1947 summer
TRANSCRIPT
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THE ROYAL ARMY PAY CORPS
JOORNAL
EDITORI L NOTES
EDITOR :
Lieut.-Colonel A. L DUNNILL, O .B.E.
The Royal
Army
Pay
Corps Journal
is
published
quarterly, viz.,
Spring
(in March),
Summer
(in
June), Autumn (in
September), and
Winter (in
December).
Local Representatives have been appointed in
each
Pay
Office,
to whom
all
Corps Ne
ws
and Notes
should
be sent
for
transmission
to
the
Editor.
Other
articles intende:i for publication may be sent either
to the Local Representative
or direct
to
the Editor.
All letters, articles, etc., should be clearly written
in ink or typed on one side of
the
paper only and
should
be
signed.
f the signature
is
not
intended for
publication,
but
as a
guarantee of
goo:i faith, a nom
de
plume
should be given.
Articles,
photographs,
etc. ,
should be forwarded
to
the Editor to
ensure receipt
by the
20th
of
February, May , August or November, if intended
for publication in
the
issue
of the
following
month.
All articles printed in
this
Journal are
copyright,
and application for reproduction should be made to
the
Editor.
INDEX
Editorial
Officers' Club Notes
Old Comrades' Ass')ciation
Pay Services, S.E.A.C.
The
Editor
will always be pleased
to
receive con
structive criticism for
the
improvement of the
Journal,
including
suggestions of particular features
which could be included
or omitted.
Subscribers
are requested
to notify
at
once
any
change of address. The Editor cannot
be
responsible
for delivery of copies unless this is done.
All correspondence
should
be
addressed
to:
THE EDITOR,
THE
ROYAL
ARMY PAY
CORPS JOURNAL
DISTRICT PAY OFFICE ,
LADYSMITH BARRACKS,
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE,
Lancs.
Tel.: Ashton
3051
The rates of
subscription
to The R.A.P.C. Journal
are as follows
Through
Office
Representative
f
sent by post
For
12
months
4/
5/
Single
Copies
1/
1 3
Small advertisements
in
connection with articles
for sale, accommodation, etc., will be inserted
at
a
charge
of 2d. per
word.
For
Scale of Charges for other advertisements
application
should be
made
to the Editor.
Readers
can materially assist us in our advertise
ments.
Remember
to
deal with firms
who
advertise
in
the
Journal
and
always mention the Journal in any
correspondence with our advertisers.
g
e
Jewish terrorists attack Syrian Orphanage, Jerusalem
Personalia
4 8
4 9
411
415
421
423
424
425
427
431
432
433
436
Corps News - Officers
Classification - A tragedy
R.A.P.e. in Netherlands East Indies
I was posted to Jerusalem
12 Command Pay Office, Allied Land Forces, Norway . .
The British Paymaster, First Canadian Army
Notes and News from Offices
4 7
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The Royal Army Pay Corps Journal
Vol.
V. No. 40
EDITOBIAI..J NOTES
District Pay Office,
Ladysmith Barracks,
Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancs.
JunF 1947.
During the
past quarter,
it
will be noted,
the address of the Editorial Office of the
Journal has been' changed
and
all subscribers
are requested to dispatch all correspondence,
subscriptions,
~ t c .
to the new address.
All members
of
the Corps will have received
with
gratification
the
news
that Major-General
R. G.
Stanham
has
been
granted an extension
of
his
term
at
the War
Office as Paymaster-in
Chief.
The
responsibility
of
the P.LC. in p l ~ n n i n g
the Corps' share in
the Post-War
Army is
indeed
heavy
but
we are
happy
to think
that
our
future remains for a little longer in his
capable hands.
During the
past few weeks several thousands
of
circulars have been sent out to personnel
of
all ranks recently released from
the
Corps
and
as a result we are glad to say a large
number
of new subscribers have been enrolled.
This
issue contains news
of
a
number
of
re-unions
of Old
Comrades
in
various parts
of
the country. The organisation
of
the several
branches
of
the O.C.A. has meant a lot
of
preparation
and hard
work.
Thus
it was
unavoidable
that
these meetings could
not
be
arranged earlier. Now
that
an active start has
been made we hope the good work will con
tinue,
and that
all those who have served in
the
Corps will be able to
attend the
periodic
functions and thus avoid losing contact with
their colleagues.
The Corps Journal also, we hope, serves as
a means of maintaining this contact.
To
avoid
missing any copies we would advise readers,
when they are notified
that
their subscription
has expired, to complete the
pink
form enclosed
in
their copy and
return
it to the
Editor without
delay. Only by doing so can they ensure
receiving their copy in the future.
In
these
days of rationing it is only possible to provide
for a very few copies that have not been ordered.
408
Summer, 1947
BIRTHDAY OF
H R H PRINCESS ARTHUR
OF CONNAUGHT
On
the
o c c s i o ~ of her
birthday
on
17th May,
1947, the followmg telegram was dispatched
to
her
Royal Highness, Princess
Arthur
of
Connaught, R.R.C., ColoI).el-in-Chief, Royal
Army Pay Corps.
The
Colonel Commandant, The
Paymaster-in-Chief
and
All Ranks Royal
Army Pay Corps
send
Greetings to your
Royal Highness
on the
occasion of your
Birthday.
The
following reply has been received
by
the Colonel Commandant from
Her
Royal
Highness.
Please accept and convey to All Ranks
Royal
Army
Pay Corps my grateful thanks
for Birthday Greetings.
TOBRUK 94
An
Officers'
Dinner
will be held at the
Connaught Rooms, London, on 12th Septem
ber, 1947. All Officers and ex-Officers who
served in the Defence and Maintenance of
Tobruk
between
10th
April
and
10th Decem
ber, 1941, are eligible to attend.
Particulars from Major-General Lomax,
Flagstaff House, Colchester.
PHILATELY
A number of readers have written suggesting
that
a Philatelic Society should be formed for
the
benefit
of Stamp
Collectors
in the
Corps.
Whether such a club can be formed will
naturally
depend on
the
number of
collectors
interested in
the
hobby.
It will only be possible to operate an
Exchange Club
but
as
personnel of the Corps
are stationed
in
all parts
of
the world such a
club should give ample opportunities for
disposing of duplicates and for acquiring
wanted items.
Will any collector who is interested in the
formation
of
this club kindly communicate
with
the
Editor as early as possible.
THE ROYAL ARMY
PAY
CORPS JOURNAL
R A P ~
Officers
~ I u b
THE ARMY GOLF MEETING
The
Army Golf Meeting was resumed
in
its
full peace-time
manner and
took place at
St. Andrews on 18th-19th
and
21st-25th April.
The
R.A.P.C. entered teams for the Army
Inter-Regimental Championship (limited to
regular officers
up
to
and
including rank
of
Lieut.-Colonel) and for the Ordnance
Cup
(Colonels and above
and
retir ed officers). Each
team is of four players, each playing 18 holes
match play. The following officers represented
the Corps
and
played in
the
individual com
petitions
:-Major-General
Stanham, Brigadier
Bednall, Lieut.-Colonel Milling, Lieut.
Colonel Thompson, Lieut.-Colonel Beauchamp,
Major Chaundy and Captain Page.
General Stanham played in the Generals'
Cup
but
struck a
bad
patch (a most unusual
thing for him)
and
lost to General
Thorpe,
who received five strokes, in the first round.
The
Individual Competition was played
on
Monday and Tuesday (21st
and
22nd)
in
conditions which some of the caddies described
as
the worst they had known for a competition.
The
only officer to receive a prize was Captain
Page, who playing from handicap 8 received
second prize for the two days' aggregate off
handicap.
The
winner
of the
Army Individual
Championship was Captain Blair
of
the
Seaforth Highlanders, who played remarkably
well
in
the difficult conditions.
In practice beforehand Major Chaundy had
been playing very well (handicap scratch)
but
most unfortunately he contracted
Mumps
and
spent the week-end in bed, by the Monday,
however, he felt better and decided to play,
and the teams to represent the R.A.P.C.
were:-
Ordnance Corps Major-General Stanham,
Brigadier Bednall, Brigadier Lightfoot
and
Brigadier Forde.
Inter Regt. Cup Major
Chaundy, Lieut.
Colonel Beauchamp, Lieut.-Colon el
Thomp
son and Captain Page.
t
was a magnificent effort
on
the part
of
the
~ o r p s to e ~ t e r a team for the Ordnance
Cup
and
It was particularly gallant of Brigadier Lightfoot
and Brigadier Forde to make
up
the team when
neither had any opportunity for practice. We
were drawn against the strongest team, A.A.
C o m m ~ n d who proved eventually to be very
easy w I ~ n e r s ..
