The Opelousas courier., 1900-03-31
BRITISH SOLDIERS WILLS.

War Office 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 an
occasion as this, he would scribble his
will in q 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 a stone lying near by.
Now, if 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 q dying soldier may have
/ had. One man, killed at Tamanieb
| in the Soudan, scratched with a leaden
bullet on the inside of his helmet,
"All to my WIFE" Another soldier,
| killed at Abu-Klea, scrawled his will
on the back of an envelope, and thrust
this for safe-keeping into the little tin
oil bottle which every soldier carries
with his rife kit. It was discovered
there quite by accident. One place
| where soldiers wills were frequently
| found when the Martini-H Henri rife
was used in the British army was in
q hollow Immediately beneath the CEN
tire OF the butt plate. This hollow
was covered by o small brass cap
which could be screwed of, and there
was Just room enough in it for o 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, and 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. The
soldier is usually looked upon as 8
man OF small salary and a spender Of
all he gets. But in the British army
there is what is known as deferred
pay" which amounts to about 23
year, add in addition to this the man
in active service gets a gratuity com
monty referred to as ssbatty money
This varies in amount from Is to
jss90 and if a soldier is killed in action
this aasney is handed yer to the mex
OF kin or to any one designated in th<
soldiers will. In addition to these
amounts there are frequently arrear
ages of pay, especially in time of war.
when it is difficult for the paymastel
to keep mp with the moving troops.
The war Office will accept almos
any kind of instrument or documen'
as q soldiers legal will, and in man.
cases it has been known to pay none,
upon the NEAR assertion of a hospita
steward, OF of another soldier, t.
whom the dying man may have ex
pressed his desire on the battlefield
-Harper's Weekly.