First World War

2 Comments Posted on by Reji Koduvath Indian Army

Disc Identity – The Disc That Defines a Soldier: Identity, Memory, and Sacrifice

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.

2 Comments Posted on by Reji Koduvath Canada

100 Years of The Red Poppy

French lady, Madame Anna Guérin, is accredited as ‘The Poppy Lady,’ who was inspired by John McCrae’s ‘In Flanders Fields.’ She distributed the Red Poppy on Armistice Day to raise money for Veterans’ needs and to remember those who had given their lives during the First World War.  In July of 1921 the Great War Veterans Association adopted the Poppy as the flower of Remembrance – and begun a glorious tradition of pinning the Red Poppy during the Remembrance Week.

At 11 AM on November 11, 1918, the guns fell silent after more than four years of World War I when the Germans called for an armistice to secure a peace settlement. They accepted allied terms of an unconditional surrender.

Thus the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance and became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their dead soldiers.

On the first anniversary of the armistice in 1919, two minutes’ silence was instituted as part of the main commemorative ceremony at the new Cenotaph in London. The silence was proposed by Australian journalist Edward Honey, who was working in Fleet Street. At about the same time, a South African statesman made a similar proposal to the British Cabinet, which endorsed it.

The tradition of Remembrance Day evolved out of Armistice Day. The initial Armistice Day began at Buckingham Palace, with the King hosting a banquet honoring the French president. Later, during World War II, many countries changed the name of the holiday. The US chose Veterans Day.

Remembrance Day in Canada, known as ‘Jour du Souvenir,’ remains a statutory holiday in six of the 10 provinces. The Armistice Day Act, which was held throughout the 1920s, declared that Canada’s Thanksgiving would also be observed on Armistice Day — the Monday of the week in which November 11 fell. The government, in 1931, officially changed the date to November 11. The name also changed to Remembrance Day.

Canada has declared that the date is of remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace, particularly the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and all conflicts since then in which members of the Canadian Armed Forces have participated.

Some Canadian facts on the Remembrance Week:-

  • 118,000 Canadians made the ultimate sacrifice during times of war and conflict.
  • 82% of Canadians still find the annual tribute important.
  • 54% of Canadians feel today’s youth do a great job of honouring veterans.
  • 46% Canadians think young people understand the sacrifices of those who have died in conflict.
  • 91% believe Canada should do more to honour its veterans.
6 Comments Posted on by Reji Koduvath Indian Army

Identity Discs

As I watched the movie 1917, I made a mental note to write a post on the identity discs worn by the soldiers.

In Canada and USA, some military spouses and fiances wear their partner’s Identity Discs as a symbol of love towards their partner deployed in a far away land. Some Veterans post retirement continue to wear their Discs.

The movie 1917, based on the First World War, tells the story of two young British soldiers, Lance Corporals William Schofield and Tom Blake who are ordered by General Erinmore to carry a message to Colonel Mackenzie on the war-front, calling off a scheduled attack that could jeopardise the lives of 1,600 men, including Blake’s brother Lieutenant Joseph Blake.

Schofield and Blake cross no man’s land to reach an abandoned farmhouse, where they witness a German plane being shot down.  They drag the burned pilot from the plane. However, the pilot stabs Blake and Schofield shoots the German pilot dead. Schofield promises Blake as he dies that he would complete the mission and to write to Blake’s mother.  He removes two rings from  Blake’s fingers  along with the round Identity Disc worn around his  neck.

Schofield succeeds in reaching Colonel Mackenzie, who reads the message and reluctantly calls off the attack. He meets Lieutenant Joseph who is upset to hear about his brother’s death, but thanks Schofield for his efforts. Schofield gives Joseph his brother’s rings and Identity Disc and requests him to write to their mother about Blake’s heroics.

On a philosophical note the Discs remind every soldier that martyrdom is just around the corner. However, at the practical level, it has a specific purpose. They bear the personal number, name, regiment, religion and blood group of the soldier and serve the twin purpose as both a recorded evidence of a soldier’s death in action as well as for the eventual recognition of the body, in case there is a need. When there are a large number of fatal casualties over a short duration, it serves a purpose of keeping a record of death.

It must be sounding a bit eerie to the uninitiated.

