the troops at Aldershot was also commander 1st Army Corps

Note: I Corps was disbanded at the end of the First World War and reformed at the start of the Second World War

Note: I Corps was disbanded in June 1947 and reformed in late 1951[47]

Notes

  1. ^ Cole p. 126
  2. ^ a b The long, long trail
  3. ^ JPS card no. 92
  4. ^ Hofschroer, Ligny and Quatre Bras, p.109.
  5. ^ Hofschroer, The German Victory, p.201.
  6. ^ Army List 1876–1881.
  7. ^ Dunlop ch 2.
  8. ^ Dunlop p 72.
  9. ^ Dunlop pp 130-40.
  10. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence - The 1st Army Corps". The Times. No. 36892. London. 7 October 1902. p. 8.
  11. ^ Army List
  12. ^ Dunlop p 262.
  13. ^ Neillands, p. 169.
  14. ^ Official History 1914, Volume I, p. 7.
  15. ^ Official History 1914, Volume I, Appendix 1.
  16. ^ Sir John French, Operation Order No 5, Official History 1914, Volume 1, Appendix 10.
  17. ^ Official History 1915, Volume I, Appendix 2.
  18. ^ Sanders Marble, 'Offensive versus Subsidiary Attacks, 1916–1918: The British Expeditionary Force Balancing its Options', Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Volume 87, No 351 (Autumn 2009).
  19. ^ James, p. 15.
  20. ^ Official History 1918 Volume 5, p 125.
  21. ^ Official History 1918 Volume 5, p 125 and Appendix I
  22. ^ Watson & Rinaldi, p. 22.
  23. ^ Lord & Watson, p. 234.
  24. ^ Montgomery p. 64
  25. ^ Ellis, Major L.F. "The War in France and Flanders 1939-40, Appendix I". UK Military Series.
  26. ^ "1 Corps".
  27. ^ "27 Field Regiment RA".
  28. ^ "140 (5th London) Field Regiment RA (TA)". Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  29. ^ "3 Medium Regiment RA".
  30. ^ "5 Medium Regiment RA".
  31. ^ "52 (East Lancashire) Light AA Regiment RA (TA)".
  32. ^ "1 Survey Regiment RA".
  33. ^ Newbold, p. 202
  34. ^ Hart, p.19
  35. ^ Williams, p. 466. participating in Operation Astonia, the capture of Le Havre, and the operations to clear the Channel Coast, later helping to garrison "The Island" area between Arnhem and Nijmegen in the aftermath of the failed airborne invasion of the Netherlands, Operation Market Garden.
  36. ^ Forty, p 346.
  37. ^ "102 Light AA Regiment RA (TA)". Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  38. ^ "9 Survey Regiment RA".
  39. ^ "4th Army Group RA".
  40. ^ "150 (S Notts Hussars Yeo) Field Regiment RA (TA)". Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  41. ^ "53 (London) Medium Regiment RA (TA)".
  42. ^ "65 Medium Regiment RA (TA)". Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  43. ^ "68 Medium Regiment RA (TA)".
  44. ^ "79 (Scottish Horse) Medium Regiment RA (TA)".
  45. ^ "51 (Lowland) Heavy Regiment RA (TA)".
  46. ^ Ellis, p.181
  47. ^
    ISBN 978-0-9720296-9-8
  48. ^ "4th Division". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 29 December 2006. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  49. ^ Lord & Watson 2003, p. 28.
  50. ISBN 9780972029698
    .
  51. ^ "History of BAOR". BAOR Locations. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  52. ^ Isby & Kamps, pp.256-258
  53. ^ Army Commands Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  54. ^ "No. 27360". The London Gazette. 1 October 1901. p. 6400.
  55. ^ "No. 27370". The London Gazette. 1 November 1901. p. 7048.
  56. ^ "No. 27477". The London Gazette. 26 September 1902. p. 6151.

References

External sources

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Corps_(United_Kingdom)&oldid=1196247110"