In the fall of 1942, automotive maintenance was transferred from the Quartermaster Corps to the Ordnance Department, and the Ordnance Section of the Division headquarters and the automotive elements of the 3d Quartermaster Battalion were taken from their parent units and combined to form the 703d Ordnance Company. It was activated September 25, 1942.

The company did not participate in the Fedala landing, although Maj. James McGehee, Division Ordnance Officer, and six enlisted men landed on D-Day (Nov. 8, 1942), and experienced considerable difficulty in establishing adequate ammunition dumps and in supplying the troops because of the lack of transportation.

The company followed in December, 1942, and after that time rendered excellent service in close support of operations. Apart from regular duties, notable contributions of the company include preparing skillfully executed armor-plated command vehicles and the manufacture of Maj. Gen. John W. O'Daniel's invention, the "battle sled," on the Anzio Beachhead.