The Corps was formed in
Palestine in June 1917 under Lieutenant General
Philip Chetwode. Following the British failure in the
Second Battle of Gaza, the
Egyptian Expeditionary Force underwent a major rearrangement with the appointment of General
Edmund Allenby as the new Commander-in-Chief. The infantry component of the force was divided into two corps; XX Corps and
XXI Corps. The corps initially comprised four infantry divisions: •
10th (Irish) Division •
53rd (Welsh) Division •
60th (2/2nd London) Division •
74th (Yeomanry) Division The XX Corps first saw action in the
Beersheba phase of the
Third Battle of Gaza on 31 October 1917. and the 60th Division advanced on Huj in support of the
Australian Mounted Division's effort to cut off the retreating Turkish army. During the
Battle of Megiddo the formation was: • Corps Troops • 10th (Irish) Division • 53rd (Welsh) Division ==General officers commanding==