Erkennungsmarken and Soldbuch

On the first day of mobilisation in August 1939 all serving members of the German armed forces were issued with Erkennungsmarken or identity tags.

German ID tags were made from a number of metals. Early war tags, such as the ones worn by Das Heer members were made of aluminium whereas later on zinc and finally steel were used.

German tags never carried the name of the owner on them. They carried a number issued by the unit he was in at mobilisation they also carried the abbreviation of the unit above the number. These tags were issued by company sized units.  For troops called up after mobilisation the tag would bear the details of their Ersatz or replacement unit and not the unit they eventually served in. This tag stayed with the owner throughout their service even if they transferred to another unit so it was vital that unit records were kept up to date.

Tag issued on mobilisation. Note the low number,

NCO in the second company of IR27.

  Tags issued by mobilized or field units were normally stamped so that both portions were of the same orientation whereas Ersatz units seem to have stamped their tags in a ‘mirrored’ orientation. It appears that blood group stampings were only made later in the war.  

Tag issued by the Ersatz (Replacement) Battalion for IR27.

Note the mirrored stamping on this tag.

  The tag’s two halves were stamped with the same details. The bottom portion of the tag was to be broken off if the soldier was killed and the top portion stayed with the body.

  The tag was to be worn around the neck on a piece of cord. Some soldiers wore their tags inside a small pouch similar to children’s purses.

  The ID tag number was also written on the first page of the soldier’s Soldbuch.

Information on the soldbuch will be added soon.

For more detailed information on tags see Der Erste Zug