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IX Corps (United Kingdom)

February 12, 2024

This article is about the United Kingdom Army unit. For other units of the same name, see IX Corps.

IX Corps was a corps-sized formation of the British Army that existed during the First and the Second World Wars.

IX Corps
IX Corps District
Formation sign of IX Corps during the Second World War.[1]
Active1915–1919
1941–1943
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeCorps
EngagementsFirst World War

Second World War

Commanders
Notable
commanders		Frederick Stopford
Julian Byng
Alexander Hamilton-Gordon
Walter Braithwaite
John Crocker
Brian Horrocks
Insignia
Corps formation sign during the First World War.[2]

First World War edit

The IX Corps was formed in England in 1915 in readiness to make a new landing at Suvla during the Battle of Gallipoli. Headquarters was formed at the Tower of London.[3][4] Command of the corps was given to Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Stopford.[3] His handling of the corps during the August offensive, the Battle of Sari Bair warranted his replacement after only nine days with Lieutenant-General Julian Byng.

During the Gallipoli campaign the corps comprised the following divisions:[5]

Following the British evacuation of Gallipoli, the corps was moved to France in 1916, where it was commanded by Alexander Hamilton-Gordon until he was relieved in 1918.[3]

In April 1918 the corps was allotted those divisions which had suffered severe casualties in the fighting during the Operation Michael the First Battle of the Somme (1918) and the Battle of the Lys,[7]

These divisions were moved south to a quiet sector to reform. This sector was the unlucky target of the next German offensive, the Third Battle of the Aisne in May–June 1918, causing further losses to IX Corps. General Denis Duchêne, commander of the French Sixth Army, had deployed IX Corps (five divisions) too far forward, on the Chemin des Dames ridge, which had been gained at such cost in the Second Battle of the Aisne the previous year. (The French Commander-in-Chief Philippe Pétain and the Army Group Commander Franchet d’Esperey would have preferred the ridge to be lightly held and the main defence to be a battle zone between it and the River Aisne).[8]

In September 1918 the following divisions joined the corps:

At the time of the Armistice the IX Corps was part of the Fourth Army.

Second World War edit

Disbanded in 1919 after the First World War, IX Corps was reformed during the Second World War in Britain in April 1941, under the command of Lieutenant-General Ridley Pakenham-Walsh. The 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division and the Durham and North Riding County Division transferred to IX Corps from X Corps on 9 April 1941, which suggests this is the date the IX Corps became effective. The Northumberland County Division joined IX Corps the following day.

The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was transferred to the corps, commanded by Lieutenant-General Edwin Morris, on 21 November 1941. On 30 November, both of the county divisions were disbanded, and on 1 December 1941, the corps was renamed IX Corps District. The 15th Division left the IX Corps District on 28 September 1942, to transfer to Northumbrian District, suggesting the corps temporarily ceased to be operational on this date.

IX Corps, now commanded by Lieutenant-General John Crocker, was sent to take part in the Tunisian Campaign in the British First Army (Lieutenant-General Kenneth Anderson). The IX Corps headquarters, with Brigadier Gordon MacMillan as its chief of staff, landed in and opened as the reserve for the Allied 18th Army Group on 24 March 1943. The 6th Armoured Division transferred to the corps from V Corps on 12 March 1943. The corps also took command of the US 34th Infantry Division and the 128th Infantry Brigade Group, part of the 46th Infantry Division and commenced an attack on Pinchon-Fondouk on the southern flank of the First Army.

For the final offensive in North Africa several veteran formations from the Eighth Army (General Sir Bernard Montgomery) arrived to reinforce the IX Corps, which was to play a leading role in the final offensive. The British 7th Armoured Division, from the Eighth Army, joined IX Corps on 30 April. The 4th Indian Infantry Division, also from the Eighth Army, joined on 30 April, followed by the 201st Guards Brigade, with the 4th Infantry Division joining on 3 May. This gave IX Corps, now commanded by Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks (replacing Crocker who had been injured by a PIAT in a training incident), two armoured divisions and two infantry divisions. The final assault commenced on 5 May with the two infantry divisions forcing the Medjez-el-Bab gap, through which the two armoured divisions passed through to bring about the eventual surrender of the Axis forces on 13 May 1943.