They
were led by two very good
golfers m Major-General Hornby and
Brigadier
409
J. C. Wood. General Stanham, playing the
former, lost by 6 holes
and
Brigadier Bednall,
playing the latter, won by 4 holes. Brigadier
Lightfoot lost his match by
16
holes and
Brigadier Forde lost his by 15 holes.
In
the
Inter
Regt. Championship the
R.A.P.C. team was again beaten by the event4
al
winners,
but put up
a remarkably good effort.
In the
first
round
they were drawn against a
strong R.A.S.C. team and won a very close
fight by 7 holes to 2 (Chaundy 2 down,
Beauchamp 4 up,
Thompson
3 up, Page all
square).
In the
second round,
the
team rout-ed
their opponents, R.A.O.C.
(Northern
mand), by 27 holes to 0 (Chaundy 2 up,
Beauchamp 10 up,
Thonipson
7 up,
and
Page
8 up).
This
brought the team to the semi-final,
against
the
Seaforth Highlanders,
and it
was
expected
that
whichever team won would win
the final.
The
Seaforths were led by Captain
Blair, who had won
the
Individual Army
Championship and was playing magnificent
golf. Chaundy had only partly recovered
but
nevertheless he was given the task of playing
Blair
and
achieved a magnificent victory
in
coming in 5 holes up. Beauchamp, however,
lost 2 holes to Cassels and Thompson 6 holes
to MacKinock whilst Page came
in
all square
in
this match with McCrae. We, therefore, lost
by 8 holes to
5
an excellent effort on the part
of the
team,
ha
ying regard to all
the
circum
stances.
.
R A P
C.
GOLFING SOCIETY
The Summer
Meeting is being held at West
Hill Golf Club, Brookwood, Surrey,
on
3rd and
4th July.
CORPS HOCKEY
Prior to
the
1939-45 war the Corps was
represented
by
a team
in the
Hockey world
with very creditable results, culminating
in the
winning
of the
Eastern Command Hockey
Tournament
and reaching the semi-finals
of
the
Army Hockey Tournament in 1938. Since then
the war has dispersed and aged all the old
hands and
much
spade work will be required
to revive the team and
put
it on the map again.
The
fou ndation
of
.a sound Corps team can
only be laid
on
a solid strata of Pay Office teams
playing regular weekly games, from which
representatives for the
Corps team can be
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THE ROYAL
ARMY
PAY
CORPS JOURNAL
drawn as required. A preliminary examination
of the
hockey potential of
RA.P.C.
units
stationed
within one hour of London
carried
out
last
autumn
disclosed an almost complete
lack
of
interest
and
players. The factors con
tributing
to this state
of
affairs are well known
but as
RA.P.C.
units move to and settle
their e s t ~ b l i s h e d
peace stations
it
is hoped
that
O.C.s
WIll
take a personal interest
and impart
the
essential drive
and
encouragement to
the
formation
of
a
unit
team to play local clubs
and
units in their immediate neighbourhood.
In
view
of
the
concentration
of
RA.P.C.
units
in and
around Aldershot
it
has
been
decided provisionally
that
Aldershot shall
be
the home centre for Corps Hockey.
Further
details will be published in due
course.
v
v
v
*
* *
CORPS CRICKET FIXTURES, 1947
A.E.e., 7th and 8th July
(Away),
at
Aldershot Officers' Club.
RA
.O.C.,
9th and 10th July (Home),
at
Aldershot Officers' Club.
R.A.S.C.,
11th and
12th
July
(Away)
at
Buller Bks., Aldershot.
GOOD
MORNING
PRIV TE
Y O U N G
PAY
F te
--
TENNIS
The annual tournament will be held at the
Officers' Club, Aldershot,
on
10th July, 1947.
* * *
Social
Functions
During
this coming season two social
gatherings
ha
ve
been
arranged.
The
first will
take place
on
10th
July at the
Officers' Club
Aldershot.
On
this day
the
Corps are playing
the
second day of their cricket match versus
the RA.O.e. and
in addition are holding the
annual tennis tournaments.
It
is hoped that
t h ~ s e
two t t r ~ c t i o n s will result
in
a big
re-
umon
,
of
servmg
and
retired officers
of
the
Corps.
Tea
will be provided.
The
second will
take place
in London on 9th
September
at
Lords ~ r i c k e t
Ground,
when the
Corps will
be
playmg a one-day match against The Cross
Arrows. Tea will also be provided on this
occasion.
*
*
*
OFFICERS DINNER
CLUB
The
first post-war Annual
Dinner
will take
place
at
the Mayfair Hotel, London, W., on
Friday, 4th July, at 7-30 p.m. for : 8 p.m.
GOOD
MORNING
AJ OR
BROWN
C L O T H E S
MAY
BE
WORN
ON
S TURD YS
410
THE ROYAL ARMY
PAY
CORPS JOURNAL
B il P C Old o m r a d e s ~ Association
Since the publication
of
addresses
of
Branch
Secretaries
in the
spring issue
of the
Journal
the following changes have taken place:-
NORTH
EASTERN
AREA
CAPTAIN
O. THORNHILL,
RA.P.C.
Retd.
,
19
Heworth Hall Drive, Heworth, York.
SOUTH WESTERN
AREA
MAJOR
D.
Y.
CUBITT, R.A.P.e.,
Regimental
Pay Office, By-Pass Camp, Exeter, Devon.
BRANCH FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
The
following reports
of
functions
and
meetings have been received.
1
SouthWales and Monmouthshire Branch
The
first annual re-union dinner
of the
South Wales
and
Monmouthshire Branch
of the
Old Comrades' Association was held at the
Park Hotel, Cardiff,
on
Saturday, 26th April.
Captain B. Rowe,
M.S.M.,
Pontypridd, pre
sided, and the Guest
of Honour
was Major
General Sir Guy Riley, K.B.E., C.B., Colonel
Commandant
of the
Corps.
The
Toast of The Corps was proposed by
Captain J.
T.
Smith, Cardiff.
He
said
he
wondered whether those present who were
pre-war civilians, realised before 1939 that
there was such a Corps as
the
Royal Army Pay
Corps, and
if
they did know that such a Corps
existed whether they had any conception
of
the
duties the Corps
had
to perform . Person ally,
he confessed
that
he did
not
know
much
about
it.
As most
of
those present knew, the Royal
Army Pay Corps was quite a young Corps as
compared with other regiments .
It
would
celebrate its seventieth birthday next year
and
it was not until after the 1914-18 war
that it
was granted
the
title
of
Royal.
In the
last
war the work
of
the Corps was increased
enormously.
It
was carried
out in
every theatre
of
war
and it
was very varied in its character.
Not
only did
the
Corps have to perform its pay
duties
but
its members had to assist in the
common attack against
the
enemy. Captain
Smith referred humorously to early training
with the Home Guard when they held the
heights at Shrewsbury with great tenacity.
That
was only a start. During the war
men of
he Corps
had had to do quite a number
of
combatant
duties and to act as infantry and pioneers.
They
served
on
the anti-aircraft batteries, tackled
fire-fighting and the work of the ordinary
soldier.
For all
the
work they had done
in
all theatres
of
war the Corps had earned great praise from
all Commanders in the Field, and from various
other high
auth)
rit ies.
Captain
H.
C. Allinson,
RA.P.C.,
Shrews
bury, responded.
He
also gave reminiscences
of the
early days at Shrewsbury
and
said he
greatly appreciated
the
privilege
of
being
present and seeing so many old friends.
He
was particularly pleased to see General Riley
present.
During the
war
the
prestige
of the
Corps
had
gone
up
very considerably and those
who were still serving would do their best to
carry
on
the
good work.
Proposing Th e Old Comrades' Associa
tion Mr.
A. L Richards, Swansea, said
that
it was really great to
meet
so many
of the
old
comrades.
They
had been indulging
in
reminiscences and
it
was amusing to recall some
of the
tricks
and
dodges
that
they had
been up
to during their service,
not
to get
out of
work
but
to get
it
done quickly. As old comrades
they could look back
upon
many
happy and
yet
strenuous years.
Mr.
Richards suggested
that
owing to
the
difficulties
of
travel a dinner
should be held at Swansea
and the Monmouth
shire members
might
like to hold one
in
Newport.
They
must maintain their happy
association which brought back such pleasant
memones.
411
Major-General Sir Guy Riley responded.
He
cordially thanked Captain Rowe
and
his
committee for all their
hard
work in organising
such a successful dinner
and
for their in
vitation to
him
to attend it.
This
was
the
first
of the
branches to hold a dinner so naturally
he was very pleased to come to it.
