At a glance
AR 600-40 of 1931 already set the rule: both tags are worn under the clothing, on a 40-inch cord, the second 2.5 inches above the first. The means of suspension, however, changed a great deal during the war.
Successive versions
| Version | Description | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton tape (Tape, Cotton, Identification Tag) | 40-inch tape, tags held by two knots | 1940 – 1943 |
| Type I chain | White-Monel, two inverted "J" clasps in silver-colored metal | From July 1943 |
| Type II chain | Stainless steel, silvered steel clasps ("Stainless Steel with Sterling Hooks"), then all stainless | Early 1944 |
| Ball chain with extension (Necklace, Identification Tag, With Extension) | Ball chain with a short extension for the second tag, based on a model already sold in Navy PXs | Adopted March 1944, issued mostly late in the war |
Why the changes
- The copper in White-Monel blackened the chain and caused verdigris: hence the switch to stainless steel.
- The Graves Registration Service and the Medical Department wanted to remove one tag without destroying the necklace: hence the ball chain extension.
Collector's notes
- Packets dated 1944 contain only the chain and its extension; packets with two blank tags are postwar.
- Identified ball chain maker: Bead Chain Manufacturing Company (contracts W-12-036…, Jeffersonville Depot).
- Many privately purchased chains and cords (rayon in branch colors, silver for officers…) were sold in PXs.
See also the M-1940 Dog Tag (74-T-60) entry.
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