HC Deb 17 February 1942 vol 377 cc1630-2
25. Mr. Bellenger

asked the Secretary of State for War what were the rates of gratuity granted to officers and other ranks at the termination of the Great War, 1914–18?

Captain Margesson

As the answer is rather long and contains a number of figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

1. Regular Officers.

Gratuities were awarded on the basis of a minimum for each rank for the first year of service with monthly increments for additional service. The total service which could reckon for gratuity was limited for five years.

The minimum rates were as follow:

£
2nd Lieutenant 35
Lieutenant 40
Captain 45
Major 60
Lieutenant-Colonel 75
Colonel 100
Brigadier-General 140
Major-General 200
Lieutenant-General 370
General 540
Field-Marshal 720

The monthly increments were:—

If with no service overseas the monthly increments were half the above figures.

2. Retired officers, Supplementary Reserve and Territorial Force, and other non-regular Officers.

  1. (a) Officers who had retired with retired pay or gratuity, 31 days' pay for every year of service or any part of a year.
  2. (b) Other officers, 124 days' pay for the first year or part of a year and 62 days' pay for each subsequent year or part of a year.

3. The rank for gratuity purposes in paragraphs 1 and 2 above was that held on 3rd August, 1919 (or 11th November, 1918, if more advantageous) with the concession that paid acting rank could be taken if:

  1. (i) held for 6 months in all and not relinquished on account of misconduct, etc., or
  2. (ii) the acting rank was relinquished owing to wounds, or
  3. (iii) the officer became non-effective owing to wounds, etc., incurred while holding the acting rank.

4. The main war gratuity for soldiers of all ranks was as follows:

  1. (a)Personnel eligible.—Soldiers with war service overseas, or with more than 6 months' service at home.
  2. (b) Amount.—(i) A minimum payment varying with rank from £5 for a private, up to £15 for a warrant officer class I (approximately equivalent to 67 days' pay).
    1. (ii) additional payments, if the soldier had more than 12 months' service, of 10s. 0d. or 5s. 0d. for each month or part of a month's war service beyond the first 12 months according to whether he had served overseas or not. The maximum number of these monthly additions was 48, equivalent to a gratuity of 5 years' war service.
    2. (iii) lower rates were prescribed for boys (£2 minimum and additional payments at the rate of 2s. 6d. unless the boy served overseas, when the full 10s. 0d. was given).
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  3. (c) Service reckonable—war service between 4th August, 1914, and 3rd August, 1919; rank for the purposes of the minimum payment was the substantive, temporary, or (paid) acting rank held at termination of service (or on 11th November, 1918, if higher).
  4. (d) The ordinary discharge gratuity under the Pay Warrant of £1 for each year or part of a year was merged in the war gratuity except for regular soldiers who were eligible for both.