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VIII Corps (United Kingdom)

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

VIII Corps
Formation sign of VIII Corps as a field formation during the Second World War.[1]
ActiveFirst and Second World Wars
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeField corps
EngagementsFirst World War[2]

Second World War

Commanders
Notable
commanders		Lt-Gen Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston
Lt-Gen Sir Richard O'Connor
Insignia
Corps formation sign as a Corps District early in the Second World War.[1]
Corps formation sign during the First World War.[3]

VIII Corps was a British Army corps formation that existed during the First and Second World Wars. In the latter, it took part in the Normandy Campaign in 1944, where it was involved in Operation Epsom and Operation Goodwood. It would later play a supporting role in Operation Market Garden and finish the war by advancing from the Rhine to the Baltic Sea.

Prior to the First World War

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In 1876, a Mobilisation Scheme was published for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland, which included eight army corps of the 'Active Army'. The '8th Corps' was to be headquartered at Edinburgh and was primarily militia formation. In 1880, its order of battle was as follows:

This scheme had been dropped by 1881.[4]

First World War

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Gallipoli

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VIII Corps was first formed at Gallipoli during the First World War. The main British battle front was at Cape Helles on the tip of the Gallipoli peninsula. As the battle became protracted, more British divisions arrived as reinforcements. In May 1915, these divisions were arranged as the British Army Corps, which was then redesignated as VIII Corps in June. The corps commander was Lieutenant-General Aylmer Hunter-Weston.[2] When Hunter-Weston relinquished command due to illness, the corps was commanded on a temporary basis by General Francis Davies.

During the Gallipoli campaign, the corps contained the following units:[5]

Western Front

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After the evacuation of Gallipoli, the corps was reformed in France in March 1916, once again under the command of Hunter-Weston, and participated in the Battle of the Somme.[citation needed]

VIII Corps was disbanded in June 1918 when Hunter-Weston moved to the XVIII Corps; however, this corps was then redesignated as VIII Corps in July 1918.[citation needed]

Second World War

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Home Defence

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VIII Corps formed part of Home Forces in the UK during the early part of the Second World War. During the Autumn of 1940, it presided over the 3rd and 48th (South Midland) Divisions.[6] Later, it would also command the 77th Infantry Division.[7] It was based at Pyrland Hall near Cheddon Fitzpaine in Somerset and its mission was to command the defence of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Bristol.[8]

North West Europe

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VIII Corps fought on the western front in 1944 and 1945 as part of the Second Army. From 21 January to 27 November 1944, it was commanded by Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor.

At the start of the Normandy Campaign, it comprised:[9]

It played a major role in Operations Epsom, Jupiter, Goodwood and Bluecoat, before being reduced in size and moved to the reserve prior to the breakout from Normandy.

The Corps fought in a supporting role during Operation Market Garden on the east flank of XXX Corps with XII Corps to the west of XXX Corps, capturing the Dutch towns of Deurne and Helmond, and took part in the advance on Venray and Venlo. Then in Operation Constellation beginning on 12 October 1944.

From early December 1944 VIII Corps, was commanded by Lieutenant-General Evelyn Barker, and took part in Operation Plunder, crossing the Rhine 28th March 1945. Following the crossing, the corps was reactivated and allocated the 2nd Army’s right flank for the advance into Germany. By April 1945 the principal formations of the corps were, 11th Armoured Division and 6th Airborne Division reinforced by 6th Guards Armoured Brigade and 1st Commando Brigade. The 15th Scottish Infantry Division joined the Corps on the 4th April. The following weeks were filled with many short but intense battles and fighting across Northern Germany. The Corps crossed the Elbe Operation Enterprise at midnight 30th April advanced north east and occupied Plön in Schleswig-Holstein. The fighting continued until the unconditional surrender by German forces on the 7th May 1945.[22]

Post-war

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In the immediate post-war period, the corps formed VIII Corps District in Schleswig-Holstein before being disbanded in 1946. Its final composition was:[23]

General Officers Commanding

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Commanders included:[24]

–
  • 18 Mar 1916 – 22 Jun 1918 Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston
–
  • 2 Jul 1918 Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston
–

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Cole p. 28
  2. ^ a b The British Corps of 1914-1918
  3. ^ JPS card no. 70
  4. ^ Army List 1876–1881.
  5. ^ "Corps History - Part 14: The Corps and the First World War (1914-18)". Royal Engineers Museum. Archived from the original on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  6. ^ 8 Corps
  7. ^ Joslen 2003, p. 100
  8. ^ "Second World War military buildings, Pyrland Hall, Cheddon Fitzpaine". Somerset County Council. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  9. ^ Anon, Bluecoat, Appendix A.
  10. ^ 8th AGRA at RA 39–45
  11. ^ (C&DY) Med Rgt at RA 39–45
  12. ^ 63 (Midland) Med Rgt at RA 39–45
  13. ^ 77 (DLOY) Med Rgt at RA 39–45
  14. ^ 146 (P&CY) Med Rgt at RA 39–45
  15. ^ 52 Hvy Rgt at RA 39–45
  16. ^ Forty p 346.
  17. ^ 91 (A&SH) A/T Rgt at RA 39–45
  18. ^ "Regiments.org". Archived from the original on 22 November 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2007.
  19. ^ 121 (Leics) LAA Rgt at RA 39–45
  20. ^ "Regiments.org". Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2007.
  21. ^ 10 Svy Rgt at RA 39–45
  22. ^ John Russell, Theirs The Strife, 2020,ISBN 978-1-913118-56-3 accessed 28th April 2023
  23. ^ Watson & Rinaldi p.7
  24. ^ "Army Commands" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.

References

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  • Anon, British Army of the Rhine Battlefield Tour: Operation Bluecoat, Germany: BAOR, 1947/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2021, ISBN 978-1-78331-812-4.
  • Cole, Howard (1973). Formation Badges of World War 2. Britain, Commonwealth and Empire. London: Arms and Armour Press.
  • George Forty, British Army Handbook 1939-1945, Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 1998 (ISBN 0 7509 1403 3).
  • Graham E. Watson & Richard A. Rinaldi, The British Army in Germany (BAOR and after): An organizational history 1947-2004, Tiger Lily Publications, 2005.
  • Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6.
  • JPS Cigarette card series, Army, Corps and Divisional Signs 1914–1918, John Player and sons, 1920s.

External sources

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