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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Life Insurance during WW1


Beau Geste

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Is there any truth in a comment I received recently from an American friend of mine who said that each American soldier who fought in The Great War received a life insurance policy worth five thousand dollars, enough to purchase an average sized farm. So, if he was killed his family weren't left destitute ?

Harry

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Is there any truth in a comment I received recently from an American friend of mine who said that each American soldier who fought in The Great War received a life insurance policy worth five thousand dollars,

Yes (and no)... the 'war risk insurance policy' varied in size and wasn't necessarily compulsory (so, I suppose that to say that 'each American soldier who served received it' would be erroneous). It was also payable upon serious injury or disability, not just death.

Here's an example page mentioning it from my collection of pay books. Sgt. Manning, in this particular case, took out a 10,000 dollar policy that cost him 6 dollars and 50 cents per month to uphold...

Dave.

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