Officers' Servants

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
When did the practice of officers having batmen go out of style and/or was abolished outright? From all I've read, it was a cushy billet for the man offered the job, and it fostered a close relationship between an officer and his men. When did this practice die out, and why?

Sunray,during the First Div's stay between Jan/1940 to 1942,the old CMP driver was assigned as a driver for a world famous doctor from the Royal Victoria Hospital here in Montreal.He also drove for a CMQ lawyer,where they travelled around the towns of England,bailing out army truants,who were arrested for various demeanors.He wined & dined with these gentlemen,but he was never a batman.