Great Britain and Empire

Three 1906 pattern identity discs (introduced August 1906).These were first mentioned in "Army Order 9" of 1907 and were issued upon mobilisation until they were superceded by the 1914 pattern fibre disc. However, these continued to be worn, especially by Colonial troops, until 1917 at the earliest.

The three examples here depict two army tags and one Royal Navy tag (right). The middle tag illustrates how they should have been stamped according to regulations

Great Britain and Empire...

Two examples of the 1914 pattern fibre discs, first mentioned in the Army Orders of August 1914 and issued from then on

Great Britain and Empire...

A scarce handwritten tag. Though not an "official" pattern, this stopgap measure could be classified as an "Emergency pattern" tag. First appearing around May 1915, there is the possibility that this was used as a "second" tag alongside the aluminium 1906 pattern tag in the absence of the steel stamp sets and prior to the issue of the completed 1914 pattern tags.

Britain and Empire...

By September 1916 it was realised that a single tag was insufficient to ease the identification of corpses, so a second tag was officially sanctioned (Army Order 257, Sept.1916). This became known as the "No.1" disc and was intended to remain on the body whilst the red, round "no.2" disc was removed for recording purposes.

Great Britain and Empire...

The post Sept.1916 "no.1" and "no.2" discs.

Canada...

Due to the influx of recruits in 1914, a "disc shortage" ensued in Canada. This enforced the manufacture of an emergency disc - the "1914 Pattern" Canadian disc. This was still being worn by some as late as 1916.

Canada...

Before long, though, the Canadian Army was also issued with the standard "no.1" and "no.2" discs.

France...

The French Army started the war with their pre-war pattern identity disc - the mle.1881 (right)- a design that was over 30 years old at the war's outbreak. This showed the soldier's name, number, class year and military district. Two tags were issued. One intended for wear around the neck, the other on the wrist.

By 1918, an new tag was introduced (left) - the mle. 1918. This contained the same information as before but was duplicated either side of a perforated line. The intention was to snap off part of the tag for records and leave the other part on the body.

Belgium...

The standard Belgian Army tag of World War 1 was identical to the French Mle.1881.This pattern was adopted in 1915 and, within the Belgian Army, was known as the Mle.1915. The Belgian tag also included unit details.

Belgium

The Mle.1889 tag with which the Belgian Army entered the Great War. This tag was superceded by the Mle.1915 in 1915 due to the ease of supply of French Mle.1881 "blanks", though it was never really replaced and this model could be encountered upto the end of the war.

(Photo courtesy of Frans Gorissen)

Italy...

The Italian tag was a "locket" that contained all the soldier's details on a slip of paper inside.

Russia...

The standard Russian tag was a hollow wooden tube with details on a slip of paper rolled up inside it. Many Russians, however, were not issued with tags and so many ended up in "unknown" graves.

The tag illustrated here is another Russian tag that is sometimes encountered. It's possibly a regimental tag rather than general issue. This is from the 21st Mouramski Regiment from near Rozhny

Germany...

The Germans are credited with having the first ever "official" identity disc. This is the 1869 pattern (top) which was first worn during the Franco-German War of 1870-71.

By 1914, though, they were wearing the 1879 pattern disc (middle left) which showed unit and company details and the soldiers number. In September 1915, a new disc was introduced (the 1915 pattern - bottom) which incorporated the soldier's name and home address. It was realised that some form of ID would have to be left on the body in the case of death, so, in November 1916, the 1916 pattern disc was issued (middle right). This had the same iformation as the 1915 disc , but in duplicate with the intention that the disc be snapped in half. Another slight variant was issued in 1917 but the 1916 pattern lasted to the war's end.

Austria...

Like the Italians, the Austrian tag was a locket containing all the soldier's details on a slip of paper. The standard issue throughout the war was in brass (right), but a zinc variant (middle) can also be encountered. By mid1918, the 1918 pattern tag (left) was on general issue. This was a much simplified locket in thin pressed steel.

USA...

The USA entered the war in 1917 with three pre-war design discs. The earliest pattern being the 1906 pattern (top right) which contained a soldier's name, rank, religion(after July 1918), unit and number (and the initials "USA" which stand for "United States Army"). In July 1916, another pattern disc was authorised (still called the 1906 pattern) intended to be worn as the "second" disc (bottom right) containing just the soldier's name and number and the "USA". As it turned out, most issues were of two discs of this pattern.

The other pattern disc was the 1910 pattern which was larger than the 1906 but was stamped with the same information (bottom left). Some of these were ordered to have certain sensitive informaten "x"'d out for security purposes once the frontline was reached (top left).

USA...

Shown here alongside it's 1910 pattern "mate" is an emergency measure US disc. This is the 1917 pattern disc adopted in June 1917 (authorised August 13th 1917) and issued to those going overseas. The issue of this pattern dwindled into 1918.

USA...

As from 12th May 1917, the US Navy had it's own pattern disc. The details on this (including the date of engagement)was acid etched on and a thumbprint was acid etched onto the rear.

USA...

The US Marine Corps was issued with two patterns of disc during WW1. The one illustrated (an "Army issue" disc) was issued to a land-based marine who fought alongside the army. Those who remained with the Navy were issued with the Naval pattern disc.