Preserving the Past
Exploring and understanding the service of the 103rd Infantry (Cactus) Division in World War II.
The U. S. War Department first authorized the formation of the 103rd Infantry Division on August 6, 1921. From that point, the 103rd Infantry Division became one of the Army’s Reserve Corps Divisions. The War Department assigned the 103rd Infantry Division to New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado; the division established its headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Around this time, the division adopted the Saguaro Cactus as their symbol, which earned them the nickname the “Cactus Division.”
On November 15, 1942, the 103rd Infantry Division was activated for service in World War II. After intense training in Louisiana and Texas, the division boarded troopships for the voyage to Europe, and arrived in Marseilles, France on October 20, 1944, where they joined the 7th U.S. Army. From November 1944 to May 1945, the 103rd Infantry Division fought its way through France, Germany, and Austria. The division engaged in intense winter campaigns against German troops in the rugged terrain of the Vosges Mountains. After months of brutal combat, the division crossed into Germany in late March 1945. In April, the Cactus Division liberated Holocaust concentration camps in Landsberg. Combat and occupation operations continued into Innsbruck, Austria, where numerous German troops surrendered to the 103rd in early May 1945. The division suffered a total of 6,762 casualties, including 848 killed. In addition, in the many months of combat, 356 soldiers of the 103rd Division were captured and held in prisoner of war camps. The Army deactivated the 103rd Infantry Division on September 22, 1945, and it remained inactive until it was reactivated as a Reserve Division headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa on May 7, 1947.
In 2015, veterans and members of the 103rd Infantry Division Association formally donated their complete archival collection and hosting of the original website to the Dale Center. The archival collection is now housed at Special Collections in McCain Archives at Southern Miss. The website was originally designed and written by the members of the 103rd Infantry Division (Cactus) World War II Association as their official site. The association’s goal for the website was to “to honor the memory of all those who were killed in action, those who were wounded, and all who have passed away since the end of World War II.” The current website, which is the centerpiece of the Dale Center’s 103rd Infantry Division Digital Humanities project, was begun in 2022 and is being constantly renovated, enhanced, and modernized from the original association website. The updated website is hosted by the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society at the University of Southern Mississippi. If you have information, documents, or other materials associated with the Cactus Division or any of its members that you would like to add to the website or the archival collections at Southern Miss, please see the donations page.
For Veterans, Relatives, Genealogists, Researchers, and Students
Prewar: Training and Deployment
Prior to their deployment to the European Theater, the 103rd Infantry Division underwent extensive preparations for combat operations. Activated in 1942, the Cactus Division began rigorous training at various military camps. After completing their training in 1944, they shipped out of New York for France. The expertise and intensity of their training programs prepared the men of the 103rd Division for the ferocity of combat.
The War: Narrative, Timeline, & Details
Arriving in southern France in October 1944, the 103rd Infantry Division quickly joined the Allied advance. The GIs of the 103rd distinguished themselves in combat while fighting against a determined enemy. During their six months in combat, the division endured heavy casualties. After fighting a series of intense winter engagements in the Vosges Mountains, the 103rd crossed into Germany in March 1945. Aiding in the liberation of concentration camps and accepting the surrender of German Axis troops, the 103rd played a critical role in the final phases of the war in Europe. After the end of World War II, the Cactus Division was deactivated in September 1945.
The War: Units of the Division
The 103rd Division was comprised of three infantry regiments and a group of integral special units (such as artillery, medical, engineering, and quartermaster), as well as several attached units. This section provides a thorough list of the units that served in the 103rd Division throughout the Second World War. It includes unit biographies and links to the units’ journals and each units’ table of organization and equipment (TO&E).
The War: Document Collection
The history of the 103rd Infantry Division is encapsulated in a vast trove of documents accumulated throughout the war. The documents featured in this collection provide the reader with a window into combat record of the Division as well as the everyday life of soldiers during wartime. This digital collection includes General Orders, Morning Reports, Unit Journals, After-Action Reports, and Casualty Reports. These documents provide valuable insights into the history of the 103rd Division for researchers.
The War: Personal Accounts and Oral Histories
The experiences of the men of the 103rd Infantry Division provide a myriad of incredible stories and important perspectives about combat and daily life during World War II. This section holds a collection of oral histories, interviews, audio recollections, video accounts, and other personal stories of the men who served in the Cactus Division.
Postwar: Men, Memorials, and the Veterans’ Association
Following the end of World War II, veterans of the 103rd Infantry Division created their own Unit Association. First conceptualized in 1946, the Association became official in 1964 and met regularly each summer between 1982 and 2017. During this time, the Association placed many memorials and monuments throughout Europe and the United States honoring the legacy of the 103rd Infantry Division. The records of the Association, its newsletters, and the Master Honor Roll of the Association are also featured in this section.
"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices."
— President Harry S. Truman; Address Broadcast to U. S. Armed Forces, April 17, 1945
Image Credits
Header Photo: T/4 Leo B. Moran, SC 401648- Combat Infantrymen of Company G, 415th Infantry Regiment, 104th Division, are Resting in Rubble, Cologne. March 7, 1945. U.S. Army Signal Corps Archive via Flickr.
Cemetery Photo: SSGT William Greer, USAF - Cambridge American Military Cemetery, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. May 27, 2002. U.S. National Archives: Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files.