These discs hanging close to the soldiers’ chests, remind them as to who they are. It gives the soldier facing death, ready to make the ultimate sacrifice, the confidence that He will not be forgotten. Some spouses of US soldiers deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq wore their soldier-spouse’s disc as a a reminder of their true love and commitment.

In the Indian Army we had to wear these Identity Discs while on operations and during various training exercises.  Actually there are two discs – an oval disc with holes punched on either ends and a round one with a single hole.  Our soldiers wore the oval disc on their left wrist and the round one around their neck.  On inquiry they said that it is to ensure that one disc will remain with the body even if the hand shears off.  The logic did not appeal to me at all, but I could not find any instructions regarding the proper way of wearing the discs. Surely we were not fighting a battle with swords to have either our heads or hands to shear off. I had no difficulty wearing the round disc around my neck, but the oval disc around my wrist was always a worry.  I lost them during most training exercises and had to get a new one made every time.  Obviously there was something amiss – I thought.

In 1988, I had to appear for a promotion examination in which ‘Military Administration’ was a subject.  Disposal of the mortal remains of a soldier killed in action was an issue on which I often had many questions.  Our Battery Commander was Major VN Singh, a 1971 Indo-Pak War veteran.  He was well known for his knowledge and meticulous military administration skills and had just been posted to our Regiment after a stint as an administration and logistics staff officer of an infantry brigade.  I approached him and he clarified the mystery and explained to me the procedure and the proper way of wearing Identity Discs.

The oval disc, through one hole a cord 24 inches long  is passed through and the chain is worn around the neck.  Using a small cord of about six inches, the round disc is attached to the bottom hole of the oval disc.  In case of death in war, the round disc is removed to identify the dead and the oval disc is left on the body for identifying it whenever the body is recovered.  The round disc along with the soldier’s personal belongings is despatched to the Depot Regiment of the Regimental Centre of the soldier and the oval disc is removed at the time of cremation/ burial or despatch of the dead body to the soldier’s home and kept for records.

Identity Discs of Indian Army owe its origin to the British Army.  The first British ‘Disc Identity’ was introduced in 1907.  It was a single identity disc, fitted with a cord to be worn around the neck underneath the clothing.  The single-disc led to many postmortem problems in identification of the dead in that the disc was being removed for administrative purposes, leaving the body devoid of identification.

In May 1916 the second disc was introduced – octagonal in shape – known as “Disc, Identity, No.1, Green,” with the original disc becoming “Disc, Identity, No.2, Red.” The No.1 disc was to be attached to the long cord around the neck, with the No.2 being threaded on a 6 inch cord from this disc. No.1 Disc was intended to remain on the body whereas No.2 Disc was to be removed for administration.In the movie 1917, Lance Corporal Schofield is shown removing the Red Disc, leaving the Green Disc on  Lance Corporal Blake’s body. During World War II, British Army soldiers were issued with aluminum Identity Discs – oval and round.

US Army Identity Discs consist of two discs. One disc is on a 24 inch chain and the other is attached to the main chain by a four inch chain.

There is an interesting history to the US Army Discs. During WWII the discs were rectangular shaped with round ends and a notch at one end with name and details stamped by a machine. It was rumoured that the notch was put on the disc so that the disc could be placed in a dead soldier’s mouth and would hold it open so that the gasses would escape and prevent the body from bloating. In reality, the stamping machine required a notch to hold the blank disc in place while it was stamped. During the Vietnam War, new stamping machines were used and the notch was eliminated. Soldiers realised that the clinging of the metal discs gave away their location. Hence rubber covers were provided to keep the discs silent.

During the Vietnam War, some American soldiers tied one disc to their bootlaces. They believed that it could facilitate identification in case their body was dismembered.


Canadian soldiers’ Identity Disc is scored by a horizontal groove so that the lower portion may be detached. If the wearer becomes a fatal casualty, the lower portion of the disc shall be detached and returned to the Headquarters with the soldier’s personal documents. The chain and upper section of the disc shall not be removed from the body.

Identity Discs may become more symbolic in future as technology advances in the days of DNA sampling to identify deceased soldiers.

“Soldiers can sometimes make decisions that are smarter than the orders they’ve been given.”   ― Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game