Military Identity Disks

[Mike_2817]

Anyone know when the British Armed Forces changed over from Green/Red Fibre ID Disks to round Stainless Steel ID Disks?

[Loski]

Originally Posted by Mike_2817

Anyone know when the British Armed Forces changed over from Green/Red Fibre ID Disks to round Stainless Steel ID Disks?

I think the change was made from Fiber to steel between the end of WWII and the start of the Korean War, But certiain members of the UK Military I'm told are still issued the red and green fiber ID discs.

[Mike_2817]

I found this reference;

United Kingdom

The British Armed Forces currently utilize two circular non-reflecting stainless steel tags engraved with the "Big 6":
1.Blood group
2.Service Number
3.Last name (Surname)
4.Initials
5."M" for Male, "F" for Female
6.RAF (if in the Royal Air force. The RAF is the only service to mark tags on line 6)

The disks are suspended from one long chain (24 inches long) and one short chain (4.5 inches long)

During World War One and Two, service personnel were issued pressed fiber identity disks, one green octagonal shaped disc, and a red round disc (some army units issued a second red round disk to be attached to the service respirator). The identity disks were hand stamped with the surname, initials, service number and religion of the holder and if in the Royal Air Force, the initials RAF.

The disks were worn around the neck on a 38" length of cotton cord, this was often replaced by the wearer with a leather bootlace. One tag was suspended below the main tag.

From 1960 these were replaced with stainless steel ID tags on a green nylon cord, two circular and one oval. The oval was withdrawn around 1990.

[ORISKANY]

Originally Posted by Mike_2817

Not really. But I found this reference;

United Kingdom

The British Armed Forces currently utilize two circular non-reflecting stainless steel tags engraved with the "Big 6":
1.Blood group
2.Service Number
3.Last name (Surname)
4.Initials
5."M" for Male, "F" for Female
6.RAF (if in the Royal Air force. The RAF is the only service to mark tags on line 6)

The disks are suspended from one long chain (24 inches long) and one short chain (4.5 inches long)

During World War One and Two, service personnel were issued pressed fiber identity disks, one green octagonal shaped disc, and a red round disc (some army units issued a second red round disk to be attached to the service respirator). The identity disks were hand stamped with the surname, initials, service number and religion of the holder and if in the Royal Air Force, the initials RAF.

The disks were worn around the neck on a 38" length of cotton cord, this was often replaced by the wearer with a leather bootlace. One tag was suspended below the main tag.

From 1960 these were replaced with stainless steel ID tags on a green nylon cord, two circular and one oval. The oval was withdrawn around 1990.

I was issued with the 2 round and 1 oval, cord on nylon in February 1956. We were issued with boxes of aplhabet and numbers to 'make' our identity discs.

[Loski]

Originally Posted by ORISKANY

I was issued with the 2 round and 1 oval, cord on nylon in February 1956. We were issued with boxes of aplhabet and numbers to 'make' our identity discs.

Did your tags look like these

[Mike_2817]

So no definitive date really!

Re disks - Just like that but with an Army 8 Digit Number.

[Loski]

Originally Posted by Mike_2817

Anyone know when the British Armed Forces changed over from Green/Red Fibre ID Disks to round Stainless Steel ID Disks?

My discs that I was Issued in the early 80's were both round suspended on a peice of green nylon cord and hand stamped I think in the following order
Name and initals
Blood Group
Religion
Service No

[Loski]

Im on duty all night so I will keep looking

[Loski]

Originally Posted by Mike_2817

So no definitive date really!

Re disks - Just like that but with an Army 8 Digit Number.

the pair in the photo are officers hence 6 digit no
ORs would have an 8 digit no

On thing i do know that before the outbreak of WWI british soldiers were issued with a single aluminum ID disc, when war broke out in 1914 it was not practical to issue the single ally disc and the pressed fibre pair were introduced.

A guy I know served in the Paras during the Falklands war in 82 and he was issued the same tags as I was issued in 85

[wardog]

RAF-None from '83-'88- issued Red and Green pair in 1988 on arrival in NI-then two machine stamped (perhaps machine engraved?) metal ones in '90 or '91 when posted mainland UK. Regards, Paul.

[Loski]

Originally Posted by wardog

RAF-None from '83-'88- issued Red and Green pair in 1988 on arrival in NI-then two machine stamped metal ones in '90 or '91 when posted mainland UK. Regards, Paul.

It looks like it might depended on your branch of service what tags you were issued I have found reference to the army being issued metal tags during the Korean war. I think 2 Round and 1 oval, I have a pair of these at home I will try and find out the date of issue of the service No when i get home in the morning from work.
My mate was issued 2 steel tags for the Falklands, as was I when I joined in 85 we were army.
Paul was issued fibre tags in 88 he was RAF, But I heard that some trades in the RAF got fibre tags because they did not cause sparks, I’m not sure but I don’t think mine were stainless like the new issue ones.

Wiki says this From 1960 these were replaced with stainless steel ID tags on a green nylon cord, two circular and one oval. The oval was withdrawn around 1990.the these they refer to are the fibre tags but wiki aint allwas right because the pair of oval and round officers tags I showed earlier came from the IWM web page and they date them from 1951.

[BWEF]

The first metal tags began to be issued in the far east towards the end of WW2. It had been found that the fibre tags did not stand up to being buried in places like Burma.

I have also been told that members of the Royal Armoured Corps also started wearing metal identity discs around this time, although I have never read this anywhere it makes sense to me as a tank/AFV was liable to burn.

At the moment a huge lot of metal identity discs is being sold on ebay. They claim to have dug up around 4,000 somewhere.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Random-Bri...item2a4256af82

They are selling individual identity discs with numbers from the "blocks" first issued in 1920 and phased out for one digit longer GSC numbers c1942. These start 14------

Soldiers who had joined the army prior to the introduction of these numbers kept their original numbers until discharged. Was this man in Burma, or just in the RAC?:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HOPE-Briti...item2a41cc7334

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISH-Briti...item2a41cc732c

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BERWICK-Br...item2a41cc733c

[GTB]

Originally Posted by Loski

the pair in the photo are officers hence 6 digit no
ORs would have an 8 digit no

On thing i do know that before the outbreak of WWI british soldiers were issued with a single aluminum ID disc, when war broke out in 1914 it was not practical to issue the single ally disc and the pressed fibre pair were introduced.

A guy I know served in the Paras during the Falklands war in 82 and he was issued the same tags as I was issued in 85

Would this be a disc, i.e. round, or oblong? I ask because I have been shown small oblong brass 'discs' that were described as WW1 items

GTB

[tonyb]

Originally Posted by Loski

Did your tags look like these

See post #1 here http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...hlight=Minibus
Shows the oval type were also used as vehicle key fobs.
Tony.

[GTB]

Further to pre/WW1 ID alum discs, I retrieved this among my local detecting finds and would welcome comments that may help to confirm if it is actually a service ID tag.

Aluminium, 35mm square with clipped corners; top central perforation. Legend: '10787' and 'C E'.

GTB