XI Corps (United Kingdom)

XI Corps was an army corps of the British Army in World War I 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.

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)

World War II
XI Corps was reformed in the United Kingdom early in World War II.

Order of Battle Autumn 1940 


 * 15th (Scottish) Division
 * 55th (West Lancashire) Division
 * Royal Artillery
 * 147th (Essex Yeomanry) Army Field Regiment
 * 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

External sources

 * The Long Long Trail
 * Royal Artillery 1939-45