Saturday 28th February 1920

A/Maj. John Atkinson (see 13^th October 1919), who had been released from the Army four months previously, wrote to the War Office regarding pay and allowances due to him; “It is with great great reluctance that I am compelled to write to you about my allowances. I was demobilized on October 13^th last and the last month for which I received my allowance was the May prior to that date. I can get no satisfaction from any paymaster and not even a reply from the Command Paymaster, Eastern Command, Kensington, London, although I have written four times, extending over a period of months. I joined the Cheshire Regiment at Ipswich from North Shields, where the West Riding Regiment was stationed, on December 13^th 1918 and went with them to the Army of Occupation in Germany. The Battalion was split up there and we became the 1^st/4^th Cheshire Regiment. From there I was transferred to Western Division HQ as Commandant, Reception Camp, with the temporary rasnk of Major. On August 25^th we returned to Rhyl, North Wales, for demobilization. During that period I sent in the usual claims for my allowances but, through some trouble in the Paymaster Department at Cologne, nothing happened. Now the point is how am I to claim these allowances? It is a matter of £50 or £60 which I require urgently. I have sunk all my gratuity in brick works, which are not bringing in any return at the moment and I relied upon this money to keep me during this period. I cannot afford to wait as I am a married man with five children and a wife who is continually in the doctor’s hands.

I might point out that I joined the Army in August 1914 – leaving my job and wasting the best years of my life. I might also point out that I only joined the Army of Occupation on the understanding that I got my majority (hence a bigger gratuity on demobilization) and, although I did the work of second-in-command of my Battalion for several months, and was repeatedly promised the rank of Major, I still remained a Captain when I went to Germany and was brought to Germany under false pretences.

Will you kindly interest yourself on my behalf.”