In
pre-war days
the
size
of the
Association
enabled
them
to 'hold
the
dinner
in
London,
generally
on the
evening
of the
eu
p Final,
but
even before the
war
their numbers were getting
too big
and now
with their increased member
ship they
must
decentralize and hold branch
dinners,
but
he hoped
that
they would
go
back
to
the London
dinner as well,
in
time.
He
hoped they would all do their best to get new
members.
One
made friends during the war
and it
was very pleasant to keep
up
those
friendships
and
to keep
in
touch with one
another through gatherings such as they
had
enjoyed
that
night.
He
heartily agreed
with
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THE ROYAL ARMY
PAY
CORPS JOURNAL
every
remark
which Captain Smith had made
when
he proposed the health of the Corps,
which had done extremely well during the war.
Sir
Guy
entertained the company with
several amusing anecdotes of Corps happenings
and quoted the old saying of the Corps that its
members never
went
to a show because any day
in a Pay Office could be so
much
funnier
than
any revue.
Captain Rowe proposed the Toast
of
Absent Friends. He cordially thanked
Sir
Guy
for coming down from
Surrey
to
attend the
Dinner
and also Mr. Sheppard for
all that he had done to help in its organisation.
Captain Rowe
agreed
that the Branch covered
a large area and
that it might be
advisable for
the
Swansea
and
West Wales members to hold
a
dinner in that
town.
There were quite
a
number
of
ex-members of the A.T.S. who had
served with
the Corps for a long
time
and it
should be possible to organise very successful
dinner dances at Cardiff and
at
the Langland
Bay Hotel, Swansea, in the near future.
Excellent entertainment was provided by
Mr. Tom
Jones, a well-known
B.B.c.
artiste.
2. East Midlands Area.
Report
of
preliminar.y 'meeting held oil
Thursday, 24th April, at Army Pay Office
RA /AA, Nottingham.
' L /Cpl. J. Hollis was a p p o ~ n t e d Acting
Chairman pending a full meetmg. It was
proposed
by the
Chairman
the
position
of
Entertainments' Officer be dropped and that
Officers be limited to three, i.e., Chairman,
Secretary
and
Treasurer.
This
was carried
pending confirmation at full meeting.
It was agreed to enlarge the committee to
seven members instead of the present four,
taking two
members from the Nottingham
area
and one more from the Leicester area.
It was _proposed that the social activities
of
the area be suspended until a complete list of
members in the area has been compiled. This
was
carried and
will
be brought up
again at
the
next meeting. Advertisements have been
inserted in six newspapers in 'various counties
and results are awaited.
The
date
of
the next meeting was fixed for
Thursday, 29th May, at 7 p,m. at Army Pay
Office, Nottingham.
3. West of Scotland Branch.
A grand re-union dance was held at the
Central
Halls,
Bath
Street, Glasgow, on the
412
30th April. Jim Hargie and his band provided
the music to just under 100 couples. There
were many spot dances and other competitions
and
a very enjoyable evening was spent, T h i ~
is the forerunner
of
other functions to be held
by this branch, the aim being to hold at least
one
a month .
4. Home Counties and London Area.
The
Home Counties Branch is now well
under
way after tussling
with
10,000 record
cards and members will be hearing from the
Secretary in the future.
Old 29th members (especially those who
browsed
on the
lawn
of the
Welsh Girls'
School on 2nd September, 1940) will be happy
to
learn that Stan. Theobald,
Wally Smith,
Terry Gaffney and Ken. Kennedy are all doing
their bit on the Branch Committee.
All members should, by now, have received
the Branch circular, but if they haven't yet
returned the form or otherwise contacted their
Area Secretary, they are asked to do so now.
f the drag-net did happen to miss anyone,
then the Branch Hon. Secretary will be pleased
to receive inquiries at 41 Oxford Drive,
Ruislip, Middlesex.
By the time these notes are read the initial
function will be over. Members should watch
these columns for future announcements.
S.S.M.
Harry
Leader is doing some excellent
work in finding employment for members, but
the
applications are beginning to exceed the
supply.
Would
any members in
the
position
to offer employment, or who can su pply
contacts that may lead to jobs, kindly get in
touch with
S.S.M. H.
Leader,
The
W ~ r Office
(F9), Hotel Victoria, Northumberland Avenue,
London, W.C.2.
5. N. Wales and W. Midlands Branch.
The
Branch Secretary sends cordial greetings
to members of this and all other Branches
of
the
O.C.A.
It
had
been hoped to hold a function at the
beginning of February but Dame Nature cast
her
evil spells and made
it
impossible for travel.
Furthermore, caterers were not too eager to
accept orders for a large gathering on the
grounds that supplies-liquid and
solid-were
very scarce at the time.
It
is hoped to hold such
a gathering
in the
not far distant future.
The
Secretary would be glad to hear from members
who are interested in inter-district sporting
events, e.g., cricket.
THE ROYAL ARMY PAY CORPS
JOURNAL
Would members who have not yet paid t h ~ i r
subscriptions for 1947-48 please make a ~ p e c a l
effort to
get
them
posted
as soon as pOSSIble to
Mr
W. F. McNamara, Br.anch ?ecretary,
/
0 Regimental Paymaster, KIddermmster.
c
General.
f
ex-serving members would be good
enough to contact t h e ~ r particular Branch
Secretary, it may be pOSSIble to
a r r a n g ~
further
functions.
They
should quote theIr home
address and membership number.
R.A.P.C.-O.C.A. Lapel Badges.
t
may not be generally known that an
excellent O.C.A. lapel badge is available,
price 1/3, and these may be o b t a i n e ~ from
Branch Secretaries, Office RepresentatIves or
the General Hon. Secretary, c/o R.A.P.C.
Training Centre, Marlborough Lines, Alder
shot, Hants.
.
O.C.A. Civilian
Appointment
Bureau.
Will any ex-serving member who has the
opportunity of offering employment to . an
ex-serving member, or could
put
aI y ex-servmg
member
in touch with a prospectIve employer
please contact his Branch Secretary, or S.S.M.
H. Leader, R.A.P.C.,
The
War Office (F9),
Hotel Victoria, Northumberland Avenue,
London, W.C.2
?
1947 48 Subscriptions.
Subscriptions for 1947 were ~ u e on the
1st April, 1947, and any ex-.servmg member
who has not yet paid his subscription for
194.1
or arrears, is advised to forward same to hIS
Branch Secretary or the
General Hon.
Secretary, accompanied by h i ~ Membership
Card. f any member wishes to beco.me a
Life member he still has the
opportumty of
doing so by paying the difference between the
amount of subscriptions paid since and
includ
ing 1939 provided
he submits
his receipted
membership card to support payments
of
annual subscriptions. Life membership cards
are obtainable from the General Hon. Secretary
direct.
40 BATTALION, R.A.P.C.
The first re-union of the members of " K "
Company A.T.S. (attached 40 Battalion,
R.A.P.C. (Marylebone and Whitchurch) was
held at
the
Criterion Restaurant, London,
on
Saturday, 17th May last, under the auspices of
the
Comrades' Association (Hendon
Branch).
The
gathering was honoured by
the
presence
of
Dame Helen Gwynne Vaughan, G.B.E.,
who took the Chair.
Colonel O. P. J. Rooney, O.B.E., was also
present,
supported
by Major A. L .
H.
Wilson
(on leave from Middle East), Captam J. C. G.
Howes Lieut. F. Jaque, and many members
of
the' Pay Office Staff (both ex-Milita:y,
ex-A.
T.S.
and civilians) who had served WIth
the 40 Battalion from 1939 onwards.
The excellent dinner arrangements followed
by a cabaret and dance were ably arranged by
the Branch Chairman and her daughter (Mrs.
Barnard, ex-C.S.M., and Joan, ex-Sergeant
A.T.S
.).
I t was unanimously agreed that every
endeavour should be made to arrange a re
union ball for all who have
served
with
40 Battalion and interested personnel are asked
to write
to '
Mrs. 1 R. Barnard, 36 Shireall
Lane,
London,
N.W.4,
or
Captain
J. C.
G.
Howes, lo British Legion, 9
Upper
Belgrave
Street London S.W.I. Further announce
ments'
will be
~ a d e through the medium of
this Journal and the evening
~ r e s s
Happy did we meet, happy dId we part, and
happy meet again.
413
DROITWICH and KIDDERMINSTER
On Sunday, 8
th
June, a very enjoyable day
was spent by 34 R.A.P.C. Old o m r a d ~ s and
ex-A.T.S. from the Droitwich and Kldder
minster Pay Offices.
