VII Corps (United Kingdom)
| VII Corps | |
|---|---|
| Active |
First World War Second World War |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 British Army
|
| Type | Field corps |
| Part of |
British Expeditionary Force (1915-18) GHQ Home Forces (1940, 1944-45) |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Lt-Gen Sir Thomas D'Oyly Snow KCB KCMG Lt-Gen Sir Walter Congreve VC KCB MVO |
VII Corps was an army corps of the British Army active in the Second World War. In the early part of the Second World War it was part of the defence forces of the United Kingdom, and later acted as a shadow formation for deception purposes.
In 1876 a Mobilisation Scheme was published for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland, including eight army corps of the 'Active Army'. The '7th Corps' was to be headquartered at York, formed from Irish and English militia. In 1880 its order of battle was as follows:
This scheme had been dropped by 1881.
VII Corps formed in France on 14 July 1915 under the command of Lt-General Thomas D'Oyly Snow (previously commander of 27th Division) as part of Sir Charles Monro's Third Army on the Western Front.
Order of Battle of VII Corps 14 July 1915
General Officer Commanding (GOC): Lt-Gen Sir Thomas D'O. Snow
In 1916 VII Corps remained in Third Army, now commanded by Sir Edmund Allenby. The Corps' first serious action was in the Somme Offensive of 1916, on the first day of which it carried out a disastrous diversionary attack at Gommecourt, in which 46th Division suffered 2455 casualties, and 56th Division 4313, for no permanent gain.
Order of Battle of VII Corps 1 July 1916
GOC: Lt-Gen Sir Thomas D'O. Snow
GOC, Royal Artillery: Brig-Gen C.M. Ross-Johnson
GOC, Heavy Artillery: Brig-Gen C.R. Buckle
Chief Engineer: Brig-Gen J.A. Tanner
When the German Army retreated to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917, VII Corps was the only part of Third Army required to follow up, south of the new line's pivot at Vimy Ridge.
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