voucher token - canteen money

I never saw any either,but i didn`t get there untill Jan 62.

My comment is based on schoolboy memories of the early/mid 50s

I am obviously far too young to have had any experience of BAFSV.   

brum wrote:

I can honestly say I don't remember any sort of token for the penny or ha'penny.
I was posted to BAOR in early '59.

I agree there Brum. Certainly not in the early 1950's

I seem to remember using the 1d and halfpenny discs 1952-54.

1956 We were paid in BAFS . But had to pre order the currency we required.BAFS or Deutsch Marks.
 I am sure we received 12 DM for the £1 in 1956. For money below 3 pence we still
had our British 1 penny and 1/2 penny

Shelldrake wrote:

I am obviously far too young to have had any experience of BAFSV.   

I thought so too........But I do remember in Hohne in 1957 getting the day off school to go and pick potato's at the 'army' farm, we got a brand new paper shilling for our efforts, way too much money for us kids my mum said..... Ian.

KIeler sprotten wrote:

1956 We were paid in BAFS . But had to pre order the currency we required.BAFS or Deutsch Marks.
 I am sure we received 12 DM for the £1 in 1956. For money below 3 pence we still
had  our British 1 penny and 1/2 penny

That's about right for the exchange rate. I remember in 1953 as a LCpl, I was paid £3.3/6 in BAFVs then we were allowed to change only one pound of that into DM. The rate of exchange was DM12 = £1.0.6pence. Then off to the little AltMark in Herford for some Herforder Bier. Can still taste it now.

Digressing slightly, I did an Exercise in Grafenwohr in the American zone around 1968, we were paid in DM, unfortunately this currency wasn't accepted on the Base. We exchanged our DM for $US via the many taxi drivers who were allowed on the Base, we got $1 to DM4, most of the bars local to Graf would only accept $s, maybe Alex Salmond could get some ideas from this form of currency exchange?  

jimsigs1 wrote:

KIeler sprotten wrote:

1956 We were paid in BAFS . But had to pre order the currency we required.BAFS or Deutsch Marks.
 I am sure we received 12 DM for the £1 in 1956. For money below 3 pence we still
had  our British 1 penny and 1/2 penny

That's about right for the exchange rate. I remember in 1953 as a LCpl, I was paid £3.3/6 in BAFVs then we were allowed to change only one pound of that into DM. The rate of exchange was DM12 = £1.0.6pence. Then off to the little AltMark in Herford for some Herforder Bier. Can still taste it now.

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Exchange rate in the 1950's was exactly that, but you were rich ! Sucking on the hind tit in NS, a first stripe brought in another 6d a day to add to our 28/- weekly income. Out of the gross £1-11-6,( ie 31 shillings & 6 pence for the youngsters who don't understand,) 3/6d, the 1st stripe's worth, was stopped for National Insurance and pay was only made to the nearest 5 shillings. The rest went into credits to help pay for kit deficiencies, etc. That left £1 and 5 shillings. Somehow we exchanged some of it for DMs , used 10pfg each time we went on the trolley into Osnabruck, drank beer at 30pfg a glass & had a Bratwurst on the way back to use up another 1DM.

Could never get my head round the differences in pay between regulars and national servicemen.
It wouldn't be tolerated today I'm sure. The NS blokes I served with in the early 1950's were every bit as good as a regular. We ex boys from Harrogate learned all our practical work and duties from them as we only came out of Harrogate mainly with the theory of things.

i remember pay parade . a hugh wad of bafvs, about 5 bobs worth , similer to monopoly money

As well as a few BAFSVs, I have a small note, blue/grey on one side and brown on the other.

Along the top of the note is written "Allierte Militarbehorde" (feel free to throw in a few umlauts).
It is of serie 1944 and carries a value of zehn mark, (not Reichsmark).
Stamped across the face of the note is "In umlauf gesetzt in Deutschland".

I've never seen anything like it before.

While they were printed in America in their millions in 1944 they are in fact Allied (read American) Military German/Deutschland Occupation Banknotes



http://www.atsnotes.com/catalog/banknotes/germany.html

I can remember as a kid of 11 hanging around the harbour areas of the boys going across on D Day.
It wasn't much of a secret where they were going as they all had French franc bank notes depicting the French Tricolour with the denomination in the corners.

