Battalion Accounts

[8linc7ra]

Hi All

not sure if this is the right place, anyway here goes does anyone know what Impressed Accounts are?

Ive just been given the Impressed Accounts of a service battalion in the Great War very interesting reading but im not an accountant so not sure what it all means.

There is one interesting item in it . That on September 12th 1017 The Reverend Theoadore Hary (Capt) paid 4 francs for his boots to be soled and heeled.

Any info on what Impressed accounts are would be appreciated

Many Thanks

John

[keithmroberts]

Could this be a spelling error. The word "imprest" is still in frequent use in dealing with petty cash accounts in the public service.

Keith

[8linc7ra]

Could this be a spelling error. The word "imprest" is still in frequent use in dealing with petty cash accounts in the public service.

Keith

Hi Kieth

It could be some of the writing is a bit faded most of the money is either from or paid to the Staff Paymaster Clearing House Base France. So basically the accounts are for Petty cash

John

[JimSmithson]

Every unit had (and many still have although they are being phased out now) an imprest account which it used to make cash payments. It is best thought of as a kind of petty cash account with a fixed sum which can change according to the units situation. Payments are made out of the account and then at some fixed period the accounts are presented and the fixed sum made up again.

It seems that the Reverend regarded the repair of his boots to be something for the regiment to pay for and thus it was paid out of imprest.

I used to use an 'Imprest Book' to get things from the NAAFI for the school but we don't have one any more, a simple petty cash account has to do instead.

Jim

[8linc7ra]

Every unit had (and many still have although they are being phased out now) an imprest account which it used to make cash payments. It is best thought of as a kind of petty cash account with a fixed sum which can change according to the units situation. Payments are made out of the account and then at some fixed period the accounts are presented and the fixed sum made up again.

It seems that the Reverend regarded the repair of his boots to be something for the regiment to pay for and thus it was paid out of imprest.

I used to use an 'Imprest Book' to get things from the NAAFI for the school but we don't have one any more, a simple petty cash account has to do instead.

Jim

Hi Jim

there's allsorts in there from soldiers haircuts to the battalion buying badges sholder titles and divisional emblems, to paying out the men etc. Thank you for throwing a bit more light on the subject

John

[Old Tom]

Hello,

Not so long ago in the British army the imprest account was the means by which soldiers, not officers, received their pay. An officer of the unit was appointed imprest holder and, each week, decided how much cash he needed and drew this from a bank (in France probably a field cashier) and then held a pay parade. Each soldier would, in turn, be called to a table and be told, by the imprest officer, how much money he would be paid i.e the weeks pay plus any allowances and minus any stoppages; the soldier would receive the money, salute and state 'pay correct sir' and fall out. The account also provided a means whereby officers could pay for services, like the padres boots, or make recompense if their CO or higher authority decided they had negligently lost or damgaed equipment.

This opinion is based on the army in the 1950's, I have no reason to supect it was much different in 1914-18. I don't think the term 'petty cash' is appropriate.

Old Tom

[8linc7ra]

Hello,

Not so long ago in the British army the imprest account was the means by which soldiers, not officers, received their pay. An officer of the unit was appointed imprest holder and, each week, decided how much cash he needed and drew this from a bank (in France probably a field cashier) and then held a pay parade. Each soldier would, in turn, be called to a table and be told, by the imprest officer, how much money he would be paid i.e the weeks pay plus any allowances and minus any stoppages; the soldier would receive the money, salute and state 'pay correct sir' and fall out. The account also provided a means whereby officers could pay for services, like the padres boots, or make recompense if their CO or higher authority decided they had negligently lost or damgaed equipment.

This opinion is based on the army in the 1950's, I have no reason to supect it was much different in 1914-18. I don't think the term 'petty cash' is appropriate.

Old Tom

Hi Tom

Many thanks for the info it makes things a bit clearer.

Ther are also recipts for haircutting etc and postal Field packages

John

[FROGSMILE]

Hi Tom

Many thanks for the info it makes things a bit clearer.

Ther are also recipts for haircutting etc and postal Field packages

John

I am serving with the British Army and "imprest accounts" are still used in exactly the same way as in WW1, although I understand they are now being phased out by a computer system.