A Discovery After Thirty-Eight Years

On August 13, 2022, the mortal remains of Lance Naik Chandra Shekhar of the 19 Kumaon Regiment were found in an old bunker on the Siachen Glacier. He had died in May 1984 – thirty-eight years earlier.

Chandra Shekhar was part of a team tasked with capturing Point 5965, one of the earliest actions under Operation Meghdoot, India’s mission to occupy the Siachen Glacier. The team halted for the night and was caught in a devastating avalanche. Eighteen soldiers, led by Second Lieutenant P.S. Pundir, perished. Chandra Shekhar’s body was discovered at an elevation of over 16,000 feet, identified only by a small metal disc bearing his army number.

That disc proved its purpose. It provided a name to skeletal remains that otherwise would have remained anonymous forever.

The Twin Purpose of the Identity Disc

Identity discs are worn by soldiers worldwide. They bear the soldier’s personal number, name, regiment, religion, and blood group. They serve two essential purposes: they provide recorded evidence of a soldier’s death in action, and they enable the eventual recognition of a body when recovery is delayed.

When mass casualties occur over a short duration, identity discs become indispensable for keeping accurate records of the fallen.

On a philosophical level, the disc reminds every soldier that martyrdom may be just around the corner. On a practical level, it has a very specific, life-saving function.

To the uninitiated, this may sound eerie. But to a soldier, the disc hanging close to the chest is not morbid – it is reassuring. It reminds him who he is. It gives him the confidence that if he makes the ultimate sacrifice, he will not be forgotten.

In the United States, some spouses of soldiers deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq wore their partner’s identity discs as a symbol of true love and unwavering commitment.

The Mystery of Wearing the Discs

In the Indian Army, identity discs are worn during operations and training exercises. The set consists of two discs: an oval disc with holes punched at either end, and a round disc with a single hole.

For reasons no one could explain, our soldiers wore the oval disc on their left wrist and the round disc around their neck. When asked why, they said it was to ensure that one disc would remain with the body even if the hand sheared off. The logic did not appeal to me – surely we were not fighting battles with swords where hands would be severed. Yet I could find no official instructions on the proper way to wear them.

I had no difficulty wearing the round disc around my neck, but the oval disc on my wrist was a constant worry. I lost it during most training exercises and had to get a new one made each time. Something was clearly amiss.

The Armourer’s Art

When we joined the Regiment, the Armourer had a punching set for stamping blank identity discs with each soldier’s particulars. Later, soldiers began getting them engraved by the unit contractor – the same engraving tool used for steel vessels.

The Mystery Solved

In 1988, I was preparing for a promotion examination. Military Administration was one of the subjects, and the disposal of mortal remains of soldiers killed in action was a recurring question.

I approached Major VN Singh, our Battery Commander, a veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pak War. He was renowned for his meticulous administrative knowledge, having served as an administration and logistics staff officer in an infantry brigade.

He clarified the mystery.

The oval disc is threaded with a 24-inch cord and worn around the neck. The round disc is attached to the bottom hole of the oval disc using a six-inch cord.

In the event of death in war, the round disc is removed immediately for identification. The oval disc remains with the body, ensuring identification whenever the body is eventually recovered. The round disc, along with the soldier’s personal belongings, is dispatched to the Depot Regiment of the Regimental Centre. The oval disc is removed only at the time of cremation, burial, or dispatch of the body to the soldier’s home – and is then kept for official records.

British Origins

The Indian Army’s identity discs trace their origin to the British Army. The first British identity disc was introduced in 1907 – a single disc worn around the neck under clothing. The single disc created post-mortem problems: when it was removed for administrative purposes, the body was left without any identification.

In May 1916, a second disc was introduced. It was octagonal, known as Disc Identity, No.1, Green. The original disc became Disc Identity, No.2, Red. The No.1 disc was attached to the long cord around the neck, and the No.2 disc was threaded on a six-inch cord from the No.1. The No.1 disc remained on the body; the No.2 disc was removed for administration.

The American Experience

US Army identity discs also consist of two discs: one on a 24-inch chain and the other attached by a four-inch chain.

During World War II, the discs were rectangular with rounded ends and a notch at one end. A rumour circulated that the notch was designed to be placed in a dead soldier’s mouth to hold it open, allowing gases to escape and preventing the body from bloating. In reality, the stamping machine simply required the notch to hold the blank disc in place while it was stamped.

During the Vietnam War, new stamping machines eliminated the notch. Soldiers also discovered that the clinking of metal discs gave away their positions – so rubber covers were introduced to keep them silent.

Some American soldiers tied one disc to their bootlaces, believing it would facilitate identification if their body was dismembered.

The Canadian Practice

Canadian identity discs are scored with a horizontal groove so that the lower portion can be detached. If the wearer becomes a fatal casualty, the lower portion is detached and returned to Headquarters with the soldier’s personal documents. The chain and upper section remain with the body.

A Modern Reflection

In the case of Lance Naik Chandra Shekhar, the identity disc proved its enduring value. It identified skeletal remains nearly four decades after death.

As technology advances, DNA sampling may one day replace metal discs for identifying fallen soldiers. Yet the symbolic value of the identity disc will likely endure. In Canada and the United States, military spouses and fiancés wear their partner’s discs as symbols of love and commitment. Some veterans continue to wear their discs long after retirement.

A Question Worth Asking

Having examined the identity discs worn by soldiers across the world, one question lingers: Isn’t it time the Indian Army designed a meaningful identity disc – one worthy of being worn with pride by its soldiers, and perhaps even by their spouses?

The disc is more than metal. It is memory. It is identity. It is the last promise a nation makes to those who give everything: that they will not be forgotten.