The
party left Birmingham by private coach
at
10 a.m. for Ross-on-Wye, via Dudley,
Stourbridge, Worcester and Malvern. A halt
was made at the British Camp to enable the
coach engine to cool down after the steep pull
up
from Worcester, whilst t ~ e party n a t u r a ~ l y
adjourned
to the Camp Hotel m order to acqUIre
the true reunion spirit
Mter
a picnic lunch the afternoon was s p ~ n t
roaming
round
the glorious Herefords.hIre
countryside. A splendid high tea was prOVIded
at the Wye Hotel and at 6-30 p.m. the party
started for home, breaking the journey at the
British Camp. . .
t is proposed to hold a Reumon D m n e ~ -
Dance at a central Birmingham hotel m
January 1948, when it is hoped to muster
about 100 Old Comrades, A.T.S. and friends.
t is requested that anyone interested will
-
8/9/2019 1947 Summer
5/33
,J
THE ROYAL ARMY
PAY
CORPS JUURNAL
communicate
with
Archie W. Abbott, 95
A ~ c e s t e r Road Moseley, Birmingham 13, who
WIll gladly notIfy
them of
local O.C.A. activities.
A.W.A.
Old (;roeks' Re-union
T
HE
first Re-uni.o.n_
Dinner and
Dance
of
the
Central Registry
of
Central Clearing
House Staff was held
on
26th April at
" Chez Auguste,"
Frith
Street, London.
In spite
of
the widely separated. parts of the
country from which "Old Crocks"
had
to
come, no less than 160 officers, military,
A.T.S.
and representatives
of
the civilian staff attended
this grand re-union.
From
the four corners
of
the
British Isles
they
came, each
intent on
recapturing,
if
only for one brief
moment
the wonderful C.C.H. comradeship
of
uld. '
Many
a scene
in
Ilfracombe's " Centralised
Mess"
was recalled. when the high-spirited
crowd sat down at theIr long tables for dinner .
any gloomily-held illusions
of
Army
austeriti
were . ~ a p p i l y dispelled, however, by the
appetIsmg appearance
of
roast chicken f ruit
salad
and ice-cream The true "C.C.H.
Spirit"
was
brought
to
the
festivities
by the
presence
of the
" C.C.H. Cocktail," especially
dedicated
in the
past to
the
C.C.H.
by
genial
Mr. Denner
of
Ilfracombe's " Vic."
The re-union was under the extremely
popular chairmanship
of Mr. M.
G. Fordham,
who followed his loyal toast with an admirable
speech, r e m a r ~ i ~ g
on the
enthusiasm shown by
all andemphaslSlngthegreatness of the occasion.
He
concluded
by
describing
the
untiring efforts
of the
Hon. Secretary
and
proposed a toast to
him for making possible the 1947 re-union.
In his reply the Hon. Secretary, Mr. H. I
Warren, thanked
the
Chairman for his kind
words
of
praise.
He
recalled
the
memorable
Farewell
Dinner at
Ilfracombe
in
November
1945, when the idea
of
the C.R.O.C.C.H.S.
was born, and
said:
I ' l l
wager
that not
many
then
dared to think
that in
less
than
18 months
we should be holding a re-union. Even now I
can hardly believe it's
true
"
He went on to thank Lieut. A. H. Barnard
for his co-operation with
the
News-Letters
and
for his constant inspiration,
and
expressed
gratItude to the
"on-the-spot"
Committee
who assisted
in
organising the re-union.
A very able and humorous speech was then
delivered by Lieut. A.
H.
Barnard who ex
pressed delight at seeing " ll the old faces
present.
He
reiterated
the
unanimous desire
4 4
for the continuation
of
the
association and
b r ~ u g h t ~ h e gathering to its feet to shout out in
UnIson hIS toast
of
" Viva,
C.R.O.C.C.H.S.
I
Tom Wightman followed with a s i n c ~ r e
a p p r e c i a ~ i n
of
all efforts and proposed toasts
to
the
VISItors to absent friends and to "
The
merrier we shall be "
Numerous messages
of
goodwill
and
regret
from absentees were read by Mr. L. K. Rundle
~ h o ca:-ried
out
with great dignity and a b i l i t ~
hIS
dutIes
as
Toastmaster.
As .if the meI?ories recalled were n ot already
suffic.Ient to s ~ I r the heart, dancing to Eddie
PurkIss
and
hIS
band
followed the dinner and
many Garrison
Theatre
highlights were
brought to
mind
by a floor show
under
the
title "Crocky Pie," featuring such old
favountes as Jack Travers Eddie Purkiss and
"Hi and
Mo-the Cads
of the
. R . O . C . C . H . S . ~
It
was
with
great reluctance that "Old
Crocks" finally departed after a rousing
" Auld
Lang
Syne ; it was
with the
know
ledge, however,
that
this re-union was
but
the
first. of many.
For
one thing is
certain-the
f ~ e l m g s shared by all
that
night could never
dIe.
The
spirit was truly one
of "Viva,
C.R.O.C.C.H.S. "
1
.
Spring
to
attention
smartly
THE ROYAL ARMY
PAY
CORPS JOURNAL
PAY SERVICES S.E.A.C.
Ill
Fourteenth rmy
By Lieut.-Colonel
H.
W. W.
POLLARD,
O.B.E.
B
y the
autumn of
1944
the
war was going
very well and
the
J ap was in retreat on
all fronts in Burma. Everyone's mind
began to turn
to
a war of movement, and plans
were laid for
the
move
of
H.Q. Army to
Imphal
by the
end
of November, when an
L. of
C.
Command would form in our rear and the
H.Q.s could concentrate
on
fighting the enemy
and shed itself of the vast administration
problem of the
L.
of C. Area.
Plans were duly laid to
hand
over
the
Pay
organisation within the
L. of
C. Area and to
lay on a similar organisation in Burma
as
this
was recovered from
the
enemy. At the same
time plans had to be made to supply the Corps
while the battle was being fought. D.P.I.C.
also called for an appreciation
of
the problems
involved in handing back Pay Services to
India
when the L. of C. command reverted to India.
So there was little relaxation for anyone.
A trip to H.Q. S.A.C.S.E.A. to see the
Brigadier was made by the Force Paymaster in
September to lay on
the
bodies and obtain
approval for plans for Pay Services in Burma.
A good time was had by all in Kandy with real
civilisation again, running water "
and
plugs that
pulled, to say nothing of apparently unlimited
supplies of sherry (Spanish) and port (Oporto)
and a reasonably cool climate.
The
problems in
the future,
as
visualised, going to be quite
different from those already experienced. H .Q.
Army was expected to at last assume its real
role of directing a battle of movement and the
L. of
C. in Burma proper, as cleared
of
the
enemy, was to be handed over to
L. of
C.
Districts or Areas. It was, therefore,
planned:
a)
To
attach an Area Cash Office to each
Corps.
b) To
arrange for Staff Paymasters to be
mobilised and available to move in
in
rear
of
Army to relieve the Force Paymaster
of
any
responsibility for the L. of C. as the Areas or
Sub-Areas were formed.
c) That
the Force Paymaster with attached
Staff Paymaster
as
heretofore should be the
central supply of currency in the absence of any
Treasuries or Banks whatsoever in Burma.
d)
That
the introduction of British Military
Authority currency (overprinted
Indian
Rupee
415
Notes) should be deferred as long
as
possible
and preferably until Rangoon was recaptured.
e)
That
all arrangements for
the
shipment
of currency
of
any kind by air be laid on by
S.P. (Cash) to cover supplies for
the
Force
Paymaster
or
where more convenient, direct to
Staff Paymasters, Area Cash Officers or Field
Cashiers.
The
Plan for Cash Services
in
Burma proper
was to
put:
a) A Field Cashier at
Tamu
so soon as Army
moved forward of the Burma Frontier. Tamu
is
just in
Burma and was therefore an Army
responsibility
of L. of
C. Command boundary
was the frontier line.
b)
An
Area Cash Office at Kalewa while
the
build
up
took place there, this
unit
to
hand
over
to the Sub-Area Cashier and be available to
move to build
up
centres forward
of
Kalewa as
the advance made headway.
c) A Staff Paymaster to Mandalay
or
such
place as might be selected for District/Area
H.Q. in the
Northern
half
of
Burma and one to
Rangoon for District/Area H.Q. in
the
South.
d) Area Cash Offices to be attached to Corps
H.Q.
to hold reserves
of
Cash for use
of
Div. Cashiers
and
later to be stationed as
required at either Toungoo, Moulmein, Pauk
or
such other centres as seemed best at
the
time.
e) Staff Paymasters to be equipped and
accommodated to act
as
currency depots
as
it
was not expected that any Burma Government
Treasuries would be functioning for some time
after any part of Burma had been cleared of the
enemy. Cash Services
had
therefore to be
prepared to provide all
the
currency likely to
be needed.
