Taken from "History of 1 (BR) Corps 1901-1967"

The End of the War

1st April 1945 saw the start of great changes in the role of 1 Corps.  It ceased to be operational the following day, having passed on the previous day from First Canadian Army to Second British Army.  It took over administrative duties in the rear of Second Army on the west bank of the Rhine in February and March and soon afterwards, responsibility for the area taken after the Rhine crossing.

A number of changes among the formations in 1 Corps took place in early April while on 21 May 1945 the Corps was designated 1 Corps District and joined HQ 21 Army Group from Second Army.  In the following month Lt General Sir John Crocker ceased to command the Corps District, his successor being Lt General SC Kirkman.  He was succeeded in September by Lt General GI Thomas who commanded 1 Corps District until its disbandment in 1947.

HQ 1 Corps was at Walbeck until mid April 1945 when it moved to Rhede.  In mid June 1945, the Headquarters moved to Iserlohn.  Before the end of the war in early May it protected the lines of communication of Second Army.  When the war ended the Corps District was concerned with internal security, military government tasks and the disposal of German war material.

Post War Problems

The problem that loomed largest at the end of the war and the one, which occupied the Corps most, was the repatriation of former prisoners of war and displaced persons.  British and US POWs released in the Corps area were soon evacuated.  Transit centres were set up to forward westbound DPs and ex POWs from France, Belgium and Holland.  East bound ex POWs and DPs, Czechs, Greeks, Yugoslavs, as well as Italian ex POWs and DPs were repatriated in June and Russians and Poles mostly by train between July and September 1945.  The total numbers repatriated were large.  By 27th May 175000 had been repatriated while 705000 were still held.  Many DPs and ex POWs however remained behind in Germany.

1 Corps was also responsible for holding German POWs and internees.  Some of these men were soon released.   1 Corps District included an area where food, shelter, clothing and fuel were particularly short.  Each division had inspection teams, headed by an officer who was an experienced farmer to see that farms which did not deliver up their quota to the food offices and making sure they were not disposing of it for black market sale.  In October and November a shoot was organised of deer and wild pig to help in keeping the population of Germany fed.  In October 1945 there was clothing levy to help with the grave shortage of clothing while the cutting of trees for fuel was also organised.

The last months of the war and several months after it saw 1 Corps troops busy in battlefield clearance and taking over German war material.  Some material was be used by allied forces but much ammunition was destroyed, while guns, tanks, vehicles and valuable equipment were collected into guarded dumps.  A last task given to 1 Corps was the control of movement in and out of Germany.

Other problems to be faced in Germany were very numerous.  The currency in use had depreciated and was liable to be used for speculation those under military law were forbidden to possess foreign currency other than marks.   The danger of typhus had to be guarded against also minefields and booby traps were still to be found.  Other Corps District Standing Orders dealt with the procedure for release and the action taken on finding enemy records, the possession of firearms and unauthorised hunting.  1 Corps District was responsible for an area from Aachen in the west, to Minden in the east, Munster and Cleve in the north, to Bonn in the south*.  On 1 June 1947 1 Corps District was disbanded and the revival of 1 Corps took place in June 1951.

 *another source confirms 1st Corps District took over 30th Corps District’s area until the disbandment June 1947

May 45 – 1st Corps from 2nd Army formed 1st Corps District – HQ Rhede north of Duisburg to Aldershot Barracks Iserlohn Jun 45 disbanded Jun 47

Areas of responsibility the Provinces of Nordrhein and Westfalen also the Lands Lippe and Schaumburg-Lippe along with the Osnabrück area in the south of Province Oldenburg until Jun 45 then passed to 30th Corps District in May 46 also responsible for Province Oldenburg from 30th Corps District

Aug 46 – Province of Nordrhein and Westfalen formed with Land Lippe forming Nordrhein-Westfalen and Schaumburg-Lippe to Province Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) on its formation Nov 46 now including Province Hannover – Braunschweig – Oldenburg

