
When this pilot was captured, the Germans stripped the service man of all identification. However, around his neck in a leather pouch the pilot carried a military challenge coin given by the squadron leader. A short time later, the pilot escaped to France and the only form of identification he had was the military challenge coin. This then started the tradition of giving military challenge coins to service men. These served as another form of identification. And this birthed the primary purpose of military challenge coins at that time.