Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-01-17
IDENTIFYING DEAD SOLDIERS
Germans Recognized by Discs in Shoes
Americans Have Cloth Tabs.

Germans Recognized by DISCS IN Shoes
Americans Have Cloth Tabs.
Turkey is the only European country
which takes practically no trouble to
see that it's soldiers killed in war shall
be identified. Every other country
makes it's fighters carry identity
discs" cards." or in some other way
provides that it's soldiers will be recog-
nized.
Each Bulgarian soldier, for instance,
carries no fewer than six Identification
plates, each of which has on it his
name, number and corps. These plates
each man is directed to fix away in va
rious parts of his clothing, so that
however badly he may be wounded,
there will be at least one plate by
which he can be identified.
1t is because of the terrible effects OF
modern artillery fire that soldiers
should carry several means Of identifi.
cation if killed. During the Boer War;
for example, soldiers had an indentifi-
cation card sewn into some portion of
their clothing.
After Spion Kop no trace could be
found of Captain Hicks, Of the Lancas-
hire Fusiliers, and for months he was
supposed to be. in the hands of the
Beers. 1t transpired, however that he
had been blown almost literally to at
oms by the explosion of SHE'LL and his
Identification card destroyed.
The vast majority of the hundreds of
thousands of Japanese and Russian
killed in the Russo-Japanese war were
identified. After the battle of Sha-ho
river, for example, over $4,000 Russian
dead were buried by the Japanese,
practically everyone being recognized
by means of the little metal ikons, or
sacred picture images, found on the
bodies. On the back of these ikons
was stamped the name, regiment and
rank of the wearer.
Each Japanese soldier carried tiny
aluminium tag worn inside the waist
belt bearing a number corresponding
with his number in the regimental list.
So terrible was the fighting and so
many soldiers were literally blown to
bits by handgrenades, that orders were
issued that the tags should be placed
inside the soles of the boots. 1t was
found that even If a shell actually
struck a man and blew him to atoms
his boots were always found intact.
Germany, like Bulgaria, has more
than one way of identifying it's dead
after big battle. Each soldier carries
three metal discs about the size Of a
half-crown, stamped with his number
and corps. One disc is sewn inside the
collar of the great coat, another in the
waistband of the trousers, and the
third in the heel of the right boot
How well this system works was
shown at Viopville and Gravclotte. two
of the worst battles of the war of 1870.
These battles were fought in front Of
Metz on August 16 and IS, the Ger.
mans losing over 100000 officers and
men. Yet complete casualty lists were
received in Berlin two days later.
If Austria does decide to fight, her
soldiers will be recognized by an elab-
crate brass locket which each one
wears. This locket contains number
of leaves of parchment on which are
written full particulars of the owner,
his name, age, date or enlistment, tne
town or village where his home is, and
other particulars.
In the Spanish American war the
badges of the American soldiers were
stolen by the Filipinos. These metal
badges were very elaborate and were
looked upon as great finds by the enc
my. AS a result, however, the United
States government discarded this metal
badge for a cloth tab, in which was
goven a number and letter identifying
the owner.
During the Abyssian war hundreds
of the zinc name plates carried by the
Italian soldiers were carried off by
Menelik's warriors, who wore them as
charms Consequently to this day the
fate of many of the Italian wounded
and prisoners are not known.-Pear-
sons Weekly.