Photographic records in the military

[Ayashi]

I recall seeing on tv a little military booklet with info like name, height, etc and a little photograph. Was this something that only happened in WW2 or is it something I'm entirely making up or what? lol

I have an ancestor who joined the Royal Marines in 1882, got active service and was still in the RM in WW1. I have no photographs of him and I'm trying to hold onto some hope that his face might be out there somewhere!

Thanks.