Morning Reports

Morning Reports were created by each battalion and regiment while the division was active during World War II. The Morning Reports contained important information from each day, such as promotions or changes in command, the location of the unit, or the major movements or activities of the day. Each unit in the division started their Morning Reports while they were training in the United States, and the major events of training and the unit organization were dictated in the reports. Some unit’s Morning Reports are more detailed than others while the 103rd was in the U.S. however, many of the major movements and their dates are the same or similar.

Once the division arrived in Europe, the Morning Reports shifted their focus to plot their daily locations and document the major events of each day. The information that was documented once the division landed in Europe differed based on the responsibilities of each unit. Some units that worked to support the infantry and frontline troops have more documentation about individual soldiers. Front line units on the other hand typically only documented their location, major events of the day, and important information about their leadership in their reports. The Morning Reports are also color coded to help readers and researchers with their work:

Red- Location of the Unit

Black- Information about the personnel of the unit

Blue- Record of events (movements, attacks, defense set up, important events of the day, etc.)

For more information and to help with reading and understanding the Morning Reports, please refer to the specialized Morning Reports Glossary.