It was assigned the honorific title of "Guards" in recognition of that division's leading role in Operation Uranus, the breakthrough that led to the encirclement of the German/Romanian forces in Stalingrad, and the subsequent elimination of the 3rd Romanian Army.

When formed, its order of battle was as follows: At the time of its formation the division it was serving in the 5th Tank Army of the Don Front.

After the advance ground to a halt along the Dniester River in the spring of 1944, the division was withdrawn into the Stavka Reserve, and after rebuilding was reassigned to the 28th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front.

[1] With its Army, the 54th Guards drove into central Poland in the summer, and in early 1945 moved into Latvia to help mop up the German forces there.

[1] After World War II, the division was relocated to Belarus with the 3rd Guards Rifle Corps at Kobryn.