Identification: Dog Tag

Site Issues 2005 Archive Room
#1

Heres my grandfathers dog tag during the war. I would like to know more information, and I think some of you guys might be able to help. As far as I know, its similar to the British dog tags of WWII, but the material used is not a kind of metal. It feels like some sort of plasticy type of thing. Theres two holes as you can clearly see, and I was wondering if this was used around the neck or around the wrist. On the top is his rank, and then name, number, and at the bottem its says G E. I have no idea what this stands for. Any help?? Thanks allot.

sorry for the bad picture. :slight_smile:

#2

About dog tags i know only they were use for identification dead and wounded soldiers. :wink:

#3

SAM - could it be leather? I was reading about some WW1 British soldiers they found in a field in France a few months ago and they’d had problems identifying them because their dog tags then were made of leather and had rotted a lot in the 90 years they’d been in the ground.

I think they got reinterred in one of the war cemetaries when they’d finished working out who they were.

As to your Grandad’s tags, not sure what GE could be.
They would probably have been worn around the neck, I’ve never heard of British (Commonwealth in this case, obviously, but I think most uniform standards were the same) soldiers wearing Dog Tags on their arms.

#4

Ya I suppose it could be leather, it looks a bit roughed up. I found out that the Canadians in WWII used some sort of bakelite material. I am unfamiler with this material so I was wondering if it could be? I was also wondering what kind of strap did they use? Was it a metal chain, leather or some other? I also found out that the British dog tags look similar in design and formatt to this one. Number, Name, ( i dont think they had rank) and other letters. The other letters stand for their religion e.g. C of E is Church of England. Now what I thought was a G could very well be a C. The “of” is missing, not a single sign that anything was marked in the space, but it could easily be that they decided not to put the “of”, and just left a blank.

#5

My dog tags don’t have the ‘of’ either mate, just CE. Could be that then? I’ve no idea about what straps they’d use, we use thin chains now, I’d guess it was something similar then, although there’s bound to be one of the British lads on here who’ll know.

#6

The material would most likely be some sort of fiber, though it could be leather but I doubt it. I think it is going to be hard if not impossible to find out what kind of strap they used, unless there was some sort of issued strap by the South African forces. Some used leather, thin metal, or thin rope. Well I basically answered most of my questions, and thanks BDL you put me on the right track.

However there is still one more question. Why where there two holes? Was there some sort of way of strapping it?

#7

Again, just going off the ones we have now, you have two tags, one that stays on the body so it can be ID’d after the battle and one that’s broken off to be sent back to HQ. I guess it was the same then? The second hole would be to connect the second tag

#8

Again, just going off the ones we have now, you have two tags, one that stays on the body so it can be ID’d after the battle and one that’s broken off to be sent back to HQ. I guess it was the same then? The second hole would be to connect the second tag[/quote]

Oh, no I actually dont have two tags…

#9

Again, just going off the ones we have now, you have two tags, one that stays on the body so it can be ID’d after the battle and one that’s broken off to be sent back to HQ. I guess it was the same then? The second hole would be to connect the second tag[/quote]

Oh, no I actually dont have two tags…[/quote]

I didn’t mean YOU have two tags, the soldier has two tags :wink:

#10

Again, just going off the ones we have now, you have two tags, one that stays on the body so it can be ID’d after the battle and one that’s broken off to be sent back to HQ. I guess it was the same then? The second hole would be to connect the second tag[/quote]

Oh, no I actually dont have two tags…[/quote]

I didn’t mean YOU have two tags, the soldier has two tags :wink:[/quote]

A question, when the soldier leaves the military does he get to take both his two tags?

#11

No idea to be honest, we don’t keep our tags all the time - they get kept in with your records that are kept in the unit admin office. You sign them out when you need them - ie going out on ops. Don’t know how it would have worked in the SA army though.

#12

I have two sets of ID disks (dogs get dog tags soldiers have ID disks) going back 30 year or so. The first was knocked up by the armourer (and look it) on oval metal disks with two hols in them. The second was produced properly with strait lettering of a uniformed size and depth and on round metal disks. The first had nylon string and the second metal ball chain.

I think your set are pressed cardboard with a lacquer coat. They would probably used string to hold them on. I am surprised to see a rank as this could change and require the production of new disks. My ones have

blood group
number
name
initials
religion

in that order.

I also agree with BDL about them being kept in your docks. But they get lost a lot of the time or not handed back and come a docks check more are ordered so that the admin does not look slack.

#13

SAM, did your grandfather serve in the Tvl Jocks ?

#14

Found this when looking for something else.

http://pathsofglory.co.uk/identity_discs.htm

#15

The British and Canadians issued similar dog tags during WW2. They were made of a fibre material, a set consisted of two round orange ones with one hole each and an octagonal brownish-green one.
One of the orange nes was attached to the respirator bag to identify to whom each respirator belonged.
The green one was attached to either a cotton string or a privately purchased chain and worn around the neck. Attached to it was the second orange dog tag (hence the two holes on the green one). All dog tags carried the same information, name, Army number, religious affiliation. AFAIK the blood group was only added post war.
If the soldier got killed, the green tag would stay with the body and the orange tag would be forwarded to graves registration, together with the necessary forms giving the location of the grave, cause of death etc…

The Russians used a little bakelite tube worn in the coat or jacket pocket, which contained a piece of paper with the necessary information. Still, the only way how the families could find ourt what happened to a soldier was through the communist party for their members, else the soldiers were just buried and forgotten. Because of this most Russian soldiers joined the communist party. There was no official graves registration of the military, it was left to the party.

Jan

#16

I got these Russian Dog tags from the Cold War of a site. :smiley: :smiley:
I wear them.

](http://imageshack.us)[/img]
It says Peace,equality, brotherhood in russian at the top and French at the bottom.

#17

No it doesn’t - the French at least says “Freedom, egality, brotherhood”.

And the fact that you wear them shows that you are a) a walt, b) a communist sympathiser, if not a full-blown “shoot the class enemy” commie.

#18

Bad drills there mate.

Put them in a box, and preserve them.

At the very least your sweat will corrode them.

#19

Nooo it doesn’t mean im a communist !!!, i have a jewish friend that wears a WW2 nazi belt buckle…it doesn’t make him nazi…its simply memorabilia of the past, I have heaps of it but i never wear it in the public

By the way mate, whats a walt ? 8)

#20

I have all sorts of Soviet memorabilia, but I don’t wear it! If I ever wear my fish-fur hat, I usually take the badge off.

A walt is a “Walter Mitty” character - i.e. someone who pretends to be something they’re not.