ID "Dog Tags"

[Madbob]

Prompted by another thread about unidentified graves I thought I would ask a question (or three) about the dog tags I was issued with.

Q1. Why are they made of fibre?
Q2. Has the design changed?
Q3. Are they supposed to be fire / acid proof?

Both are made of a compressed fibre material, one is circular and reddy brown the other is green and with 8 sides. The impressed text on both tags is the same. On one side it says RAF OFF, Religion and Blood Group. The other side has my service no and initials and name.

The red one has a single hole and the green one two holes.

I guess one stayed with the body/remains and the other removed as part of the reporting action......

I used to wear them on a split ring suspended from the little "D" ring on the front of my flying suit.
MB

[Dan Winterland]

I have some of those somewhere. I would like to know the answers as well. But I noted while watching a documentary recently that they hadn't changed since WW2.

I recently went to the Ámerican War museum in Ho Chi Minh (ex Hanoi). In the souvenir shop, you can buy US military metal style tags. original war momentos. I didn't like to think too much what beacme of the people whose name were embossed on those tags.

[India Four Two]

Hi Dan,

Ho Chi Minh (ex Hanoi)

A bit of a Freudian slip there - you meant to type Saigon, didn't you?

I'm pretty sure the dog tags (and the engraved Zippo lighters) are all fakes. But still quite macabre, I agree.

[denis555]

I always understood that one was fireproof, the other waterproof - although they both looked the same to me - just different colours.

[Dan Winterland]

Er, you're right. Bit of a cock up. I should know as I fly to Hanoi regularly!

[diginagain]

Originally Posted by Madbob

I used to wear them on a split ring suspended from the little "D" ring on the front of my flying suit.

We were always advised against this practice, as, in the event of a fire, the cotton thread would burn, leaving your ID to separate from that which it was supposed to ID.

All your pockets would fall off too.

[SASless]

Vietnam practice was to wear one in each boot lace....as well as the two around your neck. Thinking was there would be enough left with a tag to ID you if you went to pieces suddenly.

[J.A.F.O.]

Vietnam practice was to wear one in each boot lace

I understood that that was the idea behind the green one with the two holes - so that it could be laced into your boots, never did, though.

I still have mine with me when I fly.

[madcat11]

We no longer use that style now. They are all metal. Circular in shape and get caught in your hairy chest lol