Dog tag
An identification tag is a divisible or two-part metal tag that is primarily used to identify dead soldiers . The personal identification number , often also a country code and the blood group, is stamped on it. Other characteristics such as the Rh factor , religion or vaccination status vary from country to country. The identification tag must be worn on a chain around the neck. If the person wearing the token is killed, the finder can cut off part of the token in order to be able to document the find later. For this purpose, both halves are provided with identical information. There is a predetermined breaking point in the middle . The other part is left with the corpse so that it can be identified later. Before identification tags were introduced, soldiers carried a capsule with them, for example, in which an identification sheet was kept protected from the weather.
A soldier has to wear his identification tag whenever he is on duty or when he is in uniform . Activities where wearing the brand is associated with the risk of injury - for example during sports - can be excluded.
In military jargon , the recognition mark in Germany is dog tag , Austria Dog brand and in the Swiss Army grave stone called.
history
Identification capsule of a kk soldier
Description of this
Roman legionaries wore a type of identification tag called a signaculum in a leather pouch around their necks.
From the American Civil War 1861–1865 it is known that Union soldiers sewed name tags on their uniforms in the latter half of the war before the costly battles to be expected in order to be able to be identified after a possible death.
In Germany, dog tags were first introduced by the Prussian King Wilhelm I at the beginning of the war in 1870/1871 . According to the story, the proposal is said to have come from a Berlin craftsman who at the time had several sons in the military. Initially, brands that were made in-house were still worn. However, identification marks were not introduced across the board until the First World War , at that time without a dividing slot and with full names. The experiences on the battlefields of the First World War, on which soldiers were often mutilated beyond recognition and / or could not be recovered for months in no man's land, demonstrated the need for these identification tags. The remains of soldiers who can be identified by their identification tags are still found today.
In Austria, in 1875, hinged capsules with the essential data of the soldier were worn on a string.
Separation slots have been attached to the brands since the 1920s. The mark can be easily divided in the middle by bending it back and forth several times without tools. The upper half remained with the fallen man, the lower half went first to the unit, then to the military administration. Both halves are labeled identically, the upper one usually has two holes so that a ribbon can be passed through and the stamp can be attached. The lower one has a "collecting hole" so that the corresponding halves of the stamps of several fallen players can be lined up.
The first brands were usually made of aluminum or zinc , and in some cases also of stainless steel .
In Austria, before the introduction, soldiers wore a capsule as part of the adjustment , in which a legitimation sheet was kept protected from the weather.
Dog tags in the Imperial German Army (1914–1918)
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Dog Tag of the Guard Regiment
The dog tag pictured on the right was issued to a soldier of the First Guard Regiment during the First World War. The marking “Anton Stamnitz. Spandau 6.5.95 Ers Batt. 1 Gard. Jnf.Leib / KKR1.GJ No. 455 "means:" Name: Anton Stamnitz Born in Spandau Date: May 6, 1895 in the Combined Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Guard Infantry Division No. 455 ".
Army identification tag
On the left an identification tag of the German Army in World War I. The brand is made of aluminum. To protect the wearer's skin, it was wrapped in a sleeve made of soft leather. The marking means: name, place of birth, date of birth and unit: Reserve Infantry Regiment 264, 5th Company.
Dog tags in the German Wehrmacht
The dog tag shown was issued to a soldier of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War . The mark - 7. Jnf./F / Aus. Rgt. 719 - No. 94 0 means: 7th Company Infantry Field Training Regiment 719 - Register No. 94 - blood group 0.
Units at increased risk of capture, such as B. Border guard units or paratroopers , or where the unit should generally be veiled when captured, were only given numbers on their identification tags.
It was planned that every soldier had to wear a brand. Furthermore, members of the RAD ( Reich Labor Service ), the National Socialist Motor Vehicle Corps (NSKK), the Todt Organization , the police, factory employees in war-relevant companies, Volkssturm , fire brigade, news and administrative staff, technical emergency aid and prisoners of war. From July 1942, the Customs Border Guard also received identification tags.
Dog tags in the German Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr identification tags are oval, with a height of 50.3 mm, a width of 80 mm and a perforation for dividing the mark. The brands are labeled on both sides and all information is mirrored on the top and bottom.
| Field no. | meaning | Hints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | |
| 2 | nationality |
DEU for Germany
GE for Germany was punched in older EKMs until 2007 . These EKMs are no longer permissible and have been exchanged because there was a risk of confusion with Georgia. |
| 3 | - | The supervising military chaplaincy was registered here (regardless of religious affiliation) until 2011. The choices were:
For other religious communities that do not have their own military chaplaincy in the Bundeswehr, the "supervising military chaplaincy" (E or K) could be entered. In addition, at the request of the soldier, the own religious community according to the following key.
