Army pay to a private soldier in 1942 was only around 2 shillings per day. Soldiers usually made an 'allotment' of part of this to their family. For married men, this would be a substantial percentage of their pay. For a single man, like my father, it would usually be less, as indicated by these documents, in which his allowance to his mother was set at three shillings and sixpence per week. That's only 17 and a half pence in today's money. But bear in mind that back then a pint of beer was only 6d!
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