With the surrender of almost 250,000 Axis soldiers in North Africa, the 7th Armoured Division transferred to V Corps on 18 May 1943, the 4th Infantry Division following it four days later, and the 6th Armoured Division (with the attached 201st Guards Brigade) on 26 May. IX Corps, with no commander after Horrocks returned to X Corps and as Crocker was still injured, was disbanded on 31 May 1943.[10]

General Officers Commanding edit

First World War commanders included:[4][11]

Second World War commanders included:

Notes edit

  1. ^ Cole p. 29
  2. ^ JPS card no. 87
  3. ^ a b c The British Corps of 1914-1918 at Long, Long Trail
  4. ^ a b c Becke, pp. 185–91.
  5. ^ 6 August 1915 Suvla Bay landings at Royal Munster Fusiliers website
  6. ^ Lord & Watson, p. 184.
  7. ^ Wyrall p. 335
  8. ^ Harris 2008, p477
  9. ^ [6th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)]
  10. ^ IX Corps at British Military History
  11. ^
  12. ^ Frederick Stopford at First World War Biography
  13. ^ Julian Byng at First World War Biography
  14. ^ Hamilton-Gordon at Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  15. ^ Walter Braithwaite at First World War Biography

References edit

  • Maj A.F. Becke, History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 4: The Army Council, GHQs, Armies, and Corps 1914–1918, London: HM Stationery Office, 1944/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-43-6.
  • Cole, Howard (1973). Formation Badges of World War 2. Britain, Commonwealth and Empire. London: Arms and Armour Press.
  • Cliff Lord & Graham Watson, Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the Corps (1920–2001) and its Antecedents, Solihull: Helion, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-92-2.
  • Harris, J. P. Douglas Haig and the First World War. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-521-89802-7
  • JPS Cigarette card series, Army, Corps and Divisional Signs 1914–1918, John Player and sons, 1920s.
  • Wyrall, E. (2002) [1939]. The History of the 50th Division, 1914–1919 (Naval & Military Press ed.). London: P. Lund, Humphries. ISBN 1-84342-206-9.

Online sources edit

  • British Military History
  • First World War Biographies
  • Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  • The Long, Long Trail
  • Royal Munster Fusiliers website