Sep 46 – On the disbandment of 30th Corps District then the responsibility for the whole of Germany with Hamburg District

General Officers Commanding:

Lieutenant General Sir John Tredinnick Crocker KBE CB DSO MC to Jun 45 then Lieutenant General Sir Sidney C Kirkman KBE CD MC to Sep 45 then Lieutenant General Gwilym Ivor Thomas KCB KBE DSO MC

Corps Troops

Inns of Court (Devil’s Own) Reconnaissance Regiment RAC attached to 11th Armoured Division

62nd (6th London) Anti-Tank Regiment RA – Herringen west of Hamm to 56th Infantry Brigade of 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division Jun 45

CO: Lieutenant Colonel AM Messer

245 Battery – 246 Battery – 247 Battery – 248 Battery

86th Anti-Tank Regiment RA – unknown to Guards Armoured Division command 30th Corps May 45

102nd (Lincoln) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment – unknown to 9th Army Group RA command 3rd Infantry Division May 45

9th Survey Regiment RA – unknown to 9th Army Group RA command 3rd Infantry Division May 45

CRE: Brigadier HE Pike CBE DSO

1 Corps Troops Engineers

CSO: Brigadier Power from Oct 45 Brigadier C Childs CBE

1 Corps Troops Signals – HQ Mons Barracks Iserlohn renamed 1st Corps District Signal Regiment mid 1946

COs: Lieutenant Colonel DN Deakin then Lieutenant Colonel AS Milner

RSM: WOI Warburton

19 Company RASC

OC:

1 Corps District Ordnance Company – Cromwell Barracks Hamm

OC:

1 Corps District Workshops REME – former brickworks north of Iserlohn

OC:

86th (Honourable Artillery Company) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA – command and location unknown

CO:

9th Army Group Royal Artillery – HQ Bocholt north of Duisburg to 3rd Infantry Division May 45

Commander: Brigadier CHM Brunker DSO

9th Medium Regiment RA – unknown

CO: Lieutenant Colonel RS Wade OBE

11th Medium Regiment RA – unknown

CO: Lieutenant Colonel AE Chessells

107th Medium Regiment RA – unknown

CO: Lieutenant Colonel TH Hardy

3rd Super Heavy Regiment RA – unknown

CO: Lieutenant Colonel JB Hyde-Smith

738 Company RASC – Bocholt

OC: Major DH Glover

34th Armoured Brigade – HQ Burgsteinfurth north west of Münster to 3rd Infantry Division May 45 command returns Jun 45 and HQ 19 Sub Area from Jul 45 disbanded Dec 45

Commander: Brigadier WS Clarke

9th Royal Tank Regiment – Ibbenburen west of Osnbrück to 30th Corps District Jul 45

CO:

A Squadron Westerkappeln north west of Osnbrück – B Squadron Mettingen north west of Osnbrück – C Squadron Lengerich south west of Osnbrück

4th Royal Tank Regiment – Rheine west of Osnbrück to Italy Jan 46

CO:

107th (Kings Own) Regiment RAC – Flak Kaserne Münster to Onsbrück area Sep 45 disbanded Feb 46

CO:

147th (Royal Hampshire) Regiment RAC – Ochtrup south of Münster disbanded Jun 45

CO:

49th Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment – unknown disbanded Dec 45

51st (Midland) Medium Regiment RA – Greven north of Münster disbandment unknown

1st Battalion Fife and Forfar Yeomanry – Tecklenburg south west of Onsbrück to 51st (Highland) Infantry Division Dec 45

CO: Lieutenant Colonel R de Vigors – RSM: WOI HJ Murrell

Oct 45 – B Sqn to 7th Armoured Division

Oct 45 – C Sqn – Recke north west of Onsbrück

1st Polish Parachute Brigade from UK – HQ Bramsche north of Osnabrück to 1st Polish Armoured Division command 30th Corps District Jun 45

