Belgium Belgian Congo official ID/dog tag

[Stuka f]

Dog tags aren't my favourite militaria item, but thise one is!

It is the badge of a person who served in the Belgian Weermacht / force publique in Belgian Congo.
That army was founded in 1885 to protect and help the Belgian kolonialists in Congo.
Only 100.000 European men served in that army from the start till the end in 1960.
So imagine my surprise finding a legitimation badge / dog tag with a number as low as thise one.
The coat of arms of Congo appearing on the badge tells it was used during the periode 1885 untill 1908, the time Congo was the private property of king Leopold II.
Any Belgian Weermacht item of that periode (before 1908) is very rare to find.
I think I must be able to find out to who the badge belonged with the number it bears, that might bring out a other surprise.....
;-)
cheers
|<ris

[Chris Boonzaier]

That is an unusual item.... it must have had considerable powers for the bearer...

[Stuka f]

Hey Chris,

it probably might have!!....

Sadly no history to it from the place I got it.

cheers

|<ris

[Kornel R.]

That's something ! for sure one of the best/interesting colonial items I ever saw !!

my congratulations

Kornel

[Stuka f]

Thank you!

|<ris