Dogtags Query

[davo141]

I was wondering weather the British Armed forces use Dogtags and when and where??? E.g All the time, during training, conflict, leave?? Also do SF wear Dogtags with there regiments or false regiments on incase of capture??

Any info would be much welcomed.

Cheers, Davo

[Rockape]

Everyone in the UK armed forces should wear dogtags when deployed on operations. I don't know about the other services, but in the RAF Regt it would be unusual to see an individual wearing them in peacetime.

The usual method of wearing is two discs on a metal chain, worn round the neck, although some units may have different SOPs. In NBC conditions, a usual SOP is for the discs to be carried in the respirator haversack.

I can't speak for SF, however there is no information on an ID disc that would identify a person as a member of SF (a disc only has number, name, religion, blood group and service on it), therefore they probably do wear them.

[sp10122]

Army Pilots wear them all the time attached by a ring to your flying suit.


As Rockape said ther units won't generally wear hem in the UK (apart from NI) or if not on ops.

[chunky from york]

Devo,


Yes, SF wear dog tags on exercises and operations. On a thin green nylon cord around the neck and a separate smaller cord attaching it to the longer cord.

And like everybody else it contains

Army Number
Date of Birth
Religion
Blood Group


Though I believe in Owdens day the blood group (or was that Blut Grupe??) was tattooed on the inside of the left arm?

[Tab]

When I was in the Army we had to wear them all the time. I wore them every day until I demobed and handed them in with the rest of my kit.

[owdun]

We wore dog-tags at all times in the 40s-50s,. My first issue were some sort of plastic material, which was later changed to aluminium.I suspect that the reason we wore them at all times was because we were overseas more than at home, withdrawing from the Empire, which was being given away by shite politicians.


Aye Owdun.

[Sticky Blue]

Chunky, you probably remember the 'Green and Red' dogtags. You had to stamp them in the store with your details, they were great until they got really wet and swelled (No the dog tags swelled). We now have metal ones and the firm does not give you the rubber silencers to stop them from jingling as you move, you have to buy them. They also come on 2 chains, one long, one small that are like plug chans. I never had any of the green cords snap on me but I've gone through a fair few plug chains and hardly ever need to wear mine, I hate to think how many plug chains were sent out to the gulf

[Twenty One]

Been out of the Army now for 25 yrs and I still have my dog tags hanging here over my computer,infact I have two sets,when I was in I had two around my neck, one on my gas mask, one on my weapon.The spare set I carried on ops !

[Twenty One]

Been out of the Army now for 25 yrs and I still have my dog tags hanging here over my computer,infact I have two sets,when I was in I had two around my neck, one on my gas mask, one on my weapon.The spare set I carried on ops !

[Maria]

My first job (if you could call it that!) on completion of trade training at the now infamous Blackdown Barracks in Deepcut was operating the stamping machine for the metal dog tags.

It was such a tediously boring job that it was generally reserved for youngsters like myself that were marking time waiting to be PV’d. Imagine spending eight hours a day stamping numbers and blood groups.

I did however manage to acquire a rather nice collection of odd ones

Any one got an odd one? Just think I might have stamped yours

[Twenty One]

Maria, We stamped our own in the Paras and Infantry,that's why we could have a couple of spares just incase we lost some.

[spitfire]

Chunky, you probably remember the 'Green and Red' dogtags. You had to stamp them in the store with your details, they were great until they got really wet and swelled (No the dog tags swelled). We now have metal ones and the firm does not give you the rubber silencers to stop them from jingling as you move, you have to buy them. They also come on 2 chains, one long, one small that are like plug chans.

Sticky

I can remeber the green 'polygon' shaped one and the red round one, on the green cord. I remember stamping the details on them in the induction block at Lympstone. I still have these on a key ring.

I can remember the metal ones we were issued with later as you said. We used to use 'HBM' to stop them rattling.

we only used to wear them on exercise or on Ops. Although they were worn throughout basic training as a 'nod'.

[North Sea Tigress]

Hubby was issued a new set of dog tags, for his dessert trip earlier this year. Very Gucci they were too. They were not round, but a rectangular shape, with rubber silencers...AND, the 'plug chain' had a nice little plastic sleeve over it to protect him from a nickel allergy. Top bannana!

[Tab]

We only ever got issued with one set of dog tags. We had a iron block and a set of stamps and a hammer and had to make your own. Cock it up and you were on jankers and paid for the next set. There was never an option of getting blanks and making a second set, nor did I ever see any one with a second set

[Twenty One]

Used the Airborne inititative Tab,never done jankers always one step ahead!