WW1 German Dogtag opinions

[stephen grund]

Here is a dogtag that I am interested in and need some opinions about it.

[naxos]

Looks fine

[John Allen]

dog tag

It's a nice original early WW1 tag.

[stephen grund]

Thanks guys for the comments. Is this a dog tag that would have been discarded after training or one that was issued to use out in the field? I don't know much about the differences of how to tell.....just wondering. I really like it no matter what it is really.

[naxos]

Thanks guys for the comments. Is this a dog tag that would have been discarded after training or one that was issued to use out in the field? I don't know much about the differences of how to tell.....just wondering. I really like it no matter what it is really.

This tag stayed with the soldier throughout his service - he would only receive another if lost.

[Chip M]

Hi Hardy,

Any ideas why are so many disks found with only the Ersatz Bataillon and no field unit markings?

Chip

[naxos]

Not sure Chip, but in this case I would say, an older man that was recalled to service during the war but ultimately was never transferred to a field unit.

[stephen grund]

So I'm confused. The man that this dogtag was issued to never fought in W.W.1? He was called up in a reserve field artillery regiment but never took part in the war?

[Gerdan]

We do not know if he was fighting or not. As his Erkennungsmarke was issued by a Ersatz-

Bataillon does not mean that he never saw a battlefield.

Gerdan

[Gerdan]

Have a look and see what a great deal of WW1 EM are found in the www as pics - not only Ersatz-Bataillon issued ones.

https://www.google.de/search?q=erken...ZpDXkQ_AUIBigB

Gerdan

[naxos]

So I'm confused. The man that this dogtag was issued to never fought in W.W.1? He was called up in a reserve field artillery regiment but never took part in the war?

Stephen,

in 1915 the man was 37 years old, probably married and had several children, he would have not been the first choice for front line service.

Usually German WWI dog tags were updated with the field units a soldier served with.

Here is a Wuerttemberg tag of a young (born in 1897) Pionier that was first in:

Ersatz Pionier Bataillon 13

then transferred to front line units:

Wuerttembergische Pionier Kompanie 397

and Wuerttembergische Pionier Kompanie 376


Pionier Albert Mezger , fighting with Pionier Kompanie 376, was one of the few survivors of the tunnel tragedy at Mont Cornillet on May 20, 1917.

[stephen grund]

That's a very cool dogtag!