AEF Soldiers Pay Record Book - 1918

Front Cover, Soldier's Individual Pay Record Book of Sgt1c Harry B. Coulter of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, 1918. GGA Image ID # 186a5471f1

Photograph of Sgt. 1st Class Harry B. Coulter of the Allied Expeditionary Force, 1918. GGA Image ID # 186a5c5884

Sgt. Harry B Coulter and Friends in Greenville, SC in 1918. Left to Right -- Hdl. S. Wetmore, David A. Clifford, Earl Burton, H. B. Coulter. GGA Image ID # 186a7a4822

Pay Book Information

Paybook Information for Harry B. Coulter, Sgt. 1C, Co. B. 105 Engineers, SN 1328720. GGA Image ID # 18d89e407b

Soldiers No.1328720

• NAME : Harry B. Coulter
• Grade and Organization: Sgt. 1st Class C. B10
• Occupation: Farmer
• Entered service : From N. G. by draft Aug. 5/17: Yes
• Place of rendezvous: Asheville
• By draft in National Army, date:
• Place of reporting:
• By enlistment in Reg. Army, date:
• Place of acceptance:
• Date of opening pay book: Dec 21, 1918
• Date of arrival in U.S. from f. s.
• Year and date of birth: Sept. 12, 1896
• Date of application for W. R. Ins.: Feb. 1, 1918
• Amount of War Risk Insurance: $10,000.00
• Serving: 1st  enlistment period.
• Additional pay for: Foreign Service (Order No. source, date)
• Additional pay for: (Order No. source, date)
• Due soldier for clothing July 15/17 $••••

 

Sgt. 1st Class Net Monthly Pay $60.00 Less War Risk Insurance Deduction of $6.50 Provided Harry B. Coulter a Net Pay Monthly of $53.50. GGA Image ID # 186a83ceed

Allied Expenditionary Force Pay Record for Sgt. 1st Class Harry B. Coulter Showing Payments Made and Signature of Quartermaster Making Payment. GGA Image ID # 186aef88e8

Page 9 of General Orders No. 126 from General Headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces, France 1 August 1918. Provides Instructions for using the Pay Record Book for Section 1 a-e. GGA Image ID # 186aff7e2b

SOLDIER'S INDIVIDUAL PAY RECORD BOOK

This book will be carried by the soldier in his personal possession.

No alterations of any kind will be made in this book. Necessary corrections of erroneous entries will be affected by making a new entry properly authenticated.

It is made the duty of all members of the A. E. F. finding an individual pay record book to mail same to the Chief Quartermaster, A. E. F.

GENERAL HEADQUARTERS
American Expeditionary Forces
General Orders. No. 126
France. August 1, 1918

1. a.  An individual pay record book has been adopted, which will be supplied to troops now serving with the A. E. F. from the office of the Chief Quartermaster, A. E. F. upon requisition by regimental or other commanders, who will be held responsible for their proper distribution. All unused or spoiled copies remaining after preparation of a book for each soldier present with an organization will be returned to the Chief Quartermaster by courier or registered mail.

These books will be opened as of October 1st, 1918. Immediately upon receipt of this order, requisitions for these books will be prepared showing the strength of the organization for which requisition is submitted.

b.       The purpose of this book is to provide for payment to a soldier who is separated from his organization by being on detached service, in hospital, at leave area, or whenever the soldier's service record, pay card, or other requisite data for the preparation of a payroll is not immediately available for such purpose.

The printed instructions on the pay book will be followed in order that soldiers may promptly receive the pay due them, and payrolls will be made up from data contained in the pay book, under conditions above described.

c.       Pay books will be prepared for soldiers with their organizations by the officer responsible for data on service record and for casuals by an officer designated for that purpose by the Commander of the Casual Camp to which the soldier is sent to await assignment.

THIS BOOK WILL BE CARRIED BY THE SOLDIER IN HIS PERSONAL POSSESSION.

d.       Soldiers arriving for duty with the A. E. F. will be paid on payrolls for all unpaid periods to include the month in which they leave the United States, an individual pay record book being opened as of the first day of the succeeding month.

e.       If for any reason, payment is not made as prescribed in paragraph 1-d, the pay book will be made as though the soldier had thus been paid, and remarks covering all prior pay due the soldier and charges due the U. S. will be entered at top of page 4 of the pay book, using entire width of page, the officer entering such remarks authenticating same by affixing his official signature thereto.

