Who carries WW2 I/D cards on them?

[PADDY]

And if so, what does it look like? what unit and rank? why do you like to have it on you? and where did you get it from? (If you made it, please share how you went about researching what to reproduce and how did you go about creating it?).

 

[Doc.Freddy]

I do!

I do! I carry a repro WWII U.S. Army Medic ID card. My DOB is 13 AUG 1918. I think its great. How cool is it to pull out a WWII Id card. Its a great conversation starter.

 

[dr greg]

Too Precious

I used to wear my grandfather's WW2 dog-tags, until I nearly lost them in the surf, they sit in a cabinet now.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

I have both a reproduction Waffen-SS soldbuch and Red Army ID booklet. I think my DOB in the Russian ID book is 1920, I can't remember when my German date of birth is.

Which reminds me, I need to paste my ID photos in both books.

 

[B-17 Pilot]

. . .Hey Paddy and all,

I carry the standard Army Air Corps ID card which has the orange border along with a picture, personal info, and a finger print. I am a rank of Captain, which I portray almost all the time in our Airman's Preservation Society shows. (when I don't get demoted to sergeant!) I got it at the Celebrate Freedom show in South Carolina about 5 years ago, but I'll be darned if I remember who I got it from. . .Paddy you probably know! He was very thorough, took the picture, took the finger print and put the card together right there in his tent! He had a long line outside his tent for people waiting to get their card! He actually had the two war varieties to pick from, the earlier one that had no plastic lamination covering and the later war version which I selected. Coupled with my original ID black AAF holder, it looks quite convincing!

My best to all here at TFL,

Mike

 

[Cobden]

A rather dodgy Royal Navy ID card; found an image of an RCN ID card, and reproduced it on MS publisher without the Canadian bits, then filled it in on a typewriter.
Oddly enough, it has "Age" and not DoB; my rank, though, is Midshipman (S) or Sub-Lieutenant (A), and I've added a couple of middle initials to my name

 

[pablocham]

This really got my curiosity up. Why do you do this, if I may ask? Do you show these cards to people, or do you keep them to yourselves? I am not judging you, lord knows I certainly do plenty of odd stuff myself, but the idea of carrying what is essentially a false or counterfeit identity card is really interesting to me.

 

[PADDY]

Might be worth seeing some photos of these cards..?

I for one wouldn't mind seeing some of the photos of these repro/original ww2 ID cards!!

If I can, I'll try to get some up on Acrodobe so that folk can print them off and customise them. How does that sound?

 

[fortworthgal]

When I do an Army Nurse impression at events, I do carry one. I made it from a reproduction PDF file.

This really got my curiosity up. Why do you do this, if I may ask? Do you show these cards to people, or do you keep them to yourselves? I am not judging you, lord knows I certainly do plenty of odd stuff myself, but the idea of carrying what is essentially a false or counterfeit identity card is really interesting to me.

I'll try to explain this. At many public events, the goal of the event organizers is to let the public take a step back in time - so they feel that they really *are* standing in the middle of an Allied ETO encampment in 1944. I wear authentic uniforms and carry some authentic paperwork and items (reprinted WWII foreign money, ID card, WWII cigarettes and matches, etc.) and will show them to the public to heighten their experience. Most people find it tremendously interesting! It also makes for neat little scenarios, such as MPs at the gates asking to check IDs, that sort of thing.

It is the same mentality as wearing WWII uniforms. We are not impersonating military officers or trying to pass ourselves off as such - we are representing history. Think of it as a stage production with actors, but in a much more relaxed setting. The IDs and paperwork aren't intended to be counterfeit, they are just "props."

I have to admit that it is also fun for the reenactor, when you're standing in the middle of a forest with nothing around except WWII vehicles and other people in uniforms, and you reach into your pocket and the only items there are authentic WWII items - not plastic driver's licenses and cell phones. It can definitely give you one of those eerie "time warp" moments!

 

[pablocham]

Yeah, I understand the reenactor thing, but Paddy's question "why do you like to have it on you?" and doc.freddy's reply both suggested that people also carry them while wearing civilian dress.

 

[priestyboy]

I have to admit that it is also fun for the reenactor, when you're standing in the middle of a forest with nothing around except WWII vehicles and other people in uniforms, and you reach into your pocket and the only items there are authentic WWII items - not plastic driver's licenses and cell phones. It can definitely give you one of those eerie "time warp" moments![/QUOTE]


Well said Ft Worth Gal!

 

[Warden]

Mrs W and I carry British civilian ID cards at events.

Especially if I play the part of a Home Guardsman and ask the visiting public for their papers, you need to have your papers in case they ask to see yours.

I found these on ebay for sale, they give you a good idea what a Brit civilian ID card looks like.

and

Chin chin

Harry

 

[fortworthgal]

Yeah, I understand the reenactor thing, but Paddy's question "why do you like to have it on you?" and doc.freddy's reply both suggested that people also carry them while wearing civilian dress.

Now that I'm not sure about! Unless it is 1940s civilian attire at an event. lol

 

[Mike K.]

Pilot Rating Cards??

Anyone have (or know where to get) pilot rating cards? I'm looking for one of these, like the one pictured on page 168 of Maguire's "Gear Up" book. Also, if you have one of these, would you be willing to provide an accurate scan of the front/back? Of all the repro paperwork floating around the internet, this seems to be the one item I cannot locate. Thanks!
-Mike

 

[Julius Xavier]

Repo WW2 Military ID.

Okay got the PDF to print and I had some difficulties doing it be got it printed. NOW... it seems really small to me. I did a search here in the forum and online and came up with nothing... can someone PLEASE give me the measurement of the orginal Tri-Fold ID book? And also is this what Officers carried as well?

-JX

 

[Hondo]

Repo USAAF ID

I haven't had time to search ebay but does any one here know how to Repo a USAAF ID? They look great, and would like to carry one, so as the next time I'm at a WWII event, thanks!

 

[Jay]

Does anyone have any pictures of their ID cards yet? I am intrigued.
Thanks

 

[bingolittle]

no id cards, but i will on occasion carry a bible with a brass plate on the front cover that was issued to a naval reserve officer....

 

[Harp]

Military ID

I carry my old dog tag on a key chain; partly for sentiment,
also because it lists my blood type/religion.

Now if I could have kept the do not arrest or detain card.lol