British Army of The Rhine
After the defeat of Germany, 21st Army Group became the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), and I Corps was transformed into a corps district, with an administrative, rather than combat, role. It was disbanded in 1947.
However, in October 1951 the corps was reactivated to become the principal combat element of the BAOR, with its HQ based in Bielefeld. In March 1952, following the reactivation of 6th Armoured Division, its component formations were:
- 2nd Infantry Division
- 6th Armoured Division
- 7th Armoured Division
- 11th Armoured Division
Included as part of this was Canada's contribution to the NATO land forces in Germany. A Canadian mechanised brigade remained part of BAOR until 1970. The size of this force, 6,700, was such that it was referred to within British circles as a "light division".
In a following 1958-60 reorganisation the Corps was formed into three mixed armour/infantry divisions including five brigade groups, which were in 1965 brought together into three centralised divisions. With the end of National Service manpower across the whole of BAOR dropped from around 77,000 to 55,000.
In the late 1970s the Corps was reorganised as four small five battle group armoured divisions plus a roughly brigade sized infantry 'Field Force'. It then comprised:
- 1st Armoured Division
- 2nd Armoured Division
- 3rd Armoured Division
- 4th Armoured Division
- 5th Field Force
Following the 1981-3 reorganisation, the Corps consisted of 1st and 4th Armoured Divisions, which would have manned the front line against the anticipated attack by the Soviet 3rd Shock Army, plus in an in-depth, reserve role the 3rd Armoured Division and finally the 2nd Infantry Division which was tasked with rear-area security.
- 1st Armoured Division
- 7th Armoured Brigade
- 12th Armoured Brigade
- 22nd Armoured Brigade
- 3rd Armoured Division
- 4th Armoured Brigade
- 6th Armoured Brigade
- 33rd Armoured Brigade
- 4th Armoured Division
- 11th Armoured Brigade
- 20th Armoured Brigade
- 19th Infantry Brigade (in UK)
- 2nd Infantry Division (in UK)
- 15th Infantry Brigade (TA)
- 24th Airmobile Brigade
- 49th Infantry Brigade (TA)
- Artillery Division (HQ Ripon Barracks, Bielefeld)
- See also: NORTHAG War Time Structure#I British Corps
With the end of the Cold War, I (BR) Corps was redesignated in 1992 as a NATO Rapid Reaction Corps under SACEUR and renamed as Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps. HQ ARRC moved to Rheindahlen in 1994.
Read more about this topic: I Corps (United Kingdom)
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