The World War I dog tags, is also known as the identity discs initially it was designed octagonal shape, were essential tools for identifying soldiers in the field. The overview of their significance and characteristics is given below:

WWI Dog Tag Significance

During the World War I, dog tags became an important part of military equipment. The primary purpose of dog tag was to ensure that soldiers could be identified in case of death or injury. Earlier the use of dog tags, many soldiers remained unidentified, causing significant distress for families and poor system of maintaining record.

Characteristics of World War I Dog Tags

Materials: Early dog tags were typically made of metal and designed in octagonal green disc shape , such as aluminum, brass and steel. The choice of material depended on the country and the availability of raw material and resources.

Shapes and Sizes: Dog tags designed in various shapes and sizes. Common shape included round, oval, octagonal and rectangular. Each country had its standard design behalf of their choices and availability of resources.

History

In Polyaenus, the first military ID tags are shown. In that story, Spartans wrote their names on sticks that were attached to their left wrists. Roman soldiers who joined the army got dog tags as a reward. Legionnaires wore a lead disk with their name and the name of their legion on a leather cord around their neck.

This was called a “signaculum”. Before the start of the four-month approbatory time (also called “probations”), this process and recruit enrollment were finished. “Signaculum” was given to a person who was no longer a civilian but not yet in the military after they took the oath of loyalty (sacramentum) at the end of “probations.”

Chinese troops have had dog tags since the middle of the 1800s. There was an uprising in Taiping from 1851 to 1866. Imperialists (Chinese Imperial Army regular soldiers) and uniformed Taiping rebels wore wooden dog tags on their belts that had their names, ages, birthplaces, units, and times of recruitment written on them.

Information Included:

Name: Name of soldier.
Service Number: A unique number which is assigned to each soldier.
Unit: Regiment.
Religion: For burial rites.
Country: Soldier’s country.
Dual Tags: To improve the identification process, If a soldier was killed, one tag would remain with the body for identification, while the other would be collected for record-keeping.

Examples of Dog Tags by Country

United States: Initially in the time of war, the U.S. Army issued aluminum discs stamped with personal information. After 1917, the tags were advanced by some more and accurate information to include the soldier’s name, rank, serial number, and unit.

United Kingdom: The British troops were given two tags, one made of fiber and one of aluminum. The fiber tag was meant to stay with the body even after it broke down, while the metal tag was used for paperwork.

Germany: Most of the time, German troops wore oval tags made of zinc or aluminum. They had the soldier’s name, rank, unit, and sometimes religion written on them.

France: French soldiers had round aluminum tags with their name, regiment, and serial number. The tags were worn around the neck on a cord.

Legacy: During World War I, dog tags were used to identify soldiers. This set a standard for how soldiers would be identified in future wars. The format and details have changed over time, but the main goal has not: to make sure that every soldier can be found and honored properly.

In summary, During World War I, dog tags were a simple but important part of military operations. They helped families of troops feel better by giving them a way to identify their loved ones and made it easier to handle the logistics of caring for war casualties.