Will question from WW1

[Langley Vale Sue]

My OH's grandfather, Joseph Spiller Seldon, was killed in WW1 in France on 24 April 1918.
I have been going through some old papers in my recently deceased mother-in-law's stuff and have come across some paperwork regarding JSS's death. Amongst other paperwork there is a letter to his widow from the War Office dated 27 July 1918 stating that "the Command Paymaster has been authorised to issue to you the sum of Five pounds eighteen shillings and ten pence being the amount that is due on the settlement of the accounts of the late J....................................etc"

Then it states "The above amount is issued to you as sole legatee in accordance with the deceased's will."

Now my questions.
Would all servicemen in WW1 have written a will?
I have looked on Ancestry and cannot find a will listed for JSS. Is there anywhere else I could look?

He had been a soldier in the Devonshire Regt from about 1900, but is listed as a tyre fitter on his marriage certificate in 1911, although I'm sure I have seen paperwork somewhere that he was still a soldier before the outbreak of WW1.

[kiterunner]

I don't know whether all servicemen would have written a will, but maybe his estate wasn't large enough to require probate, so it was just dealt with privately.

[kiterunner]

His army papers are on ancestry in the WW1 Pension Records; have you already looked at those?

[Phoenix]

I've never seen one, but I've been told that WW1 soldiers signed a special will (basically I leave my backpay to my wife) but I don't know whether the army dealt with these, rather than probate in the usual way.

[Langley Vale Sue]

Thanks Kite, yes I do have his army papers from Ancestry. I'm lucky they are quite detailed & make interesting reading ;)

Thanks Phoenix, possibly that is what was being referred to.
Maybe I'll ask on a WW1 forum to see if I can get more details about a special will they would have signed.

[Margaret in Burton]

I know WW2 soldiers made a will. Father in law told me. In his case, all to his mother.

I also remember in an episode of "Sharpe" (set in Napoleonic times) that someone wrote down a quick will for the others who couldn't write before they went into battle.

Basically who gets the small amount of anything you did have.

[annswabey]

A will is often found amongst WW1 service records. Just a very small simple document - no great detail.