The Canadian Soldier carried several means of identification.  Other Ranks were assigned a Regimental Number.  Every unit was assigned blocks of numbers, prefixed by a letter indicating the Military District in Canada in which the unit was based.  There were 11 military districts in Canada, numbered from 1 to 13 (with 8 and 9 left out), and Regimental Numbers thus were prefixed with the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L or M.  Officers were identified by name and rank only.

Identification discs used in the Second World War were identical to those used in the first.  Suspended around the neck by string, the discs consisted of two fibre tags, one in red and one in green.   (Also, a duplicate of the red tag was carried in the respirator case).   Discs were stamped with a combination of the soldiers' name, rank, religion and number.  The abbreviation CDN identified the soldier as a Canadian.  The red tag (round in shape and made of a rot proof material) was to be removed from a soldiers' body when he was killed and turned in to the Officer Commanding his unit.  the green tag (octagonal in shape and made from fireproof material) was to stay with the body at all times.