The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-04-21
BRITISH SOLDIERS WILLS.

War once Supplies Every Man with
Three Blank Forms.
Although all soldiers are supposed
to make their wills before they start
for the front, very few of them do.
For this reason the British war Office
supplies every man with blank forms
for that purpose. There are three of
these, and they are carefully sewn
into soldiers ''pocket-ledger," The
first form is the simplest, and is de-
signed for the use Of the man who
wishes to leave all his property to one
person. The second form is for him
who wishes to bequeath legacies to
more than one person. The third
form is designed for the use of married
soldiers ''desirous. OF leaving their
property to their wives and children
in the shares which the law has de-
clared just and proper.
The British soldier usually neglects
to fill out any Of these blanks until
the very last moment, and frequently
waits until, wounded, he lies dying
on the field. Formerly. an such nm
occasion IS this, he would scribble his
will in few words on some stray
piece of paper, or on the inside Of his
helmet or the lid Of his cartridge box,
or perhaps on stone lying near by.
Now, il he has the strength left, he
finds his pocket-ledger convenient to
his hand and the regulation form ready
for his use.
The records of the British war
Office contain many queer examples
OF unusual ways Of bequeathing what
property . dying soldier may have
had. One man, killed ct Tamanieb
in the Soudan, scratched with . leaden
bullet on the inside of his helmet,
"All to my wife" Another soldier,
killed at Abu- Klea, scrawlsd his will
on the back OF an envelope, aud thrust
this for safe-keeping into the little tin
oil-bottle which every soldier carries
with his rife kit 1t was discovered
there quite by accident. One place
where soldiers wills were frequently
found whom the Martini Henri rife
was used in the British army was in
. hollow immediately beneath the GEN.
ire Of the butt plate. This hollow
was covered by . small brass cap
which could be screwed of, and there
was just room enough in it for small
wad of paper on which the soldier
could write his last testament. As q
soldier throws his gun away last of all
his equipment, aud as it is usually
the first thing found near him, this
hiding place for wills proved very
popular in the British army.
At first thought it might appear
that the private soldier would have
little property to bequeath. Tho
soldier is usually looked upon % .
man of small salary and . spender OF
all he gets. But in the British army
there is what is known As deferred
pay" which amounts to about e. .
year, aud in addition to this the man
in active service gets = gratuity COM
monty referred to as ''batty money"
This varies in amount from s5 to
f20 and if Q soldier is killed in action
this money is handed over to the next
of kin or to any one designated in the
soldiers will. In addition to these
amounts there are frequently arrear-
ages OF pay, especially in time Of war,
when it il difficult for the paymaster
TO keep mp with the moving troops.
The war Office will accept almost
any kind OF instrument or document
IS soldiers legal will, and in many
cases it has been known to pay money
upon the near assertion Of hospital
steward, or Of another soldier, to
whom the dying man may have ex-
pressed his desire on the battlefield.
-Harper's Weekly.