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Message 2 - Army Rates of Pay

Posted on: 23 July 2003 by edward dudley

Dear Steve Wright
Many thanks for the tabulations of current army pay. In 1939 as an infantry private I was paid two shillings a day. A source on 2002 purchasing power related to stated earlier years tells me that my two bob a day in 1939 is the equivalent today of a little over 拢5, so it seems that a today a new private is better off. And as an infantry lieutenant becoming a college librarian in 1945 my daily pay went up from 17/6d to 拢1.00. (I got the job because after four years in the Mediterranean without home leave, my regiment proposed posting me to Germany - "lots of loot there, old man" - unless I could arrange a home posting. Which I did through a senior colleague at the War Office, full Colonel in charge of Army libraries).
May I tax your patience by asking for some clarifications? Do soldiers today have to pay for board and keep, replacement of uniforms, etc from what seem good daily rates? And are infantrymen rank for rank paid less than radar mechanics, signallers and clerks? A few years ago a TV programme followed a very senior member of the General Staff who acted as a lieutenant on a Salisbury Plain exercise (what we used to call a stunt) and at the end he talked to a number of Other Ranks, one of whom jerked his finger in the direction of a staff car driver and complained that he was paid more for doing less.
I find this website fascinating, particularly the accounts of young people who were not in the forces as well as the experiences of some of my contemporaries in the same theatres of war. But very few people seem to comment on the submissions.
Again many thanks - and how did you come to be a Researcher?
Best wishes
Edward Dudley dudl@btinternet.com

Message 3 - Army Rates of Pay

Posted on: 24 July 2003 by Steve Wright

Hello

Thanks for the message. Please bear with me on the question of what soldiers pay for.

As to becoming a Researcher, I just volunteered. You can read about my background on my Personal Page which you can access by clicking on my name.

Steve Wright

Message 4 - Army Rates of Pay

Posted on: 06 June 2004 by 247motorboat

Hello Edward

I have a soldiers pay book which belonged to my father during his time in the RASC (motorboat)coy in Africa and Italy. It gives the date, the currency and the signature of the officer. It also gives a reference initial and number under the heading "place (if on active service enter field)" for example M.L 196 or VB 139

would you happen to know what these stand for. would it be the place perhaps molfetta or Venice or is it just an internal code

many thanks
Kevin