It was originally designated as the 201st Latvian Rifle Division, the first of three "national" divisions with predominantly Baltic-speaking personnel. The basis of the division was the 76th Independent Latvian Rifle Regiment which was in turn formed from the two Latvian volunteer battalions that participated in the retreats of the Red Army, including the defence of Tallinn. It had been established in August 1941 at Gorki (today Nizhny Novgorod) Gorokhovetz Army Camp. In addition to the much depleted 76th regiment (about 1200 troops), were added 2500 Latvian speaking members of the state militia (police) and NKVD, as well as the predominantly Latvian speaking 582nd Construction Battalion, and members of the 24th Corps which was the territorial reserve formation in Latvia which failed to form due to rapid German advance.