ARmy Rumour SErvice

Arrr........them was the days!
Mealtimes were 'parades' which you were obliged to attend. The endless drill, PT and deployments (for up to a year) made sure no one got fat from the 3 squares a day. After getting back from an Ex in Sardinia we were glad of any old slop down at the cookhouse. The Italians served raw mashed eels twice a week - No choice, take it or leave it - pasta for the remaining days. The only good news was the half pint of wine/brandy to lace your morning coffee. Soon banned by the CO for obvious reasons.

PAYD is a good concept in itself, but as may of you say the lads just piss it up and blow their money and then can not afford to eat. I was there when the original draft was put together, and
we raised this as a point then. The people that were taknig the concept to implementation advised there would be a phase 2, in that Soldiers would just be able to swipe their ID cards in a machine, and the money would be automatically deducted from their Salary at the end of the month, and there would be no need for them to have to carry cash.... to date, that part has never happened. Hence the stupid articles and fuckwits complaining.

Originally Posted by Mad_hippy

PAYD is a good concept in itself, but as may of you say the lads just piss it up and blow their money and then can not afford to eat. I was there when the original draft was put together, and
we raised this as a point then. The people that were taknig the concept to implementation advised there would be a phase 2, in that Soldiers would just be able to swipe their ID cards in a machine, and the money would be automatically deducted from their Salary at the end of the month, and there would be no need for them to have to carry cash.... to date, that part has never happened. Hence the stupid articles and fuckwits complaining.

Now that sounds like a sensible way of doing things - had it actually been introduced ! As a recruit in the late 70's my food and accomodation was deducted at source but we were often fucked around at lunchtimes and being sprogs and therefore pond life often found ourselves at the back of the cookhouse queue with insufficient time to eat and get back to the squadron for whatever we were needed for.

Hence we paid for meals we didn't get. The concept of paying for what you actually eat sounds fine and modern technology would make this relatively easy - were it not for the fact that this is the Army we're talking about of course !

I'd like to think that a I would have been capable of budgeting correctly as an 18 year old squaddie but then again I'm talking now as a 50+ year old - my teenage singly self would no doubt have pissed it up generally and starved had my food and accom not been already deducted.

Originally Posted by Brotherton Lad

Food and accom charges were introduced in the mid 60s along with the military salary. No more National Service, now you were 'Joining the Professionals'.

they were not - I was a singly until 69 and did not pay food and accommodation charges. - pads got additional marriage allowance to enable them to be able to purchase food off site. I think the change came in around 1969-1970 when marriage allowance went out of the window.(may be wrong on the exact year) but I dont remember ever getting food and accomodation chaged to me, apart from my married pad of clourse.

Originally Posted by retired_taz

they were not - I was a singly until 69 and did not pay food and accommodation charges. - pads got additional marriage allowance to enable them to be able to purchase food off site. I think the change came in around 1969-1970 when marriage allowance went out of the window.(may be wrong on the exact year) but I dont remember ever getting food and accomodation chaged to me, apart from my married pad of clourse.

I know, you're the third person to put me right. It was 1 Apr 1970. I was still on school dinners and Latin.

Originally Posted by retired_taz

they were not - I was a singly until 69 and did not pay food and accommodation charges. - pads got additional marriage allowance to enable them to be able to purchase food off site. I think the change came in around 1969-1970 when marriage allowance went out of the window.(may be wrong on the exact year) but I dont remember ever getting food and accomodation chaged to me, apart from my married pad of clourse.

Were you in the war?

Originally Posted by Gillypoya

Pay As You Dine was trialled in 1967 when I was att to 19 Fd Amb, based in Roman Way Camp, Colchester. It was a disaster then and still remains so.

Hardly surprising. You didn't get paid in them days.

Originally Posted by Brotherton Lad

I know, you're the third person to put me right. It was 1 Apr 1970. I was still on school dinners and Latin.

I think you'll find it was 73,the reason I remember it so well is that none of the banks in Aldershot would let me open a bank account with them,wankers!