Pay classifications and rates of pay - REME/Army, 1943

[Brewins girl]

Two questions please:

Regarding Clerk Technical Group C, Class II, ditto Class III - is Class II higher or lower in rank (& pay) than Class III?

And can anyone tell me what the rate of pay would have been for the above in 1943.

Many thanks

[MaxD]

Part answer.

Class II tradesman/woman was a higher grade and attracted more pay than Class III which was usually the lowest grade ie he/she had received more training and had more skills in the trade.  It was not related to rank at all, perfectly normal for a private soldier to be a Class I tradesman.
Hopefully someone has the Royal Warrant for the Pay, Appointment, promotion and non effective Pay of the Army 1940 about their person.

maxD

PS I think I just need to add that trade pay was an additional amount on top of basic pay for the rank and length of service, the higher the Class the greater the amount, so if two private soldiers have the same length of service , the one who has qualified as a Class II tradesman earns slightly more than the one who has only gone as far as Class III.  There were also 4 different pay groups for different trades but you probably don't want to know that!

[Brewins girl]

I chuckled at the "you probably don't want to know that"! I would. of course, like a really simple £.s.d reply, but it would be naive of me to expect that. I rather guessed when I asked the question that it would be far from simple. But one can but hope!

Thank you as always for your help - you are a mine of information!

[MaxD]

It is all in here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Royal-Warrant-Appointment-Promotion-Non-Effective/dp/B012BLT0PQ 

Snippet here to give a ball park figure http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1942/dec/09/army-tradesmen-and-tank-gunners-pay#S5CV0385P0_19421209_HOC_173


Value added:  Procedure.  Line up in front of pay table, answer name when called, approach table, halt, salute, hand over AB 64 (pay book) to officer, clerk tells officer how much to pay, amount entered in pay book, officer hands over pay and AB 64, shout Pay and Book Correct Sir, one pace back, salute, turn right and march smartly away.

maxD

[Brewins girl]

Value added indeed MaxD Thank you yet again

[Brewins girl]

I now have another query. The Hansard reference was really helpful, but it talks about a daily rate and I need to compare it with a civilian's weekly rate. I am assuming that a week has 7 days, in which case a daily rate of 3s. 9d. would be £2. 6s. 3d?

[MaxD]

Yes, service rates of pay were daily rates based on 7 days a week.  But 7 times 3/9 is £1 6s 3d.  (Don't forget that the man did not pay for his food and accommodation).

maxD

In the book Steel Inferno about D Day the annual pay of a private with 3 years service is given as £55 and is supported by reference to the 1940 Pay Warrant. 

[Brewins girl]

Duh! 20 shillings in a pound of course - and I thought I was being so clever! You've made a good point about food & accommodation. The civilian I am comparing the soldier's rate of pay with was a young woman who worked for the railway. Her conditions of appointment make interesting reading!   
Thanks for the info about Steel Inferno