Len (Ciphers)

cartav wrote:

jimsigs1 wrote:

KIeler sprotten wrote:

1956 We were paid in BAFS . But had to pre order the currency we required.BAFS or Deutsch Marks.
 I am sure we received 12 DM for the £1 in 1956. For money below 3 pence we still
had  our British 1 penny and 1/2 penny

That's about right for the exchange rate. I remember in 1953 as a LCpl, I was paid £3.3/6 in BAFVs then we were allowed to change only one pound of that into DM. The rate of exchange was DM12 = £1.0.6pence. Then off to the little AltMark in Herford for some Herforder Bier. Can still taste it now.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exchange rate  in the 1950's was exactly that, but you were rich ! Sucking  on the hind tit in NS, a first stripe brought in another 6d a day to  add to our 28/- weekly income.  Out of the gross £1-11-6,( ie 31 shillings & 6 pence for the youngsters who don't understand,) 3/6d, the 1st stripe's worth, was stopped for National Insurance and pay was only made to the nearest 5 shillings. The rest went into credits to help pay for kit deficiencies, etc.  That left £1 and 5 shillings. Somehow we exchanged  some of it for DMs , used 10pfg each time we went on the trolley into Osnabruck, drank beer at  30pfg a glass & had  a Bratwurst on the way back to use up another 1DM.

Hi all,
In 1951 & 1952 we were paid to the nearest 2/- the rest went into "credits"; we did have BAFS, and Marks, but don't know how it was divided, not many BAFS; we may have had some English money??
In 1952 when the unit moved to Belgium for a couple od months we were paid in Belgium Francs, got a good rate.
Yes about 12 marks to the pound, but Nescafe and better quality fags were better currency
Getting my A trade meant more money
Those were the good old days; our unit had only less than 10% regulars, so a lot of coming and going every 2 weeks
Cheers, Tony

jimsigs1 wrote:

Could never get my head round the differences in pay between regulars and national servicemen.
.......... The NS blokes I served with in the early 1950's were every bit as good as a regular.............

................................................................................................
Praise indeed! Not sure it's justified though.......
When doing trade training after a month in khaki we were at Tonfanau, the last intake in camp & scorned by the rest. When news came down that another bunch would arrive we were chuffed, no longer the\ sprog troop. It was bad news, the new lads in the next hut were Boys, had a haircut once a week & pressed their BD twice a day. And fit ? They went on runs because they enjoyed it, not because they had to. Their SNCO was a huge brute ,did sit-ups with half a dozen N0.4 rifles clasped behind his head. We kept quiet, still the sprog troop.

And reg. pay was double ours I think. Then , for the last six months of the two years we got parity. Fried bread and beans could be added to the nightly egg & c hips in the NAAFI.

Mike_2817 wrote:

While they were printed in America in their millions in 1944 they are in fact Allied (read American) Military German/Deutschland Occupation Banknotes



http://www.atsnotes.com/catalog/banknotes/germany.html

Thanks for that Mike !   

Quite a revelation to see all this funny money and consider the thought that had to go into forward planning of every minute detail when something like the 1944 invasion was scheduled.

In a similar manner, to assist all our associates North of the Border, I offer to accept all their embarrassing loose change and other British currency which will be surplus to requirements after they fall in behind the Young Pretender in September. There will be no charge for this service.

You could draw 10/- - the cost of your ration of 200 cigarettes, sell them to the Germans for 12 Dm,
the equivalent of £1 and live quite comfortably for the week on that as long as you were not caught , which would mean BIG trouble! Of course, most of us then learnt to smoke and drink ourselves. so that didn't last for long !! but with a bit of luck you had then got a stripe or two and so you could still live comfortably. As a corporal in 1954 I received £4-11shillings as a B2 tradesman.

[quote="Cliffo"]You could draw 10/- -  the cost of your ration  of 200 cigarettes, sell them to the Germans for 12 Dm, ............. [quote]

................................................................................................
On the same topic of vouchers etc. this has reminded me that we had a small, white pieces  of card issued with our pay ( on Paper Raid, as some believed it to be. Say it out loud if you're confused).
Not sure if this was a general practise but I think each one had the Regt Stamp on it and authorised the bearer to exchange it, and the necessary coinage, to acquire 20 fags at the on-camp NAAFI, the only official place  where the addicted could get them at a bob (one shilling) for 20.  I think we were limited to 7 vouchers a week but there was no shortage for anyone who couldn't exist on 20 a day. For pipe smokers like me, there was no limit. 2oz of St Bruno at about 2shillings & 9 pence lasted a week.    

Even non smokers needed an occasional fag. It was usual to slip a couple in the tin on the shelf beside the civvy camp barber. So doing before his attention to your flowing locks ensured a light trim.
Those who didn't conform had  the full regimental, he didn't want you back too quickly.

This is what we got.

[quote="Gordon."]This is what we got.......... [ quote]
[
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Thanks Gordon......... A bit complicated for simple Gunners, all that reading,folding & tucking in......

It's a long time back but I seem to recall ours were just a 2" x 2", or so, piece of thin card one of which was handed over the NAAFI counter for every packet of 20 smokes. Then with economy in mind, the cards were gathered together and shipped back to units for re-issue on Paper Raid. Anybody know if smoke breaks are still part of a squaddy's day ? And if not, what replaces them ?

Gordon. wrote:

This is what we got.

That's the ones pal !

Next task, (if you choose to accept it), petrol coupons.

BP, Aral, don't mind.