a wife on the strength was entitled to live in barracks with her husband, where they were allowed to screen off a corner of their Barrack room with blankets at night.

Life on the Strength

Sometimes married men were given leave to sleep out of barracks with their families or in some garrisons they were allowed to have huts within the defences.

And on the strength wife was invited to draw a half ration of army victuals, but Russians weren’t three: they were stopped out of the soldier’s pay. In any case Russians weren’t intended to provide a full diet-soldiers had to buy part of their food themselves: so if a wife couldn’t earn money somehow they would be very hard up, and they might also starve in barracks. Many of the white youths held jobs as regimental washerwoman: officers laundry a lighter and better paid job, was usually the perk of Sgt’s wives. If any officers ladies lived in the barracks there might be jobs to be had cooking, cleaning and sewing for them. Selling drink to the soldiers and running a canteen was also an option if the CO allowed it; winds might also work outside the barracks in civilian jobs.

next in the series Soldiers Children

with thanks to the author Victoria Solt Dennis