British Army Rates of Pay in WW2

[sapper]

Hi Paul. No we seldom drew pay... Where in heavens name would you spend it. and on what? In the active areas there are no shops or civilians EVER!

Plenty of buildings that looked like they had been steamrollered. Utter devastation. A great many of the towns and villages they we fought around were completely deserted NOT a soul...And who would want to be there anyway?

We seldom got away from the "front" The sappers were always in demand. Some of those deserted active areas towns and villages were very creepy places to be. the odd cat and dog, and that was all. (and they were well fed. plenty of dead to feed on!)
I did an article on a completely deserted town in Holland. That was the queerest place I have ever been. A town without a soul, and not damaged. Not even a cat or dog. Just utter silence, I shall not forget it! Still got it somewhere.
The "Compo" pack had everything we needed, food, sweets, toilet paper, cigarettes. The only time I can recall drawing money was when we captured Weert in Holland. I recall that for there was a little shop there, two of us went in with the Guilders Invasion money. I had a two and half guilder note, about the equivalent of a working mans wages for a week.The old lady asked us if it was GOOD?. We bought something for a few cents, But the old lady gave us the change out of a large sweet bottle about 240 one cent pieces. I took it outside where a little boy was sat with his back to the wall. Took off his hat and poured 240 cents into it, and gave it back to him.
I tried to trace that little boy, but never found him. I would have thought that he would recall an English Soldier giving him what was then.... a small fortune?

Its very difficult spending money amongst the destruction we and the enemy inflicted on the Norman people.
Sapper