February 12, 2024
corps, united, kingdom, this, article, about, united, kingdom, army, unit, other, units, same, name, corps, corps, corps, sized, formation, british, army, that, existed, during, first, second, world, wars, corpsix, corps, districtformation, sign, corps, during. This article is about the United Kingdom Army unit For other units of the same name see IX Corps IX Corps was a corps sized formation of the British Army that existed during the First and the Second World Wars IX CorpsIX Corps DistrictFormation sign of IX Corps during the Second World War 1 Active1915 19191941 1943Country United KingdomBranch British ArmyTypeCorpsEngagementsFirst World War Gallipoli Campaign Battle of Messines 1917 Third Battle of Ypres Battles of the Lys Battle of the Aisne 1918 Battles of the Hindenburg Line Final Advance in PicardySecond World War Tunisian CampaignCommandersNotablecommandersFrederick StopfordJulian ByngAlexander Hamilton GordonWalter BraithwaiteJohn CrockerBrian HorrocksInsigniaCorps formation sign during the First World War 2 Contents 1 First World War 2 Second World War 3 General Officers Commanding 4 Notes 5 References 6 Online sourcesFirst World War editThe IX Corps was formed in England in 1915 in readiness to make a new landing at Suvla during the Battle of Gallipoli Headquarters was formed at the Tower of London 3 4 Command of the corps was given to Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stopford 3 His handling of the corps during the August offensive the Battle of Sari Bair warranted his replacement after only nine days with Lieutenant General Julian Byng During the Gallipoli campaign the corps comprised the following divisions 5 10th Irish Division 11th Northern Division 13th Western Division 53rd Welsh Division 54th East Anglian Division 2nd Mounted Division IX Corps Signals was provided by London District Signals Royal Engineers 4 6 Following the British evacuation of Gallipoli the corps was moved to France in 1916 where it was commanded by Alexander Hamilton Gordon until he was relieved in 1918 3 In April 1918 the corps was allotted those divisions which had suffered severe casualties in the fighting during the Operation Michael the First Battle of the Somme 1918 and the Battle of the Lys 7 8th Division 19th Western Division 21st Division 25th Division 50th Northumbrian DivisionThese divisions were moved south to a quiet sector to reform This sector was the unlucky target of the next German offensive the Third Battle of the Aisne in May June 1918 causing further losses to IX Corps General Denis Duchene commander of the French Sixth Army had deployed IX Corps five divisions too far forward on the Chemin des Dames ridge which had been gained at such cost in the Second Battle of the Aisne the previous year The French Commander in Chief Philippe Petain and the Army Group Commander Franchet d Esperey would have preferred the ridge to be lightly held and the main defence to be a battle zone between it and the River Aisne 8 In September 1918 the following divisions joined the corps 6th Infantry Division 9 At the time of the Armistice the IX Corps was part of the Fourth Army Second World War editDisbanded in 1919 after the First World War IX Corps was reformed during the Second World War in Britain in April 1941 under the command of Lieutenant General Ridley Pakenham Walsh The 59th Staffordshire Infantry Division and the Durham and North Riding County Division transferred to IX Corps from X Corps on 9 April 1941 which suggests this is the date the IX Corps became effective The Northumberland County Division joined IX Corps the following day The 15th Scottish Infantry Division was transferred to the corps commanded by Lieutenant General Edwin Morris on 21 November 1941 On 30 November both of the county divisions were disbanded and on 1 December 1941 the corps was renamed IX Corps District The 15th Division left the IX Corps District on 28 September 1942 to transfer to Northumbrian District suggesting the corps temporarily ceased to be operational on this date IX Corps now commanded by Lieutenant General John Crocker was sent to take part in the Tunisian Campaign in the British First Army Lieutenant General Kenneth Anderson The IX Corps headquarters with Brigadier Gordon MacMillan as its chief of staff landed in and opened as the reserve for the Allied 18th Army Group on 24 March 1943 The 6th Armoured Division transferred to the corps from V Corps on 12 March 1943 The corps also took command of the US 34th Infantry Division and the 128th Infantry Brigade Group part of the 46th Infantry Division and commenced an attack on Pinchon Fondouk on the southern flank of the First Army For the final offensive in North Africa several veteran formations from the Eighth Army General Sir Bernard Montgomery arrived to reinforce the IX Corps which was to play a leading role in the final offensive The British 7th Armoured Division from the Eighth Army joined IX Corps on 30 April The 4th Indian Infantry Division also from the Eighth Army joined on 30 April followed by the 201st Guards Brigade with the 4th Infantry Division joining on 3 May This gave IX Corps now commanded by Lieutenant General Brian Horrocks replacing Crocker who had been injured by a PIAT in a training incident two armoured divisions and two infantry divisions The final assault commenced on 5 May with the two infantry divisions forcing the Medjez el Bab gap through which the two armoured divisions passed through to bring about the eventual surrender of the Axis forces on 13 May 1943 With the surrender of almost 250 000 Axis soldiers in North Africa the 7th Armoured Division transferred to V Corps on 18 May 1943 the 4th Infantry Division following it four days later and the 6th Armoured Division with the attached 201st Guards Brigade on 26 May IX Corps with no commander after Horrocks returned to X Corps and as Crocker was still injured was disbanded on 31 May 1943 10 General Officers Commanding editFirst World War commanders included 4 11 Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stopford 12 17 June 1915 16 August 1915 Major General Beauvoir De Lisle temporary 16 24 August 1915 Lieutenant General Sir Julian Byng 13 24 August 1915 8 February 1916 Lieutenant General Sir Francis Davies 8 February 20 June 1916 Lieutenant General Alexander Hamilton Gordon 14 20 June 1916 16 July 1918 Major General Sir Robert Whigham temporary 16 July 22 July 1918 Major General Harold Higginson temporary 22 July 30 July 1918 Lieutenant General Sir Alexander Hamilton Gordon 30 July 10 September 1918 Major General Peter Strickland temporary 10 September 13 September 1918 Lieutenant General Walter Braithwaite 15 from 13 September 1918 Second World War commanders included Lieutenant General Ridley Pakenham Walsh 7 June 1941 17 November 1941 Lieutenant General Edwin Morris 18 November 1941 31 January 1942 Lieutenant General Francis Nosworthy 1 February 1942 11 September 1942 Lieutenant General John Crocker 12 September 1942 29 April 1943 Lieutenant General Brian Horrocks 29 April 1943 3 June 1943 Notes edit Cole p 29 JPS card no 87 a b c The British Corps of 1914 1918 at Long Long Trail a b c Becke pp 185 91 6 August 1915 Suvla Bay landings at Royal Munster Fusiliers website Lord amp Watson p 184 Wyrall p 335 Harris 2008 p477 6th Infantry Division United Kingdom IX Corps at British Military History Army Commands at Colin Mackie s website Frederick Stopford at First World War Biography Julian Byng at First World War Biography Hamilton Gordon at Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives Walter Braithwaite at First World War BiographyReferences editMaj A F Becke History of the Great War Order of Battle of Divisions Part 4 The Army Council GHQs Armies and Corps 1914 1918 London HM Stationery Office 1944 Uckfield Naval amp Military Press 2007 ISBN 1 847347 43 6 Cole Howard 1973 Formation Badges of World War 2 Britain Commonwealth and Empire London Arms and Armour Press Cliff Lord amp Graham Watson Royal Corps of Signals Unit Histories of the Corps 1920 2001 and its Antecedents Solihull Helion 2003 ISBN 1 874622 92 2 Harris J P Douglas Haig and the First World War Cambridge Cambridge University Press 2008 ISBN 978 0 521 89802 7 JPS Cigarette card series Army Corps and Divisional Signs 1914 1918 John Player and sons 1920s Wyrall E 2002 1939 The History of the 50th Division 1914 1919 Naval amp Military Press ed London P Lund Humphries ISBN 1 84342 206 9 Online sources editArmy Commands at Colin Mackie s website British Military History First World War Biographies Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives The Long Long Trail Royal Munster Fusiliers website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title IX Corps United Kingdom amp oldid 1175304520, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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