ww1 or ww2 dog tags ?

**matthewtanner** · 04-05-2014, 01:57 PM

Hi all picked up these old dog tags I was wondering if there are ww1 or ww2 ? and how do I tell ?
thanks
matty.

**CampX** · 04-05-2014, 02:53 PM

I am unsure if yours are WW1 or WW2, however here is a pair of WW1 Canadian ID tags

Dean O
Ajax Canada

**matthewtanner** · 04-05-2014, 03:32 PM

cheers for the comparison mate .

**SteveR** · 04-05-2014, 05:58 PM

Interesting guys.

**Mark Holden** · 04-07-2014, 01:04 PM

Matty,

a simple guide

1. WW1 Six numbers or less-almost always with Regiment abbreviated on the discs, plus religion-see Dean O's Canadian Discs
2. WW2 Seven digits I think possibly eight in some very few instances but never a regimental abbreviation
3. Post WW2 Eight digits.

I would guess that yours are post WW2 if there are 8 numbers

regards

Mark

**CampX** · 04-07-2014, 02:10 PM

Mark, I did have a set of Officers WW2 Canadian Id Tags that had the unit on it, but that's the only ones I have seen like that, he was A Major in the Canadian Sigs, perhaps he just had the ab stamped in himself.

Wish I had kept photos of them.

Forgot to mention there was no number on them

Dean O

**matthewtanner** · 04-09-2014, 12:00 PM

thanks_for_the_info_mark_...

**SatansCabanaBoy** · 04-11-2014, 12:47 PM

Hey Matt...I've been collecting Canadian dog tags for a while. I haven't found very much information on tags out there.
The first thing I can tell you is that every district had a different way of putting information on a tag. So where things are located on the tag, how it curves, or straight lines, the depth, font, it's all different. WW1 tags are also sometimes metal. WW1 tags also -sometimes- look thicker, like they are made from clay, and not so much the compressed paper.
The tags you are showing I am sure are British. Canadian tags have "Canadians" or "CDN" or "Can" or even "CEF"somewhere on it. When the tag has Canadians on it in full, it is more than likely WW1.
The CE I am sure is the religion, Church of England. Although, I have seen C of E.
So, that being said, in Canadian tags, anyway, the longer the regimental number would indicate the later on in the war the soldier was enlisted, or was drafted. Officers did not have their regimental number on the disc. Also with WW2 Canadian tags the regimental number will have a letter in the front to indicate a district where the man enlisted, or the area where he was from.
Rank is put on the disc, and I am surprised to not see one on your discs. It's unusual in Canadian discs. So, rank is a give away for WW1 discs and WW2, with some ranks not being there, like L Sgt.
Sometimes on Canadian ww1 discs, they included the battalion. Like on Dean's tag from the 52 BN.
So, with all of this information you can sometimes make a call on if it's British, or Canadian, or other Commonwealth troops just by looking at it, but an interesting way to see if a Canadian disc is WW1 or WW2...the WW1 regimental numbers can be looked up on line through Library and Archives Canada. So, if you want to see Dean's attestation papers for for Sgt. Albert Bismark Henderson McCormack of Brockville Ontario, you can look here...Image - Library and Archives Canada

When we put in your disc's regimental number, it comes up blank, so again, I think it's British. I also think it's WW1, because it doesn't have a letter in the front. I could be wrong on that, it's just my guess. Interesting tags, non the less. I like when there's more to the tag than just a single disc. I like to try to find tags still on their original cords. The keys look like other keys I have seen for locks for the kit bag.