The division spent World War II in the Primorye region and fought in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria.

[1] A voluntary program to resettle demobilized Red Army soldiers and their families in the border areas of the Soviet Far East was established in 1929–1930, in order to increase the population and economic activity of such areas, supply food to the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army, and to provide a force for its defense.

However, due to labor shortages and a lack of construction materials, engineers, and technicians, most of the settlers returned to their former homes; by 1932, only 1,476 remained out of 8,134 who arrived between 1930 and 1932.

To address the issues, the Special Kolkhoz Corps was created, utilizing conscripts to garrison the frontier area.

In August 1945, as part of the 26th Rifle Corps of the 1st Red Banner Army of the 1st Far Eastern Front, the division fought in the Harbin–Kirin offensive during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria.