museumtom Posted 19 July , 2004 Share Posted 19 July , 2004 What happened if a soldier lost say, his rifle during an attack, or came back without it. Did he have to pay for it?. What about uniforms or kit lost in battle? regards. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest woodyudet Posted 19 July , 2004 Share Posted 19 July , 2004 Theoretically he could be shot for returning from battle without a rifle if he was judged to be discarding arms and deserting in the face of the enemy. If he had a legitimate reason [e.g. weapon disabled by enemy fire] then he wouldn't have to pay for it ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkristof Posted 19 July , 2004 Share Posted 19 July , 2004 i somewhere read that when you lost your badge you had to pay for a new one. The CQMSgt. was responsable for that i believe so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyford Posted 19 July , 2004 Share Posted 19 July , 2004 I have been told (not by him because he didn't talk about it to me) that my father was going to be put on a charge for leaving his equipment when he dragged himself back after 2 days lying wounded on the Battlefield at St. Julien. Many of the wounded were going to be charged for the same thing, but I think the charges were dropped. I don't know whether they were dropped for everyone. It would have been a serious charge because they weapons etc. could have got into the hands of the enemy. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 19 July , 2004 Share Posted 19 July , 2004 I was told by my grandfather that, when he lost his rifle at Passchendaele, he was fined a day's pay. The reason he lost it was that his finger had just been shot off and he was more concerned about that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 19 July , 2004 Share Posted 19 July , 2004 A couple of further observations - I remember reading about soldiers being wounded in No-Man's Land, and the first thing many of them did was take off all their equipment and abandon it. If this was widespread, there must have been lots of wounded men coming in without equipment, and also losts of equipments and rifles lying around for others to take. I'm trying to remember who it was - quite a famous writer - who mentioned that during an attack he stopped for a moment to exchange his rifle for another much cleaner one he saw lying next to a dead soldier he was passing. Terry's grandfather's treatment was beyone the pale, however. The question, "What do they want, blood?" comes to mind. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philary Posted 19 July , 2004 Share Posted 19 July , 2004 Hello Tom The service record of my Great Uncle - 2nd Lieutenant Austin Sutton states that on 20th September 1915 (whilst he was serving in France!) "For losing kit by neglect, ordered to pay value of 1 haversack (2/4d). Place- in the field" He was Acting Bombardier at the time and part of the 48th Divisional Ammuntion Column! Life was very hard! Hilary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dinkidi Posted 20 July , 2004 Share Posted 20 July , 2004 G'day This picture may give a different perspective. The caption includes "A pile of equipment taken from men wounded & killed in the fighting at Lone Pine between 6 and 9 August. It would take a few days for the pay-clerks to sort that lot and make the appropriate pay-book notations. During the last 100 days there many enemy guns etc captured. Did the foot soldier get a pay credit for those? ooRoo Pat PS It has added significance when you remember that the battlefield wouldn't be any more than acre or two, and that Johnny Turk could still see much of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dinkidi Posted 20 July , 2004 Share Posted 20 July , 2004 Woops Wrong caption on above picture! Actually relates to thisun! Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkristof Posted 20 July , 2004 Share Posted 20 July , 2004 I f could grab what we want in that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelley Posted 21 July , 2004 Share Posted 21 July , 2004 Yikes!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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