Page 10 of General Orders No. 126 from General Headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces, France 1 August 1918. Provides Instructions for using the Pay Record Book for Section 1 e to Section 2. GGA Image ID # 186b416026

f.        Soldiers arriving for duty in the A. E. F. for whom Service Records have not been received, will be furnished a pay book in which such data as is obtainable will be entered; that is, on page 1, the soldier's number obtained from identification tag; name and organization; grade will be assumed to be that of private serving in first enlistment period; date of opening pay book; if carrying War Risk Insurance, year and date of birth, date of application and amount of policy (this information to be obtained from the soldier), other spaces to be ruled out. On page 2 of the pay book the soldier will be charged with a compulsory allotment of $ 15.00, and any other allotments which he may state are chargeable against his pay.

The certificate for signature of the officer making initial entries in the pay book will be changed so as to show that entries have been made without access to soldier's service record.

g.       An officer who prepares a pay book as indicated in Par. 1-f will immediately advise the Chief Quartermaster, A. E. F. of such fact, giving full information as to all entries, and will inform the soldier that a complete settlement will be made as soon as his exact pay status is obtained.

h.       The Chief Quartermaster, A. E. F. will, upon receipt of advice indicated in Par. 1-g, obtain information to enable a proper statement of the soldier's pay account to be made and will forward same to the soldier's organization commander, who will prepare a new pay book, make entry on page 4 of such remarks as will exhibit the soldier's exact status, marking old pay book "Cancelled" and file same with soldier's Service Record.

2. All charges, or change in grade, affecting the soldier's pay will be immediately entered on his individual pay book by the officer responsible for data on service record below a line drawn under the last entry of payment if any; otherwise, by entry at top of first page provided for entry of payments, such entries to be authenticated by the official signature of the officer making same.

If the grade of the soldier, or any of the fixed deductions chargeable against his pay, be changed, the soldier's new pay status will be shown by entries in the first vacant column on page 2 or 3 and will be authenticated by the official signature of the soldier's commanding officer or officer designated by him for that purpose. Date to which paid together with date of payment and name of Quartermaster (not name of an agent officer) will be entered in pay record book by the officer witnessing the payment.

Page 11 of General Orders No. 126 from General Headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces, France 1 August 1918. Provides Instructions for using the Pay Record Book for Section 2 (Continued) through the Final Section 6. GGA Image ID # 186b432c53

3.       LOST PAY BOOK. In case a soldier loses his pay book, he will make an immediate report of loss to his commanding officer. Such officer will request that Chief Quartermaster furnish a blank pay book, and on receipt of same will take the necessary action for accomplishing the pay book, enter fact of issue on soldier's Service Record; and notify the officer in charge of soldier's pay card that fact of issue may be noted thereon.

4.       NEW PAY BOOK. A new pay book will be issued whenever the old book is filled up or when it becomes defaced, illegible or unusable from any cause: the old book to be filed with the soldier's Service Record. New books, when required, will be obtained by requisition as directed by Par. 1-a.

5.       DECEASED AND DISCHARGED SOLDIERS. The individual pay book of a deceased soldier will be forwarded to the Effects Depot. Q. M. Corps. Base Section N° 1 for file with Service Record.

Upon discharge of a soldier, notation of date and place of discharge will be made in his individual pay book and the bock filed with Soldier's Service Record.

6.       Payment will be made to soldiers on payrolls. Form No. 366 W. D. which may be prepared at any time during the month succeeding that which it covers, if for any reason, it is impracticable to have it prepared on the last day of the month to which it pertains, in case of soldiers going to leave areas with permission the C. O. of such leave areas are authorized, if they deem it in the interest of and for the welfare of the soldier, to have payrolls prepared at any time showing pay due to include the day on which such payrolls are prepared, and Quartermasters will make payment thereon to include the date shown if it appears that there is a balance due the soldier after deducting any allotments or other charges for the entire month in which the payroll is prepared.

By command of General Pershing :
Official :
ROBERT C. DAVIS.
Adjutant General.
JAMES W. McAndrew.
Chief of Staff.