War Gratuities

[StAubyns]

On my gf's Naval service record there is an entry

"Paid War Gratuity - Victory 2 -28"

Does anyone know the amounts paid, were they calculated individually, was it a fixed payment?

Regards Geoff

[kin47]

Hello Geoff

Find a NAVY LIST for the period. The gratuities are tied to the Good Conduct Medal, explained, and the requirements laid out. For ratings, the gratuities are paid for Chief Petty Officers 20 pounds, down to A.B.s and others 5 pounds, but these are maximum amounts. You can imagine with 22 sub term paragraphs, how this amount is changed.

If you do not have access to a NAVY LIST, the section is three pages and I could send you a scan.

Have a great New Year

don

[StAubyns]

Don, thanks for that info. Can I get a Navy List on the internet? If not please send me the scans you have. This would be much appreciated.

Looking at the cash amounts you quote, I wondef if I am misreading the entry on my gf's service record - maybe it reads""Paid War Gratuity - Victory 2 -£8"?

regards

Geoff

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Your £8.0.0d Could well be right I have various Naval Record Sheets that show Similar Amounts as well as Bountys for Jutland etc,The average for a Seaman~Petty Officer on my limited Papers is around £10~£19.00

[StAubyns]

The £8 looks a good bet then Harry.One thing is certain, nobody got rich on the gratuity(or did they?)

Were these payments purely for the navy, or did it apply to all armed forces?

Thanks for the e-mail Don

Regards Geoff

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

I dont know I suppose it was around 3~4 weeks wages,in 1919,My father was earning 30/- a week in 1930 Wire brushing Lorry Chassises{Not sure how many "ssss" there should be there!}

[StAubyns]

I was just thinking that if this payment is purely RN then perhaps the calculation system was based on Nelson's bounty's to sailors for captured warships - then, I understand, the Captain was awarded considerably more than the lower deck hands. (According to Hornblower & Bolitho this seems to be the case!!)

regards Geoff

[Muerrisch]

I haven't got my refs. to hand but I recall the war bounty was more like £30 for even a Private soldier. As an aside, a crude equivalent then and now for money is to multiply the 1914 values by 40, and the 1919 values by about 35.

[StAubyns]

A little confusing - the 28 = £28 or 28=£8.

If its £28*35 thats a respectable £980 at todays value - not to be sneezed at.

The pubs in Portsmouth probably did quite well!

[Guest suzanne27]

Hello,

My Great Grandmother received a grant of £8 from one fund in 1916 (he was killed 1916) then in 1919 she received £6 War Gratuity.

My G Grandfather was in the Army not the Navy or Royal Marines though, so it may be different, he was only a Lance Corporal as well.

Kind regards

Suzanne

[manxman]

One of my relatives was a RNR deckhand who began service in July 1916. From his service record he was "dispersed to shore" in January 1919 and got a £9 war gratuity payment a month later.

He also received Naval prize money £2 18s 4d in Jan 1921, £4 7s 6d in June 1922 and £0 11s 8d in December 1923.

It would appear that war gratuity and prize money were separate entities. A previous thread has mentioned prize money. A contributer there stated by this time it was a payment to all members of the service (according to entitlement rules) rather than payments to an individual crew for the capture of a particular enemy vessel. This is 3rd hand and I cannot give a source.