This
plan was adhered to practically without
change
when
the time came, as the layout as
visualised of North and South Districts and
Sub-Areas
under
Command with Field Cashiers
on
their Establishments, was in the end duly
implemented. So soon
as
the Campaign was
completed it was the intention to form a Burma
Command H.Q. to which a Command Pay
master Establishment would be posted, respon
sible for the whole country. This duly came
about. Careful planning for the future in this
/
-
8/9/2019 1947 Summer
6/33
THE ROYAL ARMY PAY CORPS JOURNAL
way paid handsome dividends in
the
end as
all knew exactly what was required
and
could
take preliminary steps beforehand.
The
only
slight difficulty that was visualised was that
before Burma Command formed the part of
Burma not under Command of Army would be
under command of
A.L.F
.S.E.A. which would
make it difficult for the
D.P.LC
. to control his
Paymasters' activities owing to the distances
involved. The Force Paymaster was instructed
to keep a watchful eye over the District Staff
Pa
ymasters which, of course, he did at the risk
of treading on the corns of H.Q.s not under
command of his own H.Q.s and much against
the wish of his own "A" Branch. However,
all worked out smoothly in the end.
All this was,
of
course, for
the future; it
is
now necessary to return to current affairs. At
the
end of November 1944 L. of C. Command
formed at Comilla
and
took over
command
of
202 and 404 Areas with their boundaries
approximately on the Indo-Burma frontier.
N.C.A.C. and 15th Corps in the Kaladan passed
under direct Command of
A.L.F.S.E.A. and
Fourteenth Army was from
then
on concerned
only with 4th and 33rd Corps debouching into
Burma via Tamu and Kalewa with Rangoon
and the destruction of the enemy as their
objective.
Army H.Q. moved to Imphal and took over
the Camp built by 4 Corps, for the Siege.
The situation was lovely and the climate (at
2,500 feet odd) perfect, frost at nigh t
and
bright sunny days after the morning mist had
cleared. In addition there was the feeling of
Victory in the air and with the slog of the past
year behind us, it was a very happy and keen
H.Q. that sat down to Christmas dinner 1944.
At about this time a ceremony unique in
British Army history was laid on in Imphal
when H.E. the Viceroy knighted the
Army
Commander and his three Corps Commanders
and invested them with their K.C.B. and
K.B.E.s respectively.
In
addition a
number of
decorations were conferred on British, Ghurka,
Indian and Mrican officers and other ranks.
The
five Guards of Honour drawn from British,
Ghurka, Indian and East African troops made
a fine sight parading in
the
bright sunshine
while the galaxy of V.LP.s caused the A.A. and
Fighter boys some concern.
The
Maharajah
of Manipur and his retinue in their bright robes
and pugrees added a touch of colour to
the
prevailing green
of
the surrounding jungle and
battledress of the Parade and spectators.
416
These
festivities did not interfere
with
a lot
of hard work on immediate problems and the
imminent move forward of Army to Indainngyi.
At this stage H.Q. 4 Corps was also at Imphal
but were getting ready to move to a spot at the
head of
the
Gangaw Valley preparatory to their
dash to Pauk where the Irrawaddy was crossed
and subsequent advance to Meiktila . H.Q.
33 Corps were at Tamu and moved almost at '
once to Kalewa. The Area Cash office to be
attached to 33 Corps was called forward
and joined his H.Q. at Kalewa.
The
Field
Cashier for Tamu was called forward and,
pending his arrival, a Cashier from
Army
carried
out
his duties.
At the
same time
the
Area Cash
Office for 4 Corps was warned and joined his
H.Q. in
January reporting to Force Paymaster
at Indainngyi
n
route The Area Cash Office
for
duty
at Kalewa was also warne d
and
arrived
later to fill in the gap that would have existed
when 33 Corps moved to Schwebo and Army
to Monywa. This office was in position by the
end of January.
The
other important jobs done while in
Imphal were the publication of Orders regard
ing the handling of Booty, forbidding dealing
in
Currency, laying down rates of pay for labour
in Burma. and arranging with C.A.S.(B.) for
the control of the price of rice. It was at this
stage that
the
decision to r ~ p u d i t e
the
Japanese
occupational currency was taken. This decision
has been much criticised from time to time
but the writer is convinced it was the correct
one. The country had
been
flooded with this
worthless paper by the enemy and the problems
that would have been created if any value had
been put on it were very great. The peasants
had only small amounts and could recover any
purchasing power lost by its repudiation by
doing a few days' work for the Army and the
large holders were collaborators anyway and
deserved no sympathy. Besides all this pre
liminary arrangements were made for the
mov
ement and
storage
of
British Military
Authority Currency
(Indian
Rupee notes over
printed) the issue of which it was expected
would be deferred until the country was cleared.
In
actual fact we were finally instructed
to
change over on 1st May, 1945,
and
before the
writer left Army for India its distribution
to
Area Cash Offices, etc., was well advanced.
The
issue finally went off without undue
difficulty. Immediately after Christmas the
move
of
Army to Indainngyi from Imphal took
place by air and road.
The
writer travelled by
THE
ROYAL ARMY PAY CORPS
JOURNAL
Jeep via Palel (the limit
of
the
Ja
p advance),
The Saddle (scene of bitter fighting in the
previous spring), Tamu (where the best l?art of
two Jap divisions died of wounds, disease,
starvation and exhaustion after their defeat
before Imphal and Kohima). Tamu was still
heavily mined and the
cookhouse fire was
blown
up
in the Transit Camp on our way
through. Luckily no one was hurt and the
evening meal was only slightly delayed. So to
Indainngyi via the fantastic road cut through
the jungle of the Kabaw valley (Kabaw is the
Naga word for death "). This
part
of the
world
is
normally practically uninhabited and
the road was merely a clearing through the
jungle and all channgs (river beds) were crossed
by fords. Breakdowns
and
indifferent driving,
dust or alternatively mud, made it quite a
journey.
At last the Camp prepared for H.Q.
was
reached, situated in a clearing cut from the
elephant grass in the teak jungl e. Office
accommodation consisted of 180 lb. tents and
senior officers slept and worked in the same
tent, while
junior
officers slept in 30 lb. tents
pitched near their messes.
The
O.R.s lived in
tents near their mess tents. s soon
as
we
arrived it rained for 24 hours and all movement
was forbidden for 48 hours in order that the
roads" might not be completely destroyed.
As soon as transport was allowed
on the
road
again a visit was paid to 33 Corps Area Cash
Office which was located at Kalewa at the time.
The
journey was only about 30 miles
but
conditions were such that a start at 8-30 a.m.
only allowed arrival at about 4 p.m.
and the
return journey took five hours. However, the
cash was duly delivered and "A" Branch at
Corps contacted. The weather was pleasant
and some interesting trips were made by plane
to 33 Corps who moved at this time to Schwebo,
by Cashiers from Army
(
elivering cash which
was
drawn from the Staff Paymaster at Imphal
and flown in under escort of his Cashiers.
Army's next move was to Monywa near
the
confluence of the Irrawaddy and Chindwin
Rivers.
The
move was made towards the end
of February and
so
again the opportunity was
taken to destroy all unnecessary files. The
office equipment was packed into a 15-cwt.
truck, the cash (25 lakhs of assorted notes and
coin) into a three tonner
and
tentage into
another, and off we went .
The
writer travelled
in the 15-cwt. truck with a S/Sgt. and driver
and 10 lakhs of rupees for delivery to
the
Area
Cash Office 33 Corps, who was to be met at
417
Yeu. Unfortunately it rained again, very
un
expectedly, and 24 hours were therefore spent
by the roadside at Kalewa just beyond the
crossing of the Chindwin by th e famous Bailey
Bridge (365 yards long). An opportunity was
taken to visit
the
Area Cash Office there who
mercifully had some whisky and provided a
welcome wash. Next evening the road reopened
so the hill section between Kalewa, via
Schwegyn to Yeu
and the
Schwebo plain was
crossed at night. An exciting drive resulted
along the road
of
the retreat in 1942 as
evidenced by
the
rusting tanks
and
cars
by the
roadside. Yeu was reached next morning and
the cash handed over to the Area Cash Office
who
had
sensibly waited 24 hours at
the
cross
roads for
our
arrival. So down a macadam road
at last to Monywa and our new camp near the
town. Here accommodation was again in tents
but
each Branch of the Staff lived in its own
little camp.
A day
or
two after arrival
the
Force Pay
master was honoured by a visit from the P.LC.
General Stanham accompanied by D.P.LC.
H.Q. was still moving, messes had not been
organised and Pay was represented
by
Force
Paymaster and his S/Sgt. only. However, a
visit was paid to the Area Cash Office at
Schwebo
and the
rest of the personnel
in
their
two three tonners were met on the road. They
had had a hectic journey including the break
down of the
lorry carrying
the
cash The
P.LC.'s departure caused quite a stir as he flew
out to Kalemyo with
the
intention of there
catching a plane to Calcutta. Unfortunately
the
R.A.F. had neglected to say that routes had
changed and Kalemyo was closing down.
