What type of ID (dog) tags were in use in 1950's & 60's?

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 348

Can anyone tell me what type (if any) ID tags were in use by RAF aircrew in the cold-war era? Were they the same as the WWII composite type or metal or....? Am having real trouble locating any information.

TIA.

Original post

Member for

14 years 7 months

Posts: 14

As I recall the dog tags I was issued (early 1980's) were of the twin composite material (Reg and Green) type, which were only replaced with a metal pair in the early to mid 1990's. The composite type had been in continuous use since WW2 with all the armed forces

HTH

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 348

Hi Trenchard,

Thanks for that useful info. I had read that the metal tags in use now were brought into service late in the 20th Century, but there seemed to be a gap in information post WWII period, and I wanted to be sure that there hadn't been some interim arrangement in the cold-war era.

Member for

15 years

Posts: 281

Mine in '78 were red and green composite also, if that is any help in further narrowing down?

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

Mine in the mid 70's were the red green composite ones too.

Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 941

Got mine in the mid-50's. Can't lay hands on them at the moment, but the red one(?) was circular, and the green one(?) octagonal. They were stamped (at Cardington) with my surname and initials, my RAF Service Number, and my Religion. I used them until I finally retired from RAF Reserve Service in 1998. The only thing I did to them was to scratch my blood-group on the reverse just before we set off on Op CORPORATE 48-hrs after our Argentinian colleagues had started the whole unpleasantness.
HTH
Resmoroh

Member for

15 years 1 month

Posts: 479

Mine were the same as Resmorah's when I was posted to Borneo in 1960s - I was ground crew, but our Dragmaster crews had the same type.

I had to hand mine back at the end of my tour - perhaps they issued them to somebody else :rolleyes:

Member for

14 years 10 months

Posts: 1,020

I joined 1950 and never, to the best of my recollection, had such an animal. If I did I certainly never wore them.

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 348

Thanks for all the replies confirming the composite/fibre tags in use in that period - much appreciated.

Can anyone confirm whether these were 'service specific' - ie did they have RAF stamped on them? It seems the WWII ones did.

Thanks all ....

Member for

17 years 3 months

Posts: 271

Mine where the red and green prior to late 90. Issued metal , but then returned after GW1 and back to the "cardboard" ones

Member for

14 years 7 months

Posts: 14

Can anyone confirm whether these were 'service specific' - ie did they have RAF stamped on them? It seems the WWII ones did

My dog tags, composite and metal are marked 'RAF' (I've just looked!)

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 348

Many thanks once again Trenchard :)