WW1 dog tag variations

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

Is there any hard and fast rule as to the different dog tag types?

Here are 3.

1) Kurt G?pels, similar to the WW2 pattern

2) Peter Weis, a set of 2, mane on one, unit on another

3) Reserve Inf Regt 37 (number 249, 3rd Komp.) no name.

[Tony]

Hello Chris,

I think there were 4 types of official ID disc used by German soldiers during the Great War:

The 1879 pattern which was quite basic and showed only unit, company and service number e.g. XII Res. 13 Res. J?g. 2. K. 331

The September 15 pattern which had more details such as name, address, unit and date of birth e.g. Adolf Bartel, Hainichen, Moltke Str. 573 C, 3.11.83, E.B. 131, JR 107, 6., 1373.

The next pattern came out in about November 1916, the details stayed the same but they started using the kind of disc that can be broken in two.

There is supposed to be a fourth pattern but I?ve never seen one and I think it probably never came off the drawing board.

There are variations to the official discs, pictured are six 1879 discs, two of them have the soldier?s name, the bottom two are POW discs (so don?t really count) and they all vary slightly in size.

Tony

[Tony]

The September 1915 pattern

[Tony]

Three November 1916 pattern discs, all can be broken in two and are slightly different in shape but roughly the same size.

The top one (L.J.R. 61, 1. M.G.K. No. 65) has the soldier's name and address on the reverse. Obviously privately made. He was Franz Janssen, born 31.7.93 and lived at Fuhlentwiete 39 in Hamburg.

I?m not sure about one of them as it has very few details, Land.Schutz.Erz.Batl. 6 St.Kp. 20934, could it be from WWII?

Anyone know how to clean them up a bit?

Tony

[Chris Boonzaier]

Sorry, forgot to post the pics....

[Tony]

I do like that small one at the bottom, very nice

I think the large one is the 1915 pattern

The square one is the 1869 (or there abouts) pattern

The one for Peter Weis could be a home made / private purchase tag to wear with his 1879 tag

That lovely one at the bottom is from 1879 and onwards. I suppose they would have been used right till the end of the war. The Brit 1906 aluminium disc was also worn by old soldiers after the fibre pattern came on the scene.

Just noticed that my 1915 disc has a line for snapping along the middle, maybe it's somewhere between 1915 and 1916.

[Chip]

Chris,

If you have seen Peter Meinlschmidt's book "German WWI Identity Tags/Disks" you will know that there were many more kinds of Erkennungsmarke. For instance, sea based naval troops wore a pin backed tag. My example is shown in the book. There were also several other shapes of tags that were worn, seemingly by entire units. Some of the colonial disks were round. I have about 75 disks and all but a few fall into the standard issue categories that Tony describes. Oooh, I really like that Saxon J?ger tag. Nice. Have you ever seen a Saxon example with a green and white cord? I have nearly all of the state colored neck cords, but have not been able to find a Saxon one.

Chip

[Tony]

There's a book on these?

Do you have the ISBN Chip? I've done a quick online search but didn't find anything. Is it still in print?

Tony

[Guest Rick Research]

I have two, and no amount of scanning produces anything that looks like anything between an unwashed russet potato and a supernatural glow-in-dark.

[Daniel Murphy]

Just noticed that my 1915 disc has a line for snapping along the middle, maybe it's somewhere between 1915 and 1916.

That is a 1915 that has been modified to be able to function like a 1916. I have a pair of tags on the cord, to a 4th Garde Grenadier Rgt. machine gunner and one is a modified 1915. I will dig them out and post them. In the meantime, here is a POW Id tag for a Frenchman. It is of tin with holes for sewing to the breast of the uniform. It is somewhat large at 67mm by 80mm. Obverse.

Dan Murphy

Edited June 6, 2006 by Daniel Murphy

[Daniel Murphy]

Reverse. This is the only one I have seen like this, has anyone else seen one?

Dan Murphy

[Daniel Murphy]

I believe it belonged to Alfred Selen of the French 164th Infantry Regiment. I have a lot of his letters home as a POW starting in 1915. I got the tag at the same time. Here is one letter.

[Tom Y]

Here are 3 types, all to scale. The large zinc breakable, a smaller crudely made aluminum, and a silver private purchase.

[Tom Y]

and four other types. The bottom one doesn't appear to be zinc. I've seen a small rectangular type for cavalry.

[Chip]

Tony,

Yes, there is a book. Back in the early 90's I was contacted by Herr Meinlschmidt and along with many other contributers, provided him with photos and drawings of tags. The book is quite good and came out in German originally, but was subsequently printed in English in 1993. The book is soft backed, 199 pages. It was self published by the author and I can find no ISBN number on it. I will send you the author's last mailing address by PM.

Regards,

Chip

[Chip]

Tony,

I don't think that there is any way to get the corrosion off of these zinc disks without doing damage. Best bet is just to try to stop the further deterioration. I wash them with a mild dish soap (like Dawn, which has degreasing properties), then let them dry. When dry, I coat them with Vaseline and then wipe the excess off. This darkens them up a little bit and the non-sticky film helps to keep further moisture out.

Chip

[David Gregory]

Here is a tag to Leutnant der Reserve Kuno Reusch, commander of 5th battery, Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 108.

[Chip]

Dave,

Nice private purchase officer's disk. You don't often see officer's disks made to look like the issue examples.

Chip

[Chris Boonzaier]

This 176th IR disc arrived this week...

[Minen]

Hi,

What a nice topic and nice items !

I collect german dog tags (only WW1). Here is a few selection of mine.

Garde dog tags :

4. Garde Regiment zu Fuss (1915 pattern)

1. Garde Regiment zu Fuss (1916 pattern)

A nice 1915 pattern of the 2. Garde Regiment zu Fuss (1915)

Another one of the 1. G.R.z.F. (1915)

Stephan

[Minen]

A nice dog tag of a Minenwerfer Kompanie (Engeneer) :

An uncommon tag for the "J?ger Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 13." (sorry, I don't know exactly how to translate in english)

another uncommon tag for Machine gunners detachment (Maschinen Gewehr Scharf Sch?tzen Abteilung)

Stephan

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi Stephan,

welcome to the forum :-)

[Minen]

I continue...

A rare tag with relief (1916 pattern, generally, these tags don't have a marking with relief)

Another one with relief but 1915 pattern (it is also a bavarian unit) :

And the last two for today : 2 tags of "J?ger". The first is for an officer. Both are 1878 pattern.

Best regards,

Stephan

[Minen]

Hi Stephan,

welcome to the forum :-)

Hi Chris,

As you can see, I registered on your forum

See you later

Stephan

[Chris Boonzaier]

This is an unusual one, it is out of a kind of stainlesssteel, and has no number, just that he is in the Ersatz Battalion...