55th (West Lancashire) Division

West Lancashire Division 55th (West Lancashire) Division 55th (West Lancashire) Motor Division 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division
55th (West Lancashire) Division shoulder sleeve insignia, World War II.
Active	1908–1915 1916–1919 1920–1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Territorial Army
Type	Infantry Motorised infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	World War I * Battle of the Somme * Battle of Passchendaele * Battle of Cambrai * Battle of Estaires
Commanders
Notable commanders	Sir William D. Morgan Sir Frederick E. Morgan

The 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. It was raised in 1908 upon the creation of the Territorial Force originally as the West Lancashire Division, gaining its number in 1915. The division served with distinction on the Western Front during the Great War from 1915 to 1918. Disbanded after the war in 1919, it was reformed in the Territorial Army in 1920 and remained in the United Kingdom during the Second World War and was disbanded in late 1945.

Originally, the division was raised in 1908 as the West Lancashire Division with the North Lancashire Brigade, the Liverpool Brigade and the South Lancashire Brigade under command. In 1915, during the First World War, it became the 55th (West Lancashire) Division and the 164th (North Lancashire) Brigade, the 165th (Liverpool) Brigade and the 166th (South Lancashire) Brigade respectively.

Between November 1914 and April 1915 the divisional brigades were detached as reinforcements with other divisions already in serving on the Western Front in France and Belgium. The 55th Division was reformed in January 1916. In April 1915 the 164th (North Lancashire) Brigade joined the 51st (Highland) Division as the 154th Brigade, but it returned to the 55th Division less than a year later, in January 1916.

The first Victoria Cross awarded by the reformed division occurred near Arras on the 17 April 1916 when 2nd Lieutenant Edward Felix Baxter won the award while on a raid by the 1/8th (Irish) Battalion, King's (Liverpool) Regiment. The division moved to the Somme on 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 Division was then moved to the Ypres Salient, where it remained for up to a year.