Guys, I have an identity bracelet with my Father's name, service number, rank and C of E on it. It looks to be made of silver and is very flimsy and battered, perhaps the result of 4 years as a POW with the Germans. Was this standard issue? It does not look as though it would last a scrap never mind a burning aircraft which, l would have thought was the main aim of this piece of equipment. Any comments? Regards, Nick
It wasn't standard issue, Nick, but is what;s commonly referred to as a "private purchase" tag. These were popular since the Boer War, but especially so after 1915 or so and were used to supplement the issue tags. Their popularity wained after WW2, but they can still occasionally be encountered today. The diversity in styles, materials and artistry in these tags is astounding, with them being made from anything from official type tags (sometimes from foreign armies), through stamped out coins and hallmarked silver tags bought from jewellers to simple scraps of etched tin. Some are real masterpieces and others ...less so! Dave
