XXI Indian Corps XXI Corps |
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Active | 1942–1943 1990–present |
Country |
British India India |
Allegiance |
British Empire India |
Branch |
British Indian Army Indian Army |
Type | Corps |
Role | Strike |
Part of | Southern Command |
Garrison/HQ | Bhopal |
Nickname(s) | "Sudarshan Chakra Corps" |
Engagements | World War II |
Commanders | |
Current commander |
Lt General Cherish Mathson |
Indian Army Corps (1947 - Present) | |
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Previous | Next |
XVI Corps | XXXIII Corps |
XXI Corps is a corps-sized formation of the Indian Army.
The XXI Indian Corps was raised in Persia on 6 June 1942 as a formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The corps was commanded throughout its existence by Lieutenant General Mosley Mayne and was part of the Tenth Army. The corps, composed of the 8th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Dudley Russell) and the British 56th Infantry Division (Major-General Eric Miles), was created as part of the Allied buildup of forces in Persia and Iraq to create Persia and Iraq Command in order to prevent a German invasion of the Caucasus. The invasion never occurred and the corps was disbanded on 24 August 1943.
The corps was reformed as XXI Corps in 1990. It is the only strike corps in the Indian Army’s Poona-based Southern Command. After India's intervention in Sri Lanka, the provisional HQ controlling India's expeditionary force, HQ Indian Peace Keeping Force, became HQ XXI Corps in April 1990. It was then moved to Bhopal. This is both a strike corps and would also be used if India were to make another large intervention overseas.
It currently consists of: