An entirely notional force, its existence was reported to the Germans only through controlled agents as Iceland was too far from Europe to make use of radio deception.

[1][2] Between March and July 1944 the division (Along with the fictional 7th, 9th and 10th Ranger Battalions[2][3]) was presented as being part of the British VII Corps of the British Fourth Army, part of the First United States Army Group.

[1] When 'Fortitude North' was closed down, the division was presented as being part of a force designed to follow up the German evacuation of Norway.

[2] In addition to the usual divisional support units the 55th Infantry Division was composed of the:[2] In the 1993 techno-thriller "The Ten Thousand" by Harold Coyle, the 55th Mechanized Infantry Division is one of the components of the US Army Tenth Corps, the main US Army formation featured in the novel.

[5] In Anton Myrer's 1968 novel "Once An Eagle", the division Sam Damon commands from New Guinea through the Philippines is the 55th, also known as the Salamanders.