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at all owing to last-pay certificates not having been received from England.
Much dissatisfaction also exists owing to inability of pay department to inform
officers belonging to certain units such as A. S. 0., A. O. C., Army Chaplains
appointed in Ensrland, Yeomanry, Pioneer Regiments, Yield Companies, R.E ,
and Corps Troops as to rates of pay admissible to themselves and them men
where concerned. Recurring; (referring ?) D. E. A. G he states that as far as
he knows the main difficulty lies in the absence of proper establishment in the
Poona offices but that this question is under consideration of Government.
Cases are being reported to me in which officers have had returned to them
cheques dishonoured which they have drawn on the 7th of a month in the
reasonable expectation that their pay for the previous month would by that
time have been paid in to their bankers. In other cases it is reported to me
that sepoys’ allotments to their families, having been in effect previously since
at the latest January 1915, have not been paid “ for several months. ’ This
may possibly have been unavoidable but fourth reminders m urgent cases have
been entirely ignored and letters have remained for 6 months not answered.
Another case has been reported to me m which tw'o officers Seaforth High
landers have received pay statements for month of March which show that no
payments on account of family allotments have been made up to that mouth.
Private correspondence of two above officers confirms fact that allotments have
not been made. Above two officers belong to 24 of the same battalion allot
whom registered their family allotments in France last November and who
again registered them in Mesopotamia last February. Owing to non-receipt of
monthly statement of accounts aboye 22 officers are in ignorance as towhether
their family allotments have been made or not In many casses wives and
families solely dependent on husband’s allotment which unless paid must he
inevitably productive of greatest distress. I would strongly urge that where an
unceitaiMy exists in regard to payment m t h ^ a r ItT belie^haTahove
cabled to pay them since bcgmnmg^ ^^^“ ^^torcd within past 7
conditions apply to q. C , Composite Highland Batta An extra allowance of pay granted to soldiers involved in special field service or to public servants on special duty. -
months from Prance to Mesopotamia- inc u _ > 1 hills d-nop arrivititp
lion, reports that none of his officers have recel T e ,^ p ()0 na is renortod
in Mesopotamia last December and January and ^ ® ^“Yc Jums
to have refused to let these officers have any statement ot tbeir accounts on
C
grounds that they have not received their last-pay certificates from England.
Peeling on this matter is becoming very bitter with both officers and men and
it cannot be denied that they have reasons for complaints. Need not represent
how dangerous it has been always to give grounds for just complaints in regard
to matters of pay and I should fail in my duty if I did not draw attention to
the serious situation thus being created.
Addressed Chief of the General Staff, Simla, repeated Chief of the Imperial
General Staff, London.
Working copy to A. G.
Copy to M. S. C., M. S. V., M. A. G.
Memorandum No. 5i7-16-A., dated 23rd April 1916. APPENDIX 336
(deceived in War Section on 25th May 1916.) (Zty- No. 55824)
From—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” Basrah,
To—The Chief of the General Staff.
I beg to forward herewith a copy of the instructions which have been issued
to this Force, regarding the disposal of kits of British and Indian units in this
country and which it is hoped will be approved.
2. Large quantities of articles of Government clothing are in the kits
lying unused at Basrah. By the proposed procedure they will become available
for issue. If these articles remain stored in Basrah they would certainly
become useless on account of deterioration. As a matter of fact a large
amount of the contents of these kits consists of worthless rubbish—decom
posed food and the like. To continue to keep them in their present condition
only means {a) loss to Government, (b) to the individual concerned
3. Moreover, as the kits increase in numbers, more sheds would have to he
built for their accommodation, occupying ground space which is limited, and
required for other purposes. In addition to the cost involved this would neces
sitate skilled labour being employed in their construction, which could he more