V Corps was an army corps of the British Army in both the First and Second World War. It was first organised in February 1915 and fought through World War I on the Western front. It was recreated in June 1940 and substantially reorganised in 1942 for participation in Operation Torch.
In the early part of World War II V Corps formed part of Southern Command in the United Kingdom. Lieutenant-General Claude Auchinleck was briefly its commander from 14 June 1940 until he was promoted to take over Southern Command on 19 July 1940. He was succeeded by Lt-Gen Bernard Montgomery from 22 July 1940 until 27 April 1941, when he was transferred to command XII Corps.
Order of Battle Autumn 1940
- 4th Division
- 50th (Northumbrian) Division
- Royal Artillery
- 66th Medium Regiment
- 5th Survey Regiment
The Dorset County Division was under the corps' command during 1941.
The Corps was then included as part of the Allied land forces, First Army, in Operation Torch (8 November 1942), the amphibious landings in French-held Morocco and Algeria. The Army was commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Kenneth Anderson. First Army was formed on the 1 January 1943, and was later redesignated as the Eastern Task Force.
V Corps participated in the following campaigns and battles during its Second World War existence.
- Operation Torch (First Army)
- Tunisia Campaign December 1942 – May 1943 (First Army)
- Italian Campaign September 1943 – May 1945 (as part of the Eighth Army)
- Allied invasion of Italy 1943 (Adriatic, Foggia, Termoli)
- Sangro Operation November – December 1943
- Adriatic Coast Operation February 1944
- Battle of Monte Cassino Operation May 1944
- Gothic Line (Die Gotische Linie) Operation Olive August 1944 (with 1st Armoured, 46th and 56th divisions)
- First Battle of Coriano
- Battle for Croce
- Second Battle of Coriano
- Battle of Rimini
- Spring 1945 offensive in Italy April 1945
V Corps was assigned to Eighth Army for the rest of the war (as part of the 15th Army Group) 11.44
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