First War Belgian Soldiers

[BeppoSapone]

I have a very few WW1 Belgian identity discs.

Is it possible to find out what happened to the individual soldiers?

One of the tags belonged to an officer, if that makes it any easier.

[bkristof]

There are a few source, but most are in Flemish.

I am willing to try them for you.

[CROONAERT]

Kristof.

Does Patrick de Wolf still have his website of WW1 graves?

I lost the URL for this. Patrick sent me the complete listings on CD-ROM anyway, so I don't really need it, but it might be useful for someone else. If I remember correctly, this site could also be viewed in English.

Dave

[bkristof]

Patrick's site still excists.

But he doesn't give the list anymore.

A few people were abusing his research... sound familiar dosn't it.

I only have the Flemish site:

http://users.pandora.be/ABL1914/index.htm

on this site you can find a part of the casualty list:

http://www.inflandersfields.be/default2.htm

BUT these are only fallen soldiers.

[BeppoSapone]

There are a few source, but most are in Flemish.

I am willing to try them for you.

Hi Kristof

Thank you for your reply. I would be very grateful if you could take a look for information on these WW1 Belgian identity discs, because I would not read Flemish well enough to do it. Also, I am unfamiliar with the abbreviations used by the Belgian Army.

The first is a small oval French type disc. This one was worn on the wrist, and still has the chain. One side is stamped "10 Artilli" then "1474" and then "Descamps, H". On the reverse side is written "Mons" and "Hainaut". The word which I think means artillery really is written that way. They ran out of space on the disc!

The second item is also a small oval French type disc, also worn on the wrist, and still with the chain. One side is stamped "CT 1DA" and "722" and "Mazyn V". On the reverse side is written "Stalhille" and "25 2 94" and "Fl Occi" - so, West Flanders.

The last item is a larger oval brass disc. Also worn on the wrist and of the "private purchase" type so often seen for British and Empire soldiers. This one is a little bit more difficult to read because it has been engraved with a fancy sort of lettering. On the front it says: "Officier Payeur" then "Noteman Olois" - (Is there a name Olois? I have only heard of Alois.) then "Oeltre(?) le 9-7-77" - From the context of it being his date of birth you may know what the word of which I am unsure is. On the reverse side is "Flandre Orient", so he came from East Flanders.

Maybe I have some more Belgian tags packed away? I am starting to look at some dog tags that I have had in store for some time. Just tonight I have opened up a large cigar box full of French identity discs dating from WW1 to the 1980s. Maybe between 20 and 30 are these small oval tags, and I am going to list them, and check them as well. With the internet it is now possible.

[CROONAERT]

Tony.

It looks to me that H.Descamps and V.Mazyn both survived.

However, I have a Lt. Alois Noterman of the "Service Sepultaire Militaire" (Belgian Army Graves registration lot ?) who was born at Aalter on 9th July 1877. He died (in service) on 8th September 1920 and is buried in the Belgian military cemetery in Bruges.

Dave.

[bkristof]

The second item is also a small oval French type disc, also worn on the wrist, and still with the chain. One side is stamped "CT 1DA" and "722" and "Mazyn V". On the reverse side is written "Stalhille" and "25 2 94" and "Fl Occi" - so, West Flanders.

It will take a long time to find info on the ones who were not killed...

but i already can help a bit:

10 Artilli = 10th regiment of atillery (indeed)

1474 = number of the private

Descamps, H.

Mons= you know that one for sure

Hainaut= the province were mons is in

CT 1 DA= corps des transport (= ASC, transport corps) 1 DA (= 1st division)

722= number of the soldier

Mazyn, V. = very rare name, i found a few in that area... >> I found 2 people maybe family??

Stalhille= a small village inbetween Brugges and the coast

25 2 94 = date of bitrth 25 februari 1894

west Flanders indeed.

BUT !!!!!! I found this:

Spouse: Masyn, Victor Joseph

b. 25 FEB 1894 Stalhille

d. 15 JAN 1949 Brugge

Gender: Male

Parents:

Father: Masyn, X

Mother: Depecker, X

his wife:

Lanckriet, Adronie Marie

b. 16 JUN 1894 Ruddervoorde

d. 24 DEC 1985 Brugge

Children:

Masyn, Maria Rosa Suzanna, born 16 MAR 1922 Zwevezele, maried to Verschiere, Adriaan

THAT MUST BE HIM!!!

I confirm the other info that Croonaert provided.

oeltre is Aalter indeed, Officier payeur is Pay corps officer

[BeppoSapone]

Thanks to both Croonaert and to Kristof for their help in this matter.

Dave, the information on Lt. Alois Noterman of the "Service Sepultaire Militaire" sounds correct. How many people can have been born on the same day in 1877? The tag comes from the old American collection that I have mentioned to you before. It came with a little label saying that he was a "Captain Paymaster" in WW1. I suppose he reverted to a lower rank when the war ended, and helped organise the paperwork for the Belgian war dead.

Kristof, the information on Victor Joseph Masyn is first class. It must be the same man. You may be interested in knowing that I have a US tag that was supposedly found by a relic hunter in the area of the "Battle of the Bulge". With use of the internet I have found that the man is still alive and in his 80s, living in the city of St Paul.

[bkristof]

WAW amazing...

do you collect dog tags?

[BeppoSapone]

WAW amazing...

do you collect dog tags?

Yes Kristof. Identity discs/dog tags are just one thing that I collect.

I have been doing this for over 30 years and have many hundreds that are, as yet unresearched. Some countries I have just the one item, but other countries I have very large numbers.

I hope to find the time to research them via the internet.