100 Stories > Albert L Sturgeon (1893-1980) and Richard Lancaster (1882-1914)

Compressed fibre identity discs were worn by soldiers. In the event of death the green one was left with the body. The red one was removed for record purposes which, if the body was not found, eventually rotted.

Albert’s identity discs – after the war he had a strong-arm act.

Some soldiers wore metal discs which did not rot. A body unearthed in 2006 was identified by his metal disc to be that of Richard Lancaster. Richard was reburied in Prowse Point Cemetery, Belgium in 2007.

Richard’s metal disc – his name was identified using a powerful microscope.