CROONAERT Posted 15 February , 2003 Share Posted 15 February , 2003 I have a WW1 Belgian identity disc (small oval,same shape as French mle 1881) which has unit initials that are a mystery to me. The front of the tag is stamped: CTAG-13 4816 BEUN GJH The reverse is: YPRES FL OCC From this, I deduce that the soldier's name and number was 4816, G.J.H. Beun, and he was from (or enlisted in) Ypres. What puzzles me is what does "CTAG-13" and "FL OCC" mean? Thanks in advance, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 15 February , 2003 Share Posted 15 February , 2003 FL OCC means Flandre Occidentale (West Flanders). Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 15 February , 2003 Author Share Posted 15 February , 2003 Thanks Jan. I take it that CTAG - 13 must be the unit then. The 13th "something", perhaps? Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 16 February , 2003 Share Posted 16 February , 2003 Perhaps the class? Class of 1913? It's just an idea, I don't know much about the Belgian Army... Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 16 February , 2003 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2003 There's every possibility that it is, Jan. I also don't have much experience with the Belgian Army,but the French tags of the same type had the "class" year stamped on,so it could be. You've also led me to think on another track: Seeing as the soldier was Flemish, I've been trying to think of Flemish words to expand the initials "CTAG". Now, I wonder whether I should be looking at French words, such as "Corps de Tirrailleurs....?.....?...". (After all, "Ypres" and "Flandre Occidentale" are both in French). Would Flemish units have been designated in French 1914-18? Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 17 February , 2003 Share Posted 17 February , 2003 I am no expert here, but I believe that French was the 'official' language of the Belgian Army, so the bureaucratic niceties were most likely transacted in French. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 17 February , 2003 Share Posted 17 February , 2003 Hello, Units were indeed mostly designated in French, also on all official papers etc. In the meantime I found the abbreviation: Corps de Troupes auxiliaires du Génie (Auxiliary Corps of Engineers). Unless the abbreviation is CT/AG? Then it would mean Corps des Transports du CTAG. Regards, Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 17 February , 2003 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2003 I've just looked through various other French military abbreviations and can't find anything nearer,so I think that might be it. Thanks Jan. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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