Compensate Scale - Combatants

[Guest John Orfei]

I was recently asked this question. What was the pay scale for soldiers during World War One ? Did the French and British make more or less than their American counterparts. How about the German and Turks did they fair better then the Austrian Army.

For a comparison, I will use the U.S Marine Corps (1917-1918)

1) Private $15.00

2) Corporal $21.00

3) Sergeant $30.00

4) 1st Sergeant $45.00

5) 2nd Lt. $141.00

This payscale shows how much a Marine made at his rate for a month,additional pay was given to specialists such as gunpointers and signal personal along with a stipend for rifle qualifications. a curious sidebar, 20 cents per month was deducted for medical care.

Regards, John

[jim_davies]

John,

I'm not sure, but during the 2nd World War the Americans were certainly believed to be overpaid. I would imagine something similar in the first war.

From a Michael Reynolds book-US/British pay in 1944

US UK

Private 200 GBP 55 GBP

2nd Lt 447 GBP 200 GBP

Lt Col 868 GBP 785 GBP

Jim

[Joe Sweeney]

The following few comparisons only addresses Regimental Pay for 1914 through 1918 for Canada and UK. It does not take into account Engineer Pay, additional Pay or Working Pay. I've included the Canadian Allowance as it is a bit different than some of the UK pay.

Pte. (per-diem)

UK --- 1s. (line Infantry) -1s 1d(Foot Guards) (AO 1/18 --minmium rate increased to 1/6 per diem)

Cdn---$1 (All arms) +10cent allowance

Corporal

UK ---1s 8d (line Infantry) -1s 9d(Foot Guards) (AO 1/18 --minmium rate increased to 2/- per diem)

Cdn--$1.10 (All Arms) +10cent allowance

Sergt.

UK----2s 4d. (line Infantry) -2s 6d(Foot Guards)

Cdn---$1. 35 (All Arms)+ +15cent allowance

Note that as of 1916 about 4s = $1Cdn so a Canadian Pte was paid about 4X that of his British Counterpart.

The Canadian Dollar was a lot stronger in those days (1916). It was almost equivelent to a US dollar ( a Cdn $ was worth 4s 1 1/2d and a US $ 4s 1 1/32d). So a US Pvt. was paid half as much (USMC anyway, by your figures) as his Canadian counterpart and twice as much as his British Counterpart.

The UK figures are base on the Royal Warrant for Pay and Allowances and the Canadian on "Pay and Allowance Regulations, 1914 corrected w/ amendments issued in Orders up to 28 Feb 1915".

Joe Sweeney

[Guest John Orfei]

Joe, Thank you for your reply. From my source which I find fascinating is that Marine privates(in 1917) base pay was just a little more than their American Civil War predecessors had made.

Any information on pay scales of the French or Germany Troops during this time frame.

Regards, John

[jhill]

Of course the issue was more complicated than this. I am not an expert on the subject, but I know that Canadian (and I believe, British) soldiers were not given their full pay while on service. Canadians typically received the equivalent of $6 per month in France while the rest of their pay added up in some account somewhere. Supposedly, the rate was determined in part so as not to create bad feelings with other British (Imperials, as they were called in those days) and allied troops.

This practice was not new, of course. The legions of imperial Rome paid their men the same way.

[Roy Evans]

Reading the replies to this posting, a thought occurs;

What did a serving soldiers dependants have to live on?

Roy

[jhill]

The Canadian case went something like this: The private soldier overseas was paid $1.10 per day. Married men would typically sign a portion over to their wives. If this totalled $20.00 per month, the wife was also entitled to a $20.00 per month alowance from the government. This was often topped up by locally raised "patriotic" funds that provided servicemens' families with money according to a national scale.

In 1914 there was an economic depression in Canada, and at first service families were better off than their civilian neighbours. Later on, war induced inflation erased the advantage.

[Joe Sweeney]

Roy,

As James stated, there was a complicated scheme where a soldier would have allotments taken out of pay.

James is very correct a soldier never saw his full pay. Between allotments and fines his pay would be small and while in France both British and Canadian soldiers received pay in Francs. While in England Canadians received pay in Sterling.

In France British Soldiers used to say pay was "20 Francs a fortnight".

Anyone know if US troops received pay in dollars or Like the Empire troops received what amounted to an allowance in local currency?

Joe Sweeney

[Terry_Reeves]

I can't comment on pay scales but the question of allotments is quite interesting.

The families of many men who went to war in the UK in 1914 suffered tremendous financial difficulties, so much so that a fund was set up in the name of Queen Mary to try and alleviate this.

Much of the problem seems to have surrounded the recall of reservists and the mobilisation of the TF; the military system appears to have had some difficulty coping with the paperwork. In my hometown of Coventry for instance, reservists at the Triumph factory called a meeting at which the owner, Seigfried Bettman, was asked look after their families whilst they were away.

In addition, the change from a peacetime economy to a wartime economy saw women, many of whom were only employed part-time , dismissed from their employment. It wasn't until about mid nineteen-fifteen that the situation was started to be rectified.

For those in the UK interested in this particular subject, check your local council minute books and local newspapers which will provide a wealth of information.

Terry Reeves

[Jonathan Saunders]

As an aside I understand the Royal Navy were paid more than the equivilent army rank and this caused a few grievences when the Royal Naval Division was transferred to the command of the War Office.