The 55th Battalion was formed at TEL-EL-KEBIR, EGYPT, in February 1916 under the command of L/Colonel McConaghy. Fifty per cent of its initial recruits were N.S.W. veterans of the 1st Australian Division, which was reforming after the GALLIPOLI Campaign, the remainder being newly arrived reinforcements from the base camp at CAIRO. The Battalion colours allotted were brown and green on a vertical rectangle.
After intensive training, the 55th took over defensive positions in the SINAI DESERT, eight miles east of the SUEZ Canal.
In late May, the Battalion, now part of the 14th Australian Infantry Brigade, handed over its positions to the 53rd Welsh Division and entrained for ALEXANDRIA, where it joined the 5th Australian Division preparatory to embarking for FRANCE. After travelling north to FLANDERS, the 5th Division joined General Plummer’s 2nd Army British Expeditionary Force. On 12th July, the 55th moved into the front line near ARMETIERES and one week later took part in the attack on FROMELLES RIDGE from which the 14th Brigade was almost decimated, having suffered 1717 casualties between 6 pm and 9 am on the night of 19/20 July. This was the “bloody baptism of fire” to which the men of N.S.W. were introduced to Western Front style warfare.
The 55th spent the winter of 1916 in the trenches near FRICOURT, where a steady stream of casualties were recorded from raids, counter-attacks and enemy shelling. Spring of the same year saw the Battalion again in the fighting at BULLICOURT.
In the battles which took place in the Autumn of 1917 for the ridges overlooking besieged YPRES, the 55th saw action at MENI ROAD, POLYGON WOOD, POELCAPPELLE and PASSCHENDAELE.
The winter of this same year found the 55th in trenches on the MESSI ES-WYSTCHAETE ridge from where they hurried south to plug a gap when the German offensive, which began on 21st March, burst through the Allied lines. At VILLERS BRETOUNNEAUX on 24th April the Battalion, along with all the 14th Brigade, distinguished themselves in a day of bitter fighting. Despite a gas bombardment, the 14th Brigade held their positions until the enemy was driven back under counterattack.
In August 1918, the Allied offensive began, and the Battalion took part in the victory at MONT ST. QUENTIN and moved on to assist in the capture of PERONNE.
They were fighting deep in the Hindenburg Line on 30th September when the most stirring incident in the Battalion’s history occurred, Pte. John Ryan winning the Victoria Cross “for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty and for saving a very dangerous situation under particularly gallant circumstances.”
The 55th were in reserve on 11th November 1918 when the message was received – “Hostilities will cease at 11.00 a.m.”
During the two years in France, the Battalion had 23 Officers and 510 other ranks killed. The strength of the 55th Bn when hostilities ceased would have been approximately 377. Given that the original strength on formation was 1,600 and that 10 groups of reinforcements of about 160 each (1,600) the total number of men enlisted was approximately 3200. Up to 2290 were wounded or transferred out to other units.
Decorations won by the 55th Battalion during WWI were –
- Victoria Cross (VC) – 1
- Distinguished Service Order (DSO) – 1
- Military Cross and 2 bars (MC) – 24
- Distinguished Conduct Medal & 1 bar (DCM) – 22
- Military Medal and 1-3 Bars (MM) – 75
- Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) – 3
- Mentioned in Despatches (for Meritorious Service) (MID) – 24
- Foreign awards – 4
- Sourced from the Australian War Memorial. For additional information about these awards visit the AWM site under Glossary.
Sources: A History of the 55/53rd Battalion was compiled and published in the 1990s by Alec Bell, who was for over 30 years the president of the Association. Alec included material from Frank Budden’s Book ‘That Mob’.