WW2 German Soldiers ID Discs
We offer reproductions of Adolf Hitler's WWI ID disc and various authentically marked SS ID discs, as well as blank discs in both aluminum and zinc coated material. There are faithful to the originals, being the proper size and oval shape, with the typical 3 slots, along with 2 holes for the neck cord and 1 hole at the bottom. Perfect for reenacting or display, they are easy to stamp with standard letter sets and are the ultimate in authenticity!
German military ID discs date back to 1878, when Prussia began issuing them after a review of the 1866 war, when a large number of men died as unknown soldiers. These remained unchanged until 1915 and became standardized by 1918, taking on the standard oval shape, measuring 7cm long by 5 cm wide. They were typically struck from zinc and featured 3 slits along the center line, with two holes at the top edge and one at the bottom. The top two holes were for the neck cord, while the bottom hole was for stringing when the soldier fell in combat and the lower half was snapped off and given to the company commander for recording the details of the soldiers death.Information continued below product display. . .
Soldier ID Disc Production Changes in 1930s
Beginning in the 1930s, discs were produced from the new, lightweight and non-rusting aluminum metal and were issued to personnel of the Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine and Waffen-SS. Discs were also issued to the Police, Customs, Luftschutz, Red Cross, other government services, and even prisoners of war! Later, when aluminum was registered as a strategic metal, other materials, such as steel, pot-metal and zinc, began to be used. The German navy also issued discs that were slightly smaller, with a single grooved snap-line, and these were sometimes plated to prevent corrosion.
Solier ID Disc: How They Were Used
The disc was worn around the neck, suspended with a twisted or braided cord of cotton or rayon, and it was often carried in a leather pouch which was made expressly for this purpose. The pouch usually featured two holes in the flap for the cord and sometimes had a snap closure and/or decorative embossing. The cords varied in color, with WWI cords being red, white and black, and later cords being solid colored, such as field grey for the Army and typically mouse grey for the Red Cross. Original issue cords were normally the same as that used in the liners of German helmets, but occasionally there were other variations, such as an SS-VT example which was made up of alternating off-white and grey/blue stripes.