I Corps (Australia)

For other uses, see I Anzac Corps.

I Corps of the Australian Army was the main frontline corps of the army during World War II. Various Australian and other Allied divisions came under its control at various times. In 1940-42, the corps was based in the Mediterranean Theatre. In 1942-45, it oversaw Allied frontline units in the South West Pacific Area.

The corps was established on April 11, 1940 in Melbourne, Australia, to supervise the frontline divisions of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF). Lieutenant General Thomas Blamey, the 2nd AIF commander, was appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) I Australian Corps.

Mediterranean Theatre

On 10 June, 1940, Blamey left Australia to set up his headquarters in Palestine.

The corps took over control of Cyrenaica, Libya on February 16, 1941, replacing the British XIII Corps.

In April 1941, I Corps HQ was transferred to Greece for the Greek campaign. The corps controlled the Australian 6th Division, the New Zealand 2nd Division, the Greek 12th Division and the British 1st Armoured Brigade. On April 12, it was officially renamed the Anzac Corps, a reference to the combined Australian-New Zealand formations of World War I. However, the Allied forces were quickly overcome by the German advance and I Corps HQ left Greece on April 23-24.

In June, as part of the initial plan for the invasion of Lebanon and Syria, I Corps was to take command of operations after Commonwealth forces reached the Beirut-Damascus road. However, on June 18, 1941, prior to that objective being reached, I Corps took charge, to improve command and control of the Allied forces. From this date all Allied troops in the theatre came under the command of Lt-Gen John Lavarack. They included: the Australian 7th Division (less the 18th Infantry Brigade), the Free French Division and the Indian 5th Infantry Brigade Group. Following the hard-fought Allied victory, I Corps assumed responsibility for occupying all of Lebanon and Syria north of the Beirut-Damascus road, including the border with Turkey.

South West Pacific Area

On January 3, 1942, following the outbreak of the Pacific War, the British government requested that two Australian divisions be sent to the Far East. The Australian government agreed to this request on the January 6, and ordered the redeployment of I Corps Headquarters, along with the 6th and 7th Divisions. These units had left Egypt for Java by the end of January.

Accompanying them were the two overseas regiments of the l Aust. Anti-Aircraft Brigade, namely the 1st Aust. Light AA (Bofors) Regt and the 2nd Aust. Heavy Anti-Aircraft (3.7") Regiment with the related Anti-Aircraft Signals Sections.

However, few Australian units landed in the Netherlands East Indies before it had fallen to Japanese forces. There was a dispute between Winston Churchill and Australian Prime Minister John Curtin, over whether the main part of the force should instead be sent to South Asia or Australia. However, I Corps HQ was relocated to Australia and the 6th Division (less the 19th Brigade) was detached to Ceylon, together with their complement of AA guns and Matador vehicles.

Commanders

• 1940-41: Lt Gen Thomas Blamey
• 1941-42: Lt Gen John Lavarack
• 1942: Lt Gen Sydney Rowell
• 1942-44: Edmund Herring
• 1944: Lt Gen Stanley Savige
• 1944: Lt Gen Frank Berryman
• 1944-45: Lt Gen Leslie Morshead