The 55th Division was an infantry division of the British Army, which was first formed in 1902 and finally disbanded in 1945. The division was commanded by a general officer commanding (GOC). In this role, he would receive orders from a level above him in the chain of command, and then use the forces within the division to undertake the mission assigned. In addition to directing the tactical battle the division was involved in, the GOC oversaw a staff and the administrative, logistical, medical, training, and discipline of the division. The 55th Division had 20 different permanent GOCs over its 37–year history.