XXI Corps (India)

The XXI Indian Corps was first raised on 12 August 1917 during the World War I, specifically for operations in the Middle East region against the German–Ottoman alliance. The corps was part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under Allenby and took active part in the capture of Gaza and Jerusalem from October to December 1917, and against the Turkish Seventh and Eight Armies in 1918. The Corps was disbanded in 1918, at the end of the war. ==World War II==

The corps was re-raised in Persia on 6 June 1942 as a formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The corps was commanded throughout its existence by Lieutenant General Mosley Mayne and was part of the Tenth Army. The corps, composed of the 8th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Dudley Russell) and the British 56th Infantry Division (Major-General Eric Miles), was created as part of the Allied buildup of forces in Persia and Iraq to create Persia and Iraq Command in order to prevent a German invasion of the Caucasus. The invasion never occurred and the corps was disbanded on 24 August 1943. ==Present==

After India's intervention in Sri Lanka, the provisional headquarters (HQ) controlling India's expeditionary force, HQ Indian Peace Keeping Force, became HQ XXI Corps in April 1990 at Chandimandir. Permanent retention of the Corps at Bhopal was authorised on 29 October 1990. XXI corps functions as both a strike corps and would also be used if India were to make another large intervention overseas. It currently consists of: • 31 Armored Division (White Tiger Division) headquartered at Jhansi-Babina in Uttar Pradesh, Central India. • 94 Armoured Brigade • 36 Infantry Division (RAPID) (Shahbaaz Division) at Sagar • Division Artillery Brigade at Talbehat (2001) • 18 Armoured Brigade at Gwalior (2001) • 72 Infantry Brigade at Gwalior • 115 Infantry Brigade was at Dhana. • 54 Infantry Division (Bison Division) headquartered at Secunderabad. It includes - • 91 Infantry Brigade at Thiruvananthapuram (Amphibious) • 47 Infantry Brigade at Hyderabad • 76 Infantry Brigade at Secunderabad • 41 Artillery Division (Agnibaaz Division) headquartered at Pune. • Corps Artillery Brigade • Corps Air Defence Brigade (First To Strike Brigade) • 475 Engineering Brigade == List of Commanders ==