Imagine the Force Paymaster's feelings when
Major Burden turned up at about 3-30 p.m.
with the news having thumbed a flight back to
Monywa. All efforts were of no avail and the
General and the Brigadier were stranded for
24 hours while arrangements were made for
them
to
be
picked
up
at Kalemyo by a special
plane.
The
signals that were sent about it
put most of H.Q.s into the picture and Force
Paymaster had to endure a lot of chaff. How
ever the General wrote to say that they had
enjoyed being stranded" and had taken the
opportunity to see a slice of Burma
so
all was
well.
All this time the war had been progressing
very well. The Irrawaddy was crossed
north
of Mandalay by
19
Indian Division and to the
south west by 2 Division and 20 Indian Division
-
8/9/2019 1947 Summer
7/33
THE
ROYAL ARMY PAY
CORPS JOURNAL
while 4 Corps was across farther
south
at
h a ~ k
and
advancing to Meiktila.
During
this
f i g h ~ n g
the
28
East
African Brigade which, as
an mdependent Brigade, had a Field Cashier
a t t a c ~ e d was i n v o ~ in heavy fighting while
covenng
the
crossmg
of the
Irrawaddy.
The
Field Cashier was badly wounded
by
a hand
grenade when Brigade H.Q. itself was attacked.
o f f i ~ e r from Area Cash Office 4 Corps was
Immediately sent to take over his cash
and
look
after
the
Brigade pending its withdrawal which
took place shortly afterwards. The officer who
was wounded made an excellent recovery.
Towards the end
of
April
the
next move
of
Army to Meiktila n rout for Rangoon took
place and the Force Paymaster who was due
~ o r
early release was withdrawn ready for the
Journey home. His relief arrived two davs before
P
d
ay was ue to move forward
and
there-
fore, on the day that the trucks were loaded
again ready to move up, a very sorrowful
officer emplaned for Calcutta.
The
foregoing may give some idea
of
the
w?rk
that
was done by R.A.P.C. Units serving
with.
Fourteenth Army
and convey an im
pres.slOn
of
the conditions under which it was
carned
out. All ranks regarded it as
an
honour
to be posted to units with the Army and
all
gave
of their
best. Some were, of course, more
adaptable than others
but
the enthusiasm and
g e n ~ r ~ l l y ~ n e bearing
of
all made it a pleasure
to
VISit
Ulllts and an honour to command them.
Any officer
or man
who served with
an
R.A.P.C.
unit
in L.
of
C. Command or with
Fo.urteenth Army can look back with pride to
a Job well done with one of the finest and
hardest fighting Armies
the
Empire has ever
put
in the field.
Their
comrades who were not .
lucky enough to be there can be assured that
the.
h i ~ h e s t
traditions
of
the Corps were fully
mamtamed.
IV
The inal Stages
o
By Lieut.-Colonel
R.
C.
THOMPSON,
O.B.E.
N the 25
th
April, 1945,
Lieut
.-Colonel
P o ~ l a r d the writer
of
he three preceding
articles, was taken
out of the Fourteenth
Army for a thoroughly well-earned rest. As it
happened,
in
spite
of
the good intentions which
prompted
this decision, it proved perhaps
somewhat ironical, for
in
a
matter
of days afte;
his relief h ~ d taken over, the Fourteenth Army
crashed their way down to Rangoon, thereb y in
ruth
completing
the
total defeat
of the
Japanese
Burma.
Pollard, although he missed the kill had a
magnificent run, and never once d id he lose the
scent,
so
I hope his disappointment, which I
know was great, was countered b y a conscience
well satisfied.
Be.fore carrying on the story, I should like,
at thiS stage, to explain how we were organised.
Shortly before
the
fall
of
Burma, Pay Services
S.E.A.C. and India were joined
up under
com
mand of Chief.Paymaster S.E.A.C./ lndia, who
was located With Rear
H.Q
. S.A.C.S.E.A. in
New
Delhi; under him
a
D.P.I.C.
with
H.Q.
A.L.F.S.E.A. at Barrackpore (near Calcutta) .
a
D.P.I.C.
India at
Meerut;
C.P. Ceylon
Colombo;
C.P. Burma at
Rangoon;
Force
Paymaster (S.P.I) with
H.Q. Fourteenth
Army;
Force. :raymaster
(S.P.I)
34 Corps
Poona
and
a Liaison Officer (S.P .
I)
with
H.Q.
S.A.C.S.E.A.
at
Kandy, Ceylon.
418
On
the setting up
of
this organisation, the
first major,
in
fact lightning operation, was the
transfer
by
air
of
all the soldiers' accounts ,
from Meerut
to
the Regimental Paymasters
at
home. t was foreseen that release would start
on the
fall
of
Germany, and in consequence it
had been imperative to plan for the accounts
to get home in advance
of
those arriving for
demobilisation. I have chosen to adopt the
term, lightning operation, because it is no
exaggeration to say that it was carried out with
rema.:kable dexterity
and
rapidity; so much
so,
that ItS
successful completion was
the
cause of
some embarrassment to certain individuals in
India whose normal activities were seldom
subject
to
violent disturbances. Howev er after
the
initial storm had blown over, I am giad to
say that there were no heart burnings, and
everybody
said"
good show.
Having managed to get
the
accounts home
so successfully, it was naturally incumbe nt upon
us to ensure that by
so
doing, the notification
of
balances would not be delayed. We, there
fore laid
on
a special Air Mail bag service to
get all Acquittance Rolls, etc., from Burma,
Ceylon and India to
Meerut-Meerut
to
Delhi, and Delhi to the
U.K. t
worked like
clockwork, and what is more, we shot the
whole bag
of
tricks on to F9 to distribute out
to Regimental Paymasters, and they played
THE
ROYAL
ARMY
PAY
CORPS JOURNAL
their part with spirit.
Later
on, as the opera
tions progressed, so
the
Air
Mail
bag service
was extended, and we employed it for our
ordinary everyday mail to F9, to Ceylon, to
Burma, etc., which proved a tremendou s saving
of
time
The
story must now
go on
as the occupation
of Burma was only
the
first operational phase
successfully accomplished.
There
still re
mained the occupation
of
Malaya, Siam,
French
Indo China, Hong Kong, Borneo, Celebes and
the
Dutch
East Indies. While the Burma
campaign was on, we had been busy storing
thousands
of
Malayan Dollars
in
Bombay
and
Madras, and a supply of Dutch Guilders in
Madras and Calcutta. -All frightfully secret
of
course, so to cover
up our
ulterior motives, we
established a R.A.P.C. Information Bureau at
Bombay, Madras and Calcutta.
The
chaps
selected for this task, apart from - being
responsible for storing secret currency ready
for instant dispatch by sea
or
air, incidentally
functioned as Information Bureaux ( )
and
played an invaluable part by acting as contact
men
and
general Pay Service Agents.
Not
only
could they tell anybody who chose to drop in,
what pay he should be getting and how
to
get
it,
but
they could always lay
on
transport
and
accommodation for any visiting Paymaster, and
book onward passages by air, sea or
land
highly useful people in fact .
The
greatest combined operation ever was
now being planned,
the
occu pation of Malaya.
Just to make things a trifle difficult for us, the
operation Forces were mounted
both
in India
and Burma, using Bombay, Madras, Calcutta,
Rangoon and other subsidiary ports,
and
although H.Q.s Fourteenth Army were with
drawn from Burma to Secunderabad,
the
actual
detailed planning for the operation was done
by a special Force H.Q.s based
on
Poona and
Bombay. Fortunately the high level planners
came and did their work
in
Delhi, so with
the
aid of our Force Paymasters Fourteenth Army
and Operation Force, we were able to keep
fully aware
of
what was doing. Working in
close co-operation with D.P.I.C. H.Q. Allied
Land
Forces, who was by now located
in
Kandy, Ceylon, and who
put
in the bids for
Pay Establishments and currency loads re-
9uired, we laid
on
all the bodies and equipment
In Meerut, ready to move
out
to positions as
and when called for.
t is now August 1945, and we heard
of
a
secret weapon to be used against Japan, such
419
a weapon that the possible result of its use,
would be the total surrender of
the
Japanese.
However, we could not plan on presumptions,
so the forming
up
and training of personnel
selected for
the
operational Units continued,
and in the closest secret we flew Malayan
currency to Rangoon and prepared countless
bo xes
of
Malayan currency to place on board
every ship taking part, to be accounted for
on
special Imprest Accounts: I may say, this was
merely a precaution to ensure that all troops
landed in Malaya in possession of Malayan
currency, and no other.
