British soldiers who are hit with a military draft might be in for a very uncomfortable surprise when they see just how much the government will pay them for their service
As global tensions rise many military experts believe the frightening march towards World War Three has begun and have urged Britain to prepare for war.
While Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated introducing military conscription is not currently on the radar for the Labour government, experts and former service personnel have called for the strength of the armed forces to be bolstered via conscription.
While the government has not announced how much any Brits unlucky enough to get drafted could bring home, looking back on past figures could reveal how much unfortunate soldiers might take home after a long day defending the nation.
Conscription in the UK ended back in December 1960 – so while the practice ended more than 65 years ago, looking back on how much drafted privates were paid may give us some clues as to how much the government would offer in the event of a WW3 draft.
In 1948 a private’s basic pay in the British Army was at a pathetic 28 shillings or £1.40 in British Pounds sterling However when adjusted for the modern standards, the amount of money in would be worth roughly £33.40 in today’s money – for an entire week’s worth of work. That’s well below the minimum wage in the UK. It is likely, however, with today’s living wage, that these figures would be much higher.
In 1960 before conscription ended, a weekly wage for the average private rose to a grand total of £15, per week or 10 shillings – a sum that still seems far from handsome. Today the current starting annual salary for a regular soldier in the British Army is £26,334 and the wage of a British conscript could start somewhere around this sum.
However it is still important to note this sum is for those who chose to become part of the British Army not civilians who have been drafted. While a simple conscripted private is definitely not the most lucrative job in the armed services, Brits drafted onto the frontlines shouldn’t despair as the Army actually offers a number of positions which bring home a very respectable six figure salary.
Those looking to make more money could set their eyes set on climbing up the ranks to the top brass to make some more cash – as the army chief of the General Staff earns over £195k annually, with other top brass also earning well into six figures.
Other positions can also offer far more handsome salaries than a regular soldier such as an Officer Cadet at around £34,676, a Second Lieutenant and finally a Major taking home around £66,240 annually.
Throughout the army the most well paying jobs are senior officers and those in highly specialised, technical, medical, or legal fields. So if Brits are unlucky enough to be hit with conscription their best bet might be worth trying to get a job in one of these sectors to boost the earning potential during their time doing national service.