The 'Pay Book' - AB64 Pt II

Originally (apparently) the AB64 Pt 1 was the soldier's identity card ... but that was before our time!  By now (1963) we all carried (at all times, supposedly!) the new Identity Card (AF B 2603) which was a flimsy, near A6 sized, card bearing one's personal details (Number, Rank & Name plus Colour of Eyes etc.) and a Passport type photograph; the latter in monochrome (black & white!) of course.  Oh! --- with it came the AF B 2604 which was the plastic cover that the AF B 2603 lived in, to protect it from weather, wear and tear!  Later (around 1965?) the new MOD 90 plastic, credit card style, card replaced this.  By then technology had allowed one's Passport type photograph to be embedded into the card itself.

However, 'Back to the plot!' ... where the AB64 Pt II was still the Army Pay Book (in use since at least about 1940, I believe) which recorded all Incomings & Outgoings of our (then) weekly pay:  including such as emoluments, local overseas allowance, income tax, National Insurance payments, ration allowance, marriage allowance, promotions, demotions and deductions by Royal Warrant!

(I remember particularly that an A/T L/Cpl received 1/9d extra and an A/T Cpl 5/3d when an A/T Sgt received around 7/6d ... up till around early 1965!)  Note too that the rate for a L/Cpl RSignals (Tech) in 1966 was nearly reaching twice as much as the overall pay for an A/T Sgt.

To try to put this all into some perspective, when I first joined in April 1963 our pay (before allowances & stoppages ... such as the infamous 'barrack damages'!) was £2/9/0 per week - or - Seven Shillings a day!  (I've recently been telling my grandchildren that this was occasionally referred to as "7 'bob' a day and bring your own arrows!")  After just 6 days I reached 17 years of age so my pay suddenly jumped to £7/7/0 per week (the rate for 'man's service')!  Not that this made any difference to the amount signed for on the weekly Pay Parade:  for all of us this was £1 one week and just 10/- the next!!  The remainder went into 'Credits' which was sent out as a Money Order to the A/T's local Post Office at the end of term for to be collected when one went home on leave.

To quote the fictional RSM Lauderdale in the film GUNS AT BATASI ----- "Gawd, what an Army!"

(2009)