This is an original World War II U.S. Army 103rd Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia — the well-known "Cactus Division" patch — featuring a bright green embroidered saguaro cactus rising through a golden yellow sun above a deep blue band of desert ground, all framed within an olive drab twill-type border. The design is an open tribute to the American Southwest, where the division was trained and organized. The patch is fully embroidered on cotton, cut-edge style, and measures approximately 2-1/2 inches in diameter — standard wartime SSI dimensions.

Condition is very good for a patch of this era. The yellow field is strong and even, the blue ground retains rich depth, and the green embroidered cactus is crisp and raised with full thread coverage. The olive drab border is intact around the full circumference with only the lightest fraying at the bottom edge and no breaks or losses. The reverse, shown in the second photograph, displays the typical cotton backing with some yellow residue spots from old album or display mounting adhesive — entirely expected and honest for a patch pulled from a long-held veteran's collection. The patch has been examined under ultraviolet (blacklight) inspection and shows no fluorescence, supporting its wartime-era construction. A clean, attractive, uniform-period example with strong eye appeal.

The 103rd Infantry Division, nicknamed "The Cactus Division," was activated on November 15, 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana and drew its distinctive insignia from the desert training it conducted across the American Southwest. After extensive preparation the division sailed for France in October 1944, landing at Marseille and moving immediately north into the Vosges Mountains as part of the Seventh Army under Lieutenant General Alexander M. Patch. There the 409th, 410th, and 411th Infantry Regiments fought through brutal winter mountain combat against determined German defenders, pushing through the Saverne Gap, clearing the Alsace plain, and liberating Selestat in late 1944. The Cactusmen then breached the Siegfried Line, crossed the Rhine, and drove deep into southern Germany and Austria, closing the war at Innsbruck and linking up with the 88th Infantry Division at the Brenner Pass — the first physical meeting of Allied forces advancing from the Western Front and from Italy. The division earned campaign streamers for Rhineland and Central Europe before being inactivated in Austria in September 1945.

PROVENANCE: Acquired directly from the estate of a World War II U.S. Army Air Forces veteran who served as a B-29 Superfortress tail gunner, with service in both the European and Pacific theaters. Like many servicemen of his generation, he traded patches with soldiers and airmen from other units throughout his wartime travels, building a personal collection from the men he crossed paths with in mess halls, rail depots, and transit posts on two continents. This patch comes to us from that personal trade album.

Curiosity Coins — Medway, Massachusetts | Est. 1999 | ANA • PCGS • NGC • Heritage Auctions Member Buying & selling US and world coins, silver, gold, currency, and collectibles since 1999. Many auctions start at $5 — combined shipping always available. Questions welcome.

This is one patch from a larger WWII veteran's estate trade collection that we will be listing over the coming weeks — please check our other auctions for additional original U.S. and Allied insignia, and add us to your favorite sellers list to be notified as new items are posted.