As we all know so well,
the
Atom Bombs
were dropped,
and
Japan totally surrendered
on 15th August, 1945. Well, we did know it
was coming for certain a few days in advance,
we knew it was too late to stop the landing
operations
on
Malaya (known as Zipper), we
were also warned that parties were to be flown
into Siam, French Indo China
and Dutch
East
Indies
to
take over British and Allied Prisoners
of
War, and a party
of
Commandos would
set
off for Penang from Bombay. Undoubte dly a
salvo
of
fast balls, and certainly things did start
to work pretty fast. A
number of
telephone
calls whizzed from Delhi to Kandy, to Bombay,
Madras
and
Calcutta,
but
with first rate
co-operation
on
the part
of
Movements,
G.H.Q.
India, those bodies not already in
position were moved with their equipment and
cash, either by air
or
train.
The
first to go off post haste by air from
Delhi, was the advanced party for the Command
Pay Office, Malaya. Misfortune befell
them
when they got caught amidst the melee
at
Calcutta. However, the I
C P
and half his
staff got away in
the
nick
of
time, arriving
in
Rangoon only a day before their convoy
set
sail for Singapore.
Not much
time to organise
the show,
but
the deficiency in Staff was made
up
by C.P. Burma,
and
planning allowed for a
good stock
of
Malayan,
Indian
and Sterling
currency to be available at Rangoon, so all was
well. About this time
the
currency for
Hong
Kong arriv
ed
by air from
U.K.
at Karachi,
and owing to some mischance, instead
of
going
to its prearranged store in India, got into a
plane and fetched
up in
Colombo. However,
the irregularity turned out for the best, as I
will relate later on.
No sooner had we got off the party for
Singapore, when D.P.I.C. A.L.F.S.E.A. rang
up
from Kandy to say that a Staff Paymaster
and
Field Cashier were required to embark at
-
8/9/2019 1947 Summer
8/33
THE ROYAL
ARMY
PAY
CORPS
JOURNAL
Bombay, to go to Penang with
the
Commando
Force.
That wasn't
too difficult, because
it
only needed a
matter of
hours to bring
the
staff
and equipment
required from
Meerut
to
Delhi
by
car
and put them on the
train for
Bombay, and the officer selected for Staff
Paymaster happened already to
be in
Bombay,
helping with the loading
of
Malayan currency.
They got abaard in time with their equipment
and cash, but no vehicles. The party was held
up
n
route
at Trincomalee
when the
original
plan was cancelled, and they were switched to
take over Hong Kong.
Time
allowed the Staff
Paymaster to visit D.P.I.C. A.L.F.S.E.A. to
obtain detailed briefing, and to move the Hong
Kong currency from Colombo, obviously a
piece
of
superb planning I).
Following
in
quick succession, Staff Pay
masters and Cashiers were flown from Delhi via
Rangoon, for Bangkok
and
Saigon, and from
Delhi via Colombo for Batavia.
The
urgency
called for to get these Pay Offices was at
Priority 1 level, as they were required to
go
in
on
D
Day in
every case.
The
immediate
task was to release British
and
Allied Prisoners
of
War, all
of
whom, apart from food
and
medical attention, would require pocket money
and
cash to
spend
on arrival at clearing stations,
and
later
at
bases in India. All
our
chaps got
to
their
respective destinations according to
plan, and they undo u btedly accomplished a
grand job
of
work.
We had
some trouble
in
Malaya
and
India, because
the War
Office made
rather severe restrictions
on
advances payable
to the released Prisoners
of
War, but
then
the
whole scheme for evacuation was laid on with
great rapidity and, naturally, everything could
not work exactly to plan.
For
instance, it was
the
intention to evacuate all the fits direct to
U.K. by air or sea, and retain only the unfits in
hospital
in
India. In actual fact there were some
delays
in
Malaya
and
India,
in
the evacuation
of the
fits,
and in
consequence, advances were
demanded, and paid, considerably in excess of
the
originally authorised rates. However,
in
addition to getting
our
Pay Staff to all collecting
centres with the cash, we succeeded in getting
them to all base stations in India where we
fortunately took
on
the job, organised it
and
laid it on.
In the meantime the landing operation for
the occupation
of
Malaya went ahead
as
arranged, but owing to the take out of the special
convoy required for Singapore and ships being
switched for evacuation of Prisoners
of
War,
420
there was some desperate loading and reloading
of
.currency consignments, equipment and
vehIcles to
be
dealt with
at
Bombay and Madras.
Ne
vertheless,.
the
Force Paymaster, with the
greater proportIOn
of
his Pay staff, got in by
the 15th September, with ample currency
which arrived at Singapore and Kuala Lumpur:
pretty well to plan. Perhaps
our
greatest mis
fortune, other
than
the difficulties which arose
at Saigon (explained in a previous article)
arose Batavia. The Staff Paymaster w e n ~
over dIrect from Colombo
in
a British cruiser
With. a good stock
of
Rupees, Sterling and
speCIally produced Dutch Guilders.
On
arrival he was able to get rid of his Sterling
and Indian
currency for use
by
released
Prisoners
of
War, but found
that
the Dutch
Guilders were not accepted by the local' in
habitants (the Indonesians).
The Dutch
civil
a u t h o r i ~ i e s were unabl.e to come to any agree
ment
wIth. he Indones.Ians, and
in
consequence,
for a consIderable penod there was literally
no
currency for issue to the occupying troops. To
quote
the
words
of
the Staff Paymaster himself
I' i
can t even allord to get a hair
cut.
Later on, when there were Pay Offices at
Madan and
Padang
in
Sumatra
in
addition
to
Batavia, the only solution was to issue the
Japanese occupational Guilders free gratis to
troops for local use. A most undesirable state
of
affairs, but one
that
survived for a consider
time,
in
fact until the supply of J ap
GUIlders ran out.
ter the general rush was over, we
put
in a
Force Paymaster to go with the British/ Indian
contingent for Japan, a cash office to cater for
the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and cash
offices to take over Borneo and the Celebesfrom
the Australians.
On paper, I suppose all these movements of
Pay Offices do not appe ar particularly exciting.
But perhaps if the reader will study a map of
South-East Asia and consider the effect of a
very sudden surrender
of
the enemy in so vast
an area
of
land and sea, he will realise the
astonishing and rapid re-shuffle
of
plans that
took place. On the whole, things went pretty
well throughout the campaign, which was no
doubt
due to the fact
that
all Headquarter
Staffs without exception, kept t he Pay Services
fully
in
the picture. It was possible, therefore,
to plan ahead, so
in
spite
of
the enormous
distances involved by movements, we always
succeeded in laying on the bodies with the
Concluded on page 431)
/
THE
ROYAL
ARMY
PAY CORPS
JOURNAL
dewish Terrorists attack the
Syrian
Orphanage in erusalem
T
HE 12th March, 1947, will long be
remembered as the blackest day in the
history of the
90 Battalion, Royal Army
Pay Corps, for it was
in
the early hours of
that
day that personnel peacefully sleeping in their
quarters in the Syrian Orphanage were the
victims
of
a cowardly attack by Jewish
Terrorists. It will be
of
interest not only to
those who were the victims of this cowardly
outrage
but
to the many thousands of R .A.P.C.
personnel whose billet has at one time
or
another been in the Syrian Orphanage during
the war years to place on record some details
of what took place during this dastardly attack.
The terrorists who had for some time been
carrying out an extensive programme
of murder
and destruction throughout Palestine selected
the Camp at the Syrian Orphanage which
houses the 90 Battalion Royal Army Pay Corps
(and whose members work side by side with
Jews during office hours)
as
the object for a
hit and
run
attack.
The
Jews approached the Western perimeter
wall
under
cover
of
darkness behind
A
Block
(for the information
of
those who know
Schneller well)
just
before dawn and proceeded
to blast through the twelve-foot wall.
This
initial explosion rocked every building in the
vast Orphanage. Through the breach thus
made in the wall, the attackers, supported
by
small arms fire from nearby vantage points,
entered the grounds and placed one sack
(approximate weight, 50 lb.)
of
gelignite
with
a minute fuse
in the
passage way
at
the rear
of
the building
in
which some 80
N.C.O
.s and
men of
the Corps were sleeping. During the
period
of
this assault a diversionary attack was
made on the Main Guard with small arms fire
and
by
grenades thrown
on
to the road.
The shattering explosion
of
the gelignite,
the
blast
of
which threw many
of
the boys from
their beds was followed by the sickening sound
of
falling masonry as a large part of the interior
of
the building collapsed burying the occupants
These photographs show some of the damage caused in the attack.
