Original British, WW1, Somerset Light Infantry, Dog-Tag (22010895 S.L.I. Stanton C.O.E)

*Original British, WW1, Somerset Light Infantry, Dog-Tag (22010895 S.L.I. Stanton C.O.E)*

Green octagonal dog-tag embossed "22010895 S.L.I. Stanton C.OF.E". Records suggest that this could have belonged to Alfred Stanton, a private in the Somerset Light Infantry, 8th Btn, who died 14/10/1917 in Belgium, OR Private Howard Stanton, Somerset Light Infantry, 7th Btn, age 38 who died 10/4/1918 in Belgium, OR Corporal E. Stanton, Somerset Light Infantry, 6th Btn, who died 4/1/1918 in England.

Tags to identify individual soldiers were first used during the American Civil War in 1865. The British Army only started using aluminium discs in 1907. On 21 August 1914, it was decided to move away from a metal tag to a single red/bown rubber one. On 24 September 1916 a second green disc was introduced by General Routine Order. Soldiers were now to wear two disks, both were made out vulcanised asbestos fibre and were stamped the soldier’s number, name, regiment and religious denomination. In the event that you were killed, the red tag was removed from your body and the green tag left with the body. These did not prove to be very durable and many soldiers have never been identified as their army issued tags have simply rotted away in the soil of the Western Front.

*Condition*

This in good used condition. Please see photographs as part of the condition report

RQMBEXCE_6842140838