User:Opera hat/British Force in Italy

The British Force in Italy was the British Army formation sent to reinforce the Royal Italian Army on the Italian front during the First World War.

History
Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary in March 1915 and the two countries fought inconclusively over their frontier for the next two years. In July 1917, the failure of Russia's Kerensky Offensive against Germany effectively ended the war on the Eastern Front, and German troops arrived to support the Austrians against Italy. In October 1917 the Italians were heavily defeated by the Germans and Austrians in the Battle of Caporetto, and Britain and France promised to divert troops from the Western Front to aid their ally.

The first British troops to arrive were XIV Corps under Lieutenant-General the Earl of Cavan, who reached Pavia on 6 November. On 10 November General Sir Herbert Plumer and the staff of Second Army left France for Italy; they arrived at Mantua on 13 November and Plumer took over command. XI Corps under Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Haking arrived at Mantua on 1 December. XIV Corps took over the Montello sector of the Piave front on 4 December and XI Corps (5th Division and 48th Division) took over the Arcade sector of the front on 27 January 1918. Plumer had equivalent status to the commanders of the Italian field armies, reporting directly to the Italian Supreme Command under General Armando Diaz.

Commanders

 * 6 November 1917–13 November 1917: Lieutenant-General the Earl of Cavan (temporary)
 * 13 November 1917–10 March 1918: General Sir Herbert Plumer
 * 10 March 1918–20 January 1919: Lieutenant-General the Earl of Cavan (promoted General 25 June 1918)
 * 3 March 1919–22 July 1919: Major-General Sir Harold Walker
 * 11 February 1920–8 July 1921: Lieutenant-Colonel R. M. Campbell