The British II Corps in France and Flanders

II Corps was part of the original British Expeditionary Force. Its headquarters landed at Le Havre on 15 August 1914.

Headquarters locations

  • 17 August 1914: Landrecies
  • 21 August 1914: Bavay
  • 22 August 1914: Sars-la-Bruyère (Belgium)
    The “Retreat from Mons” (period to 5 September)
  • 24 August 1914: Hon-Hergies and then Bavai
  • 25 August 1914: Bertry
  • 26 August 1914: Saint-Quentin
  • 27 August 1914: Ham
  • 28 August 1914: Cuts
  • 29 August 1914: Haute-Fontaine
  • 31 August 1914: Crépy-en-Valois
  • 1 September 1914: Nanteuil
  • 2 September 1914: Monthyon
  • 3 September 1914: Maisoncelles
  • 5 September 1914: Tournan (chateau Boulayes)
  • 7 September 1914: Faremoutiers
  • 9 September 1914: Sarcy
  • 15 September 1914: Chateau Muret
  • 4 October 1914: Verberie
    Move of the British Expeditionary Force from the Aisne to Flanders (period to 11 October 1914)
  • 8 October 1914: Abbeville
  • 9 October 1914: Hesdin
  • 10 October 1914: Monchy-Cayeux
  • 11 October 1914: Lozinghem
  • 12 October 1914: Hinges
  • 31 October 1914: Hazebrouck
  • 19 November 1914: Bailleul
  • 20 June 1916: Doullens
  • 23 June 1916: Villers-Bocage
  • 23 July 1916: Dommart
  • 24 July 1916: Senlis (Somme)
  • 1 December 1916: Crécy-en-Ponthieu
  • 21 January 1917: Senlis
  • 27 March 1917: Pernes
  • 28 March 1917: Aire-sur-la-Lys
  • 20 May 1917: Steenvoorde
  • 24 June 1917: Hooggraaf (south of Poperinge)
  • 5 September 1917: Lillers
  • 10 October 1917: Esquelbecq
  • 2 November 1917: Vogeltje convent (near Poperinghe)
  • 17 November 1917: La Lovie chateau (near Poperinghe)
  • 27 April 1918: Houtkerque
  • 30 August 1918: La Lovie chateau
  • 8 October 1918: Vlamertinghe
  • 17 October 1918: Noordemdhoek
  • 19 October 1918: Rolleghem Capelle
  • 28 October 1918: Courtrai
  • 18 November 1918: Lessines
  • 21 November 1918: Hal
  • 24 November 1918: Wavre
  • 28 November 1918: Huy
  • 30 November 1918: Angleur
  • 3 December 1918: Verviers
  • 7 December 1918: Düren (Germany)
  • 9 November 1918: Lindenthal
  • 10 March 1919: Leverkusen (until 14 November 1919 when Corps HQ was disbanded)

Commanding Officers

Lieutenant-General Sir James Grierson (died 17 August 1914)
21 August 1914: Lieutenant-General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien (to 1 January 1915)
1 January 1915: Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Fergusson (to XVII Corps 25 May 1916)
25 May 1916: Lieutenant-General Sir Claud Jacob (and thereafter)

Imperial War Museum photograph Q7213, with thanks. Lieutenant-General Sir Claud William Jacob and his staff on the Hohenzollern Bridge at Cologne, Germany, taking the salute at the march past of the 29th Division, on entering the city as part of teh Army of Occupation. The column took four hours to pass. Friday, 13 December 1918.

Battles and Engagements

The Battles Nomenclature Committee of 1921 defined II Corps as participating in the following:

Under direct command of General Headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force

Retreat from Mons (23 August – 5 September 1914) including the Battle of Mons (23-24 August) and the Battle of Le Cateau (26 August).

The advance to the Aisne (6 September –  1 October 1914) including the Battle of the Marne (7-10 September), the Battle of the Aisne (12-15 September) and the Actions on the Aisne Heights (20 September 1914)

The Battle of La Bassée (10 October – 2 November 1914)

The attack on Wytschaete (14 December 1914)

Second Army

The capture of Hill 60 (17-22 April 1915)

The Second Battles of Ypres, 1915 (22 April to 25 May) (although II Corps is not wholly associated with any of its constituent phases)

Fourth Army

The Battles of the Somme, 1916:

The Battle of Bazentin (14-17 July 1916)

Reserve Army

The Battle of Pozières (15 July – 3 September 1916)

The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15-22 September 1916)

The Battle of Thiepval (26-28 September 1916)

The Battle of the Ancre Heights (1 October – 11 November 1916)

Fifth Army

The Battle of the Ancre (13-18 November 1916)

Operations on the Ancre (11 January – 13 March 1917) including the actions of Miraumont (17-18 February 1917), the capture of the Tilloys (25 February – 2 March) and the capture of Irles (10 March 1917)

The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line (14 March – 5 April 1917)

Fifth Army

The Third Battles of Ypres, 1917:

The Battle of Pilkem (31 July – 2 August 1917) and the capture of Westhoek (10 August 1917)

The Battle of Langemarck (16-18 August 1917)

Second Army

The Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 October – 10 November 1917) (II Corps entered area 2 November)

The Final Advance in Flanders:

The Battle of Ypres, 1918 (28 September -2 October 1918)

The Battle of Courtrai (14-19 October 1918) and the actions of Ooteghem (25 October) and Tieghem (31 October)

Links

The British Corps headquarters in France and Flanders