Identification of POW's

[CROONAERT]

All the talk on POW camp numbering on one of the other threads has rekindled one of my almost forgotten interests (POW's in Germany).It's also brought up a question that I never found an answer to and I wondered if anyone could help.

Below, you can see a picture of an Identity disc (dog-tag) issued to Allied POW's held by the Germans in WW2. As you can see, it's a rectangular version of the standard Wehrmacht "Erkennungsmarke" of the period (1934 pattern - very similar to the 1916/17 pattern), stamped with the prisoner's personal number and details of the POW camp he was held in.

My question is did the German military issue special dog-tags to the Allied POW's that they held 1914-18, or did they continue to wear their own issue discs (possibly stamped over with their new "prisoner number)?

I am aware of the various labels/badges etc. that showed similar details, but have never seen any specific ID discs.




Thanks,

Dave.

[182 CEF]

I have posted this question on the POW website. I have no replys so far. I think the site is out of Germany, so If I get a reply I will post it here.

Dean Owen

[CROONAERT]

Thanks Dean.

Noone I have asked so far has any idea.Nor can I find any reference in any publication or document that I have seen. Someone must know!

Cheers,

Dave.

[182 CEF]

I still have not heard from anyone on the POW site conserning WW1 ID tags. However I did come across a "postcard" photo of a group of WW1 British POWs held by the Germans in a Camp. Each POW is wearing an armband, This may be just for a work detail etc, however I think this may be the ID method that was used. On the Back of the photo is a message from one of those in the Photo, He is from the R.M.F. and the photo was taken in 1916. If you would like to look at it, it is on ebay, item number 2173304151.

It,s worth the look.

Dean Owen

Whitby Canada

[CROONAERT]

Thanks,Dean.

I've taken a look at the item. Interesting though they are, the photos don't show the prisoners' ID. The "arm bands" aren't actually armbands.What they are,are pieces of different coloured cloth (usually khaki on "Kitchener Blue"/"Kitchener Blue" on Khaki, etc.) that have actually been sewn in to the tunic.(eg. an arm was cut off and 5in.of cloth removed.This was replaced by 5in. of a different colour and sewn back on).This can also be encountered on trousers (usually a "stripe" running the full length of the leg).

The reasoning behind this is to ID the wearer as being a prisoner and to make it more difficult to disguise any escapee's clothing. In a way it is similar to the convict's "arrowed" garments of the Victorian era or the stripes of a KZ inmate of WW2.

Thanks anyway.

"The quest continues..."

Dave.