later fought a delaying action against Alexander von Kluck's German First Army in the Battle of Le Cateau which allowed most of its surviving forces to escape. It remained on the Western Front throughout the war. It was forced into retreat, with the soldiers exhaust Order of battle The composition of army corps changed frequently. Some representative orders of battle for II Corps are given here. Order of Battle at Mons 23 August 1914: GOC: Lieut-Gen Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien (Took command 21 August 1914) Brigadier-General, General Staff: G. T. Forestier-Walker Brigadier-General, Royal Artillery: A. H. Short Colonel, Royal Engineers: Brig-Gen E. A. Sandbach 3rd Division 5th Division Army Troops attached (20 August 1914) 2nd Army HQ Signal Company, Royal Engineers E (Air Line) Section M, O & P (Cable) Sections No 2 Bridging Train, Royal Engineers C Squadron, North Irish Horse Company, 1st Bn Cameron Highlanders A Section, No 19 Field Ambulance, RAMC Order of Battle on the Somme (Battle of Bazentin Ridge 14–17 July 1916) GOC: Maj-Gen Claud Jacob 1st Division 23rd Division 34th Division From 12 May 1916 to October 1917, 1/1st Yorkshire Dragoons constituted II Corps Cavalry Regiment. The regiment returned in March 1918 as II Corps Cyclist Battalion. Order of Battle at the start of the final advance in Flanders (27 September 1918) GOC: Lieut-Gen Sir Claud Jacob 9th (Scottish) Division 29th Division 36th (Ulster) Division. Second World War On the outbreak of the Second World War, II Corps was mobilised at Salisbury with two unprepared infantry divisions, under the command of Lieut-General Sir Alan Brooke from Southern Command. II Corps' insignia, designed by its Chief of Staff, Vyvyan Pope, was a visual pun on the name of its commander, who was also a keen fisherman: it depicted a red leaping salmon upon three wavy blue bands against a white background, all in an oblong red border. The corps crossed to France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) at the end of September 1939 and at once moved up to the Belgium–France border. It took part in the advance into Belgium to resist the German invasion, and was then pushed back with the rest of the BEF to Dunkirk during the Battle of France. During the retreat, II Corps covered the vulnerable left flank of the BEF. On 29 May 1940, Brooke was ordered back to Britain to form a new force, and he handed