XI Corps (United Kingdom)


XI Corps was a corps-sized formation of the , 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.

First World War

Western Front

XI Corps was formed in France on 29 August 1915 under Lt-Gen Richard Haking. Its first serious engagement was the Battle of Fromelles, 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
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:
XI Corps returned to the Western Front in March 1918 in time to take part in the defence against the German Spring Offensive and the final battles of the war as part of Sir William Birdwood's Fifth Army.

Order of Battle 27 September 1918''Official History 1918'' Volume V, p 125 and Appendix I.

Corps Headquarters Command Staff
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
Commanders included:
*
*