The field remained free for atheist soldiers or upon explicit request (no lines or other devaluations of the field). Since 2011, according to Internal instruction of the BMVg by the basic training units generally no longer shows any religious affiliation on the identification tag. This is done for the NATO-wide standardization of the information contained in the EKM. Old identification tags remain valid, provided the entry in field 2 is correct. However, if the soldier so wishes, they can be exchanged (e.g. after leaving the church). A general exchange of all EKMs is not planned for cost reasons. |
| 4th | PK (personal identification number) | The field contains the personal identification number, which is made up as follows:
|
| Field no. | meaning | Hints |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | blood type | A, B, AB or 0 |
| 6th | Rhesus factor | Rh + or rh- |
| 7th | Vaccination / full protection | (e.g. T for tetanus and the year of vaccination, T 87) |
| 8th | - | |
| 9 | - | |
| 10 | - |
Fields 1 and 7 to 10 are only filled when instructed by the Federal Ministry of Defense . Field 3 has generally remained free since 2011.
Identification tag of the National People's Army (NVA) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR)
On the front of the NVA identification tag , next to the country code " GDR ", the ID number of the army member is shown. The blood type is noted on the back. The personal identification number consists of the date of birth (DDMMYY), the gender (in this case 4 for male) and the lifelong personal number.
- Identification tag of the NVA
front
back
Identification tags for the Austrian Armed Forces
The Austrian Armed Forces issued identification tags on the left until the 1970s.
As in other countries, the country code "A" is embossed on the upper part. Otherwise it only includes the blood group and the Rhesus factor. A troop unit is not noted because the stamp remains valid even in the case of transfers within the armed forces.
The identification number is stamped on both halves. The identification number is made up of several identifiers, some of which contain the state of the main residence at the time of the convocation.
The lower part, which, like others, can be bent, has a surface with an additional hole on which film dosimeters can be attached in an emergency . This number could also be transferred to the dosimeter by means of a needle through the holes that represent the number coded.
The successors of these brands are oval and no longer have the option of dosimeters.
US Army dog tag
The structure of the US Army dog tag differs somewhat from the brands commonly used in Europe, but serves the same purpose. It is used to clearly identify soldiers who have fallen in action. In contrast to, for example, the German dog tags (also known colloquially as "dog tags"), the United States Army brand consists of two parts.
The shape and size of the U.S. dog tags
The actual stamp is rectangular and about the size of a matchbox (approx. 5 cm × 2.8 cm) and weighs 4.5 grams. The two short sides are slightly curved outwards. There is a hole on one of the two short sides for the chain that carries the dog tag. The material used is stainless steel with a carbon content of up to 0.08%. This makes the brands extremely resistant to weather, chemicals and heat. The surface of the marks is not polished in order to reduce possible reflections from sunlight or lamps during use. The most important information about the owner is embossed on the brand. The writing is slightly raised to ensure better readability. In addition, no foreign bodies can penetrate into the depressions of a deep embossing. A data record usually consists of five lines. It contains the soldier's surname and first name, social security number, blood group and religion. Information on the date of birth, the size of the gas mask and the last tetanus vaccination were also part of the data set in the past, but have now been deleted.
Dog Tag Chain - Attaching the US Dog Tag
The US Army dog tag is worn around the neck on a 60 cm to 70 cm long stainless steel ball chain. In addition to an identification tag, there is also a second chain, about 8 cm to 10 cm long, on which a second identical tag is attached. While the token on the long chain remains with the corpse in the event of death, the second token is removed for internal administrative processes. So that both dog tags don't hit each other during use and thus cause telltale noises, they can also be provided with so-called silencers. These are small rubber lips that are slipped over the edges of the stamp.
US dog tags in Germany
The identification tags of the US Army have existed in their current form almost unchanged since 1916. While they are part of the equipment of the Army, Navy and Marines in the USA , in Germany they are mainly worn as costume jewelry. Provided with the appropriate information, such brands can also be quite helpful in an emergency in this country. That is why individually coined brands can also be found in the chronically ill (diabetes, allergy), with pacemaker owners or HIV patients.
Other dog tags
Front of a stamp of the Swedish military
Back of a stamp of the Swedish military
Identification tag of a foreign legionnaire
Finnish dog tag
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- Some armed forces also use two small tags on a chain instead of one divisible tag; z. B. the US armed forces and the Swiss army (only one brand is worn in the training service).
- Identification tags are also worn in various music scenes, such as in the rock and metal scene, in the reggae / ska scene, but also in the hip-hop scene.
literature
- Hinrichs, Dohse: The identification tags of the SS units . Self-published, 2011 (hardback).
- Jean Höidal: German dog tags of the Second World War. An introduction for interested parties and collectors (= uniform and equipment of the German armed forces . Volume 8 ). Patzwall, Norderstedt 1999, ISBN 3-931533-40-9 .
- Jean Höidal: German dog tags . From the beginnings till now. With the secret codes (MOB lists) of the Luftwaffe . Patzwall, Norderstedt 2005, ISBN 3-931533-52-2 (21 cm × 30 cm, 570 pages, 1800 illustrations).
Web links
- Treatise on the German identification mark of the old army in the gene wiki portal.
- http://www.dd-wast.de/ - German office
- Customs border patrol dog tags
- Found German soldiers are identified by their dog tags
Individual evidence
- ^ War graves in Austria-Hungary (PDF file; 3.6 MB) Dissertation by Thomas Reichl, page 56, accessed on May 29, 2009
- ↑ a b c Ministerialblatt of the Federal Ministry of Defense 2007 (VMBl 2007) , pp. 21–23.