42
-
8/9/2019 1947 Summer
9/33
THE ROYAL ARMY
PAY
CORPS
JOURNAL
---_.-
Ph
o
to
C.
J. Ra
wiillgs
Gid
ea Park.
A
Block,
Syrian Orphanage, Jerusalem.
This building was formerly the Blind Children's School.
beneath
the dust and
debris.
Many
were
injured
and
one
man
succumbed to his injuries
almost immediately.
It is perhaps some little consolation that only
one of the charges intended for the building
exploded.
Two
further sacks
of
the same
weight containing gelignite were afterwards
found abandoned at the back
of
the building,
neither detonated
nor
placed in position. It is
probable
that the
reason for these charges
being abandoned was
the
timely intervention
of
Pte. Manning, later: one
of the
seriously
injured, who in accordance with his normal
practice had his
Sten
Gun
at
the ready
by
his
bed and
who, after being awakened by
the
first explosion
rushed
to
the
window
and
fired
at the Jews through the gap in the wall.
In the grey light of morning, almost before
the clouds
of dust
from
the
explosion
had
settled, rescue squads were at work, many
forgetting their own personal injuries, in an
effort to release those
of their
comrades who
were
trapped
by
the
falling debris
and
attending
to those who were injured. The scene by this
time resembled a battle-field with its stream
of stretcher and walking casualties making for
the M.I.
Room where after
treatment the
seriously injured were rushed to hospital.
Our
thanks go out to the Medical Officer, Captain
\
422
Donnelly, R.A.M.C., and his small staff who
worked heroically during this period.
It was a strange feeling to be standing some
time later, looking at the ruins
of
A Block
while several soldiers searched among the
debris for a trace
of
their lost possessions and
others swathed in bandages
and
covered from
head to foot in dust and grime stood by.
It
was all the more strange
when
one recalled
how peaceful
the
Jews
in
Palestine
had
become
at a time when the German hordes were at
El Alamein and the British Soldier was all that
stood between Palestine
and
slavery.
All
the Unit
personnel showed the utmost
courage and fortitude at this time and their
thoughts and questions were only of those of
their
comrades whom they knew to be
hurt
more
than
themselves. It speaks well for the
discipline and training
of
these British soldiers
of the R.A.P.C. who despite their feelings of
anger and disgust at
the
outrage did suffer the
Jewish Clerks to continue working beside them
in
the office, not knowing to what extent some
of them
might have been involved in
the
plan
ning
and
perpetration
of
this dastardly outrage
against the soldiers who protect and pay them.
We all deeply regret
the
loss
of
Pte. Harold
Edward France who was killed in this cowardly
outrage.
He
was not unlike any
of
those
THE
ROYAL
ARMY
PAY
CORPS JOURNAL
soldiers who gave their lives for freedom and
set free the Jews from Concentration Camps in
Europe, and yet he now lies dead, murdered
by J leaving a widow and two children. A
more likeable fellow could not have been fou nd
anywhere in the Camp. I
don't
think he would
ever have harmed anyone intentionally, yet he
paid the supreme sacrifice for something
in
which he had neither part nor interest.
To
Mrs. France and family we all extend our
sincere heartfelt sympathy in their great
bereavement.
The
following were
plosions
*14768521 Cpl.
*14942753 Pte.
*14955099 Pte.
*14840531 Pte.
*14953417 Pte.
*14104787 Pte.
wounded by the
J. R. Whitham
C. J. Crowther
F. Sydes
P. Manning
A. Parr
H. E. Buttivant
ex-
M.
W. Mallett (late A.P.O., Manchester) has
joined an Engineering firm in Ashton-under
Lyne and is training to take charge of their
Advertising Department.
* * *
C. E. Hale would be interested to hear from
any who served with him in Radcliffe from
1943-1946.
He
has recently been elected an
Associate of the Chartered Institute of Sec
retaries. His address IS 14 Lime Grove,
Prestwich, Manchester.
* * *
F.
J. Astill, 2 Square Street, Leamington
Spa, Warwicks., would be pleased to hear from
ex-Cpl. E. Taylor
of
Barrow (late A.P.O.,
Manchester)
and
also from any other old
colleagues at Leicester, Manchester or Kidder
minster.
The whereabouts of Pte. P. J. Trendell, who
transferred to the Corps from R.A.S.C. in
France in early 1940 are sought by J. L. West,
3 Trafalgar Road, Pendleton, Salford
6,
Lancs.
On
the evacuation
of
France
both
were
posted to Ilfracombe, Mr. West being sub
sequently posted to Leeds when he lost trace
of
Trendell. Can anyone help ?
Charles E. Harris of 120 Clare .Road,
Tankerton,
Kent
(late of B.C.H.) has now
423
*14062240 Pte.
A.
Bedding
14
842516 Pte. J.
A.
Kilshaw
14903885 Pte. R. Smith
2615355 SjSgt. Durose
7675
091
Sgt. Shooler
14959226 Pte. Ingleby
14861380 Pte. Devey
14026977 Pte. Moon
14650942 Pte. Cheeseman
14047264 Pte. Bassett
1
48
25293 Sgt. Watters
14945849
Pte. Wardrope
14945845 L jCpl. Chadwick
7672161 Sgt. Russell
14844041 LjCpl. Alder
14076188 Pte. Barnes
7669242 SjSgt. Brigden
14072079 Pte. Russell
Admitted
t
Hospital
returned to his Auctioneers' practice at Whit-
stable and would like to hear from R. Lewis
and any other late colleagues.
Ex-Captain V.
T. Edmonds
(Micrograms
Section, R.P.O., Jerusalem) who has become
a partner in the firm of Wrigley, Cregan,
Todd
Co.,
lO
and 12 Copthall Avenue, London,
E.C.2, is desirous
of
renewing old contacts.
Early in 1946 he married Miss Hazel Linden
(ex-A.T.S., Knightsbridge)
and
is now
the
father
of
a baby daughter, Gillian.
Major
H.
Walker, late Chief Cashier, Army
Pay Office, Manchester, was recently married
to Miss Dickie (ex-S jSgt., A.T.S., A.P.O.,
Manchester) and is living at Rhos-on-Sea.
* * *
Mr.
A.
E. J. Bidgood, late of A.P.O.,
Manchester
(Group
9, Ashton-under-Lyne),
Meerut and
S.E.A.C., is now employed at the
Registry of Seamen and Shipping, Llandaff.
.
Ex-Captain Geoff. Taylor, who served with
2 and 8 C.P.O. in North Africa and Italy is
now mine
host
at Ripon Lodge Hotel,
The
Ridge, St. Helens, Hastings, and would
welcome late colleagues at this address.
-
8/9/2019 1947 Summer
10/33
THE ROYAL ARMY PAY CORPS JOURNAL
~ r p s
ews
Extracts from "The London
Gazette"
The
King has been pleased to grant un
restricted permission for the wearing of the
following decorations which have
been
con
ferred on
the
under-mentioned personnel in
recognition of distinguished services in the
cause of the Allies
:
DECORATIONS CONFERRED
BY
THE
PRESIDENT OF
THE
UNITED STATES
OF
AMERICA
Legion of Merit Degree of Legionnaire.
Captain (temporary) P. B. Ford.
Bronze
Star Medal.
Brigadier (temporary)
1.
P. Brickman, C.B.E.
The
King has been graciously pleased, on the
occasion of the Celebration of His Majesty's
Birthday, to give orders for
the
following
appointments to the Most Excellent Order of
the
British Empire :
To
be Officers (Mil. Div.)
Lieut.-Col. F. G. Norton, M.C., D.C.M.
To
be Members (Mil
Div.)
Major F. H. V. Purcell.
Major A. Wood.
PROMOTIONS
To be Captain.
Lieut. and
Paymaster-
(WjS Capt.) E. W.
Brading-9th
Feb. 1947.
(WjS Capt.) S. F. E. Leibe-ls t Mar., 1947.
C. H.
Share-
Sth Mar., 1947.
A.
Borthwick-Clarke-9th Mar., 1947.
(WjS Capt.) B. H. P.
Hiscott-l0th
Mar.,
1947.
(WjS Capt.) P. A.
Stevens-25th
Mar., 1947.
E. N. Pinkham-ll
h
April, 1947.
(WjS Capt.) K. W.
Chaundy-24th
April,
1947.
W. Hazlewood-12th May, 1947.
E. A. C. Keyworth-25th May, 1947.
L. J.
Gee-29th
May, 1947.
To
be
Major (Asst.
Paymaster).
Capt. (Asst. Paymaster)-
B. H.
Clark-9th
May, 1947.
F. E. Gear, M .B.E.-15th April, 1947.
424
o
ffieers
Short
Service
Commissions.
T ~ e
undermentioned from Emergency Com
mISSIOns to be Paymaster with rank
of