| 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | World War
I November 1914 - January 1919 [reorganized] 1939-45 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Territorial Force |
| Type | Infantry |
| Engagements | Battle of
the Somme (1916) Third Battle of Ypres Battle of Cambrai Battle of Estaires |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Sir William Morgan Sir Frederick Morgan |
The British 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division was a Territorial Force division which served on the Western Front during the First World War.
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Between November 1914 and April 1915 the division's brigades were detached as reinforcements with other divisions already in France. The 55th Division was reformed in January 1916.
The first Victoria Cross won by the reformed division occurred near Arras on the 17 April 1916 when 2nd Lt.E.F.Baxter won the award while on a raid by the 1/8th (Irish) Bn, The King's (Liverpool Regiment). The division moved to the Somme on the 25 July to take part in that battle . The division took part in the Battle of Guillemont and the Battle of Ginchy followed by a short rest period before being thrown back into the Battle of Morval . The 55th Infantry were then moved to the Ypres salient where they remained for up to a year.
In 1917 the division took part in the Battles of Ypres and Cambrai. At Cambrai they lost many men taken prisoner apparently due to a collapse during a German attack.
After a rest and period of retraining the division took part in the Battle of Estaires in 1918 where the Division successfully fought the "First Defence of Givenchy". It was to become the single most famous action that the Division fought. "It was afterwards publicly stated by an officer of the German General Staff that the stand made by the Division on April 9 and the days which followed marked the final ruination of the supreme German effort of 1918", says the Divisional history. Givenchy was eventually selected as the location of a fine memorial to the Division. By the Armistice the division had reached the Tournai area having advanced fifty miles in eighty days.
During World War II the Division was a 1st Line Territorial Army formation, but did not see active service outside Britain during the war.
From January 1916, the division comprised the following units:
Royal Engineers
419 Field Company
422 Field Company
423 Field Company
55th Divisional Signal Company
The 164th (North Lancashire) Brigade joined the 51st (Highland) Division in April 1915 (as the 154th Brigade) and returned to the 55th Division in January 1916.
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