How were soldiers paid?

[sulee]

Hi, This may seem an odd question, but I was wondering how the families of serving soldiers got access to the pay of their husbands when they were away from home?
In the days before bank accounts and cheques would they have to go to the regiment ?

[Neil Wilson]

There used to be Pay Parades in the RAF when I joined up, I assume the army had then as well. It was your responsibility to send money home. Then they introduced payment in to your bank account (1975 this was), so that was one parade less.

I remember on a detachment, we had to go to an army paymaster to be paid in local currency.

[sulee]

Yes, I think that would make sense In the last 40 years,
But what about the soldiers that were in France or India during WW1?

[Neil Wilson]

Hi Sulee

Just sent you a link via PM.

cheers

[DorothySandra]

The army pay office sent money (an "allotment") to wives during the 1st world war - I've seen a note about this in a soldier's file. I imagine that they would send her a docket of some kind, that she would take to a post office to be paid. The soldier would sign an authority when he got married, and the army would send the allotment every pay day unless he signed another authority that the payment should cease.

[sulee]

Thank you... This makes total sense. The post office! Another puzzle solved.

[Peter Goodey]

a docket of some kind

A "payable instrument" as they call it in the trade