Introduction + request for help
 

Dear members,

Thank you very mush for accepting me on this forum. I am a history lover from Belgium, Antwerp more specificaly. As you all know this area saw some serious action during both WW's. By chance I got in the possesion of a few items that puzzled me for some time. They consist of thin aluminium strips with pinholes on the left and right side, embossed with numbers and letters. I didn't have a clue untill I started reading them in detail.

The last one reads "unknown german. oct 44", witten in English. The others all give codes and date combinations, all around Oct '44. My gues is that they are identification tags for crosses on temporarly gravesites. The where found in the area of Zandvliet.
This leads me to the Scheld estuary battle, Oct '44, wich leads me to the fact they might be Canadian.

I want to make a propper entry on this forum, so I would like to ask you if and on what topic I can drop my question and pictures. I realise they are surely no badges or decoration, but this forum is as close as I can find on this subject.

Sicerely
Jan

Hello Jan
Welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.
Other Military Topics would be the most appropriate.

Jan
Welcome to the Forum
I have no idea what your items are but there are many members on here who have a great deal of knowledge and will be able to help
Members here have varied interests in not only badges but uniform, equipment, military history and weapons. (but of course mainly badges / insignia)
I would post your question together with good photographs in the section entitled
It's a Mystery - Unknown Insignia for Identification and see how you go
Once again welcome and good luck in your search for further information
Regards
Steve

Jan,

They sound like "Graves Registration Service" identity tags.

https://www.qmgrs.com/category/equip...dentification/


.

Dog tags ?
Andy

I know the Americans when they were sorting the dead, germans included, they would print a dog tag replicating the details found on the body, removing the original and replacing it so I would suggest that it is something similar and have something to do with the process of sorting the war dead.
I think I watched it on youtube how the process worked

Jan,
I am often visit berendrecht & zandvliet and Antwerp I will send a pm I have done some metal detecting in the area also.

Regard

stephen