Commander: Colonel A Szczerbo-Rawicz

105th Reinforcement Group – HQ Bulow later Ripon Barracks Bielefeld disbanded late 46 or early 47

Commander: Colonel AW Valentine CBE DSO

1945 – 28 x Reinforcement Holding Units

ATS Holding Unit from private houses late 46

Z RHU – Osnbrück disbanded Oct 45

Locations: Detmold and Bad Lippspringe

50 RHU – Bulow later Ripon Barracks Bielefeld

CO: Lieutenant Colonel Lisle

51 RHU disbanded mid 46

52 RHU disbanded Sep 46

CO: Lieutenant Colonel EJ Evans

53 RHU disbanded Nov 46

54 RHU disbandment unknown

60 RHU to 4th Commando Brigade Royal Marines Jun 45

Mar 46 – 1st Belgian Infantry Division – HQ Köln/Bonn area replacing Guards Division

General Officer Commanding: General Major J Piron DSO

Oct 46 – Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) Armoured Car Regiment from 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division – Northumberland Barracks Menden to 2nd Infantry Division Feb 47

CO:

40 Garrison (Hannover) – 41 Garrison (Cologne) – 42 Garrison (Brussels)

Guards Division

2nd Infantry Division

3rd Infantry Division

5th Infantry Division

7th Armoured Division

49th (West Riding) Infantry Division

52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division

53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division

 

Ripon Barracks - Bielefeld

Nov 51 – 1st (BR) Corps reformed – HQ Ripon Barracks Bielefeld

5th Army Group RA – HQ Vancouver Barracks Delmenhorst disbanded Mar 58

1st Army Group RA (Field) reformed Feb 60 – HQ Tofrek Barracks Hildesheim renamed 1st Artillery Brigade (Field) Oct 61 to Dortmund 1971

7th Army Group RA (Anti-Aircraft) reformed Sep 61 – Mansergh Barracks Gütersloh renamed 7th Artillery Brigade (Anti-Aircraft) Oct 61

11th Engineer Group RE from 11th Armoured Division – HQ Roberts Barracks Osnabrück renamed 11th Engineer Brigade to Hamlen 1964 disbanded 1969

Mar 56 – 21st Independent Infantry Brigade to 4th Division Sep 57

Apr 58 – 1st Wing AAC – HQ Hobert Barracks Detmold 1st Wing/HQ Army Aviation from Apr 64 absorbed into HQ 1st (BR) Corps Ripon Barracks Bielefeld late 1960s 

Oct 69 – 4th Signal Group – JHQ Reindahlen

Dec 76 – 12th Mechanised Brigade from 2nd Division renamed 5th Field Force – HQ Quebec Barracks Osnabrück

Corps Troops

Sep 77 – 1st (BR) Corps – HQ Ripon Barracks Bielefeld disbanded Sep 94

1st Artillery Division formed merging 1st Artillery Brigade and 7th Artillery Brigade – HQ Dortmund renamed 1st Artillery Brigade Nov 85 disbanded Oct 93

4th Signal Group – HQ JHQ Reindahlen disbanded Jul 92

5th Field Force – HQ Quebec Barracks Osnabrück disbanded Jan 82

7th Armoured Division later 5th Division later 1st Division later 1st Armoured Division

2nd Infantry Division later 2nd Division later 2nd Armoured Division

3rd Armoured Division

11th Armoured Division later 4th Division later 4th Armoured Division

6th Armoured Division

more research to follow...additions and amendments most welcome...steve@baor-locations.co.uk

Information sources

British Army Units 1945 on - Orders of  Battle - WW2Talk
The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers volume X + XI by the institution of Royal Engineers
Sapper Magazine

The Royal Corps of Signals a History of its Antecedents and Development (circa 1800-1955) by Major General RFH Nalder CB OBE
The Royal Corps of Signals Unit Histories (1920-2001) by Cliff Lord and Graham E Watson

Wire Magazine
The British Army in Germany an Organizational History 1947-2004 by Graham E Watson and Richard A Rinald