Identity discs

[Rehmer]

Hi again!
I am interested about the identity discs that I learned only recently pilots weared since WWI. I was wrong when I thought only WWII pilots start to wear them, and I was lookin for any picture of that, because I havent' found any on the web.
Besides....are u able to say me what material thery were made up??
I presume a metal cannot liquify for the heat of the fire, in the unlucky case of a burned to death pilot.
thanks.

[rammjaeger]

I can only speak for the German side:
Not only German pilots did wear identity discs - made from metal - in WWI.
First identity discs were already handed out in the 1860´s but they became common and accepted immediately before WWI.

The following links displays the development of German "Erkennungsmarken".
Die deutschen Erkennungsmarken (http://www.emarken.de/buch01/jeanh.htm)

Example for WWI:
Google-Ergebnis für http://www.grafschaft-glatz.de/archiv/akt-0707.gif (http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.grafschaft-glatz.de/archiv/akt-0707.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.grafschaft-glatz.de/archiv/akt-0707.htm&usg=__iQmPGSpyqPasY_kJWDdUEahljvA=&h=310&w=400&sz=119&hl=de&start=1&tbnid=zS-y9jGnrk3hMM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3DErkennungsmarke%2B1914%26gbv%3D2%26hl %3Dde)

And here you can see the broken disc of a dead German soldier
(If I remember correct on half stayed with the dead body, the other half was returned):
Google-Ergebnis für http://slesvigske.dk/1914-18/40.JPG (http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://slesvigske.dk/1914-18/40.JPG&imgrefurl=http://slesvigske.dk/1914-18/johannsen2.htm&usg=__wR7w_KW1-mBFlEI7gTLUlC0s3GE=&h=311&w=798&sz=54&hl=de&start=3&tbnid=07e6RhPwOJxDnM:&tbnh=56&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3DErkennungsmarke%2B1914%26gbv%3D2%26hl %3Dde)

Literature:
Deutsche Erkennungsmarken. Von den Anfängen bis heute: Mit den geheimen Codierungen (MOB-Listen) der Luftwaffe: Jean Höidal: Amazon.de: Bücher (http://www.amazon.de/Deutsche-Erkennungsmarken-Von-Anf%C3%A4ngen-heute/dp/3931533522)

[Rehmer]

great add-on comrade.
I've read of the double discs....one left on the body and one wrapped for the ID.
so the metal could allow an ID in burning case too I presume.

[Jim]

American identity disks are called 'dog tags' since they resemble the license tag that most cities require to register people's dogs.

American dog tags of the Great War are made of a disk of aluminum, about 30mm in diameter. The information on the man was stamped in by hand, one letter at a time, with a set of individual letter and number dies being hit with a hammer. Because these were made by hand, and because the tool kits that were used to make them are commonly sold on Ebay and other places, they are very easy to make forgeries of rare ones such as aviation units.

http://www.gswagner.com/tags/dogtag.jpg

[rammjaeger]

You are welcome, Rehmer.


American identity disks are called 'dog tags' since they resemble the license tag that most cities require to register people's dogs.

This is most interesting because German soldiers used and use the equivalent term "Hundemarke".

[Rehmer]

very interesting.

So I presume that with the development of ID discs there were no cases of dispersed bodies...

[Jim]

A body that was torn apart or blown up would not likely have a dog tag left to identify it. Or a man who lost his dog tag would not have one to be found on his dead body.