Dog tags

Dog tag' is an informal and somewhat derogatory but common term for the identification tags worn by military personnel. Their primary use is for the identification of casualties as they carry information about the personnel, and convey essential medical information such as blood type. They also include religious preference.

Identification tags are usually fabricated from a corrosion-resistant metal. They commonly contain two copies of the information as two identical tags on the same chain. This duplication allows one tag to be collected from a personnel's dead body for notification, while the duplicate remains with the corpse for future identification if the conditions of battle prevent it from being immediately recovered. The term arose and became popular because of the tags' resemblance to animal registration tags.

These are the ID tags belonging to Edgar Kelson, who served in the Australian Army from August 1940 to December 1945. One lists his religion as C of E (Church of England), while the other is inscribed with a ‘J’, denoting his Jewish identity. It was quite common for soldiers not to write their faith on their enlistment for fear of persecution. Some also felt that identifying as Jewish could hinder their potential for advancement. During World War II especially, many soldiers did not self-identify as Jewish as a precaution in case of capture by the Germans. Edgar Kelson’s possession of both Christian and Jewish identity tags testifies to this concern.