High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 55th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in 1916 for service during World War I the battalion served on the Western Front until the end of the war, before being briefly amalgamated with the 53rd Battalion and then eventually disbanded in 1919. In 1921, the 55th Battalion was re-raised and in 1927 adopted the title of the New South Wales Rifle Regiment, however, in 1937 they were once again amalgamated with the 53rd, forming the 55th/53rd Battalion (New South Wales Rifle/West Sydney Regiment). In October 1941, during World War II, the two battalions were delinked and the 55th was later deployed to New Guinea, where they took part in the Kokoda Track campaign. Poorly prepared and trained, and lacking up to date equipment, they performed above expectations, however they were amalgamated with the 53rd, who had not fared so well, once more in October 1942. They subsequently took part in further campaigns in New Guinea and Bougainville before being disbanded in May 1946.