A Family’s Trust: The Burton Paybooks Donated to the RMR Museum

Westmount, Quebec – 05 October 2025: The RMR Museum recently received a touching donation that bridges generations of regimental history — the wartime Soldier’s Pay Book of Private Alexander Burton, service number D-77394, of the Royal Montreal Regiment (Machine Gun).

Enlisted on 6 July 1940, Alexander Burton was a young man from Brigham, Quebec, whose service took him overseas as part of Canada’s massive mobilization during the Second World War. His paybook — the indispensable companion of every soldier — recorded his pay assignments, next-of-kin, and changes in marital status and allowances. It was an official document, but also a deeply personal one: a record of identity, belonging, and survival. Soldiers guarded it carefully, for it was required for every pay issue, medical entry, or equipment draw.

What makes Burton’s book particularly special is the card tucked inside titled “Measure Up Your Letters Home.” Issued to remind soldiers how to keep morale high on the home front, it offered a simple but profound code of optimism: open with cheer, share sanitized bits of news, express ambition, and always end with warmth — “Never end without a ‘God bless you.’” These were small instructions, but they kept families connected through some of the darkest years of the war.

The donation was made by Ronald A. Burton, Alexander’s son, who enclosed a heartfelt note to museum curator Ron Zemancik, writing:

“Ron,
It was great speaking to you, and thank you for taking care of my dad’s pay books. I feel so much better knowing they are in caring hands. It’s wonderful to have people like you taking care of our very important history.

Thanks again,

Ronald A. Burton”

Artifacts like these are far more than paper relics — they are the threads that connect the living regimental family to the men and women who served before us. The RMR Museum is honoured to preserve Private Burton’s paybooks, ensuring that his story — and his family’s trust — remain part of the Regiment’s enduring legacy.

What Is a Soldier’s Pay Book?

Every Canadian soldier in the Second World War was issued a Soldier’s Pay Book (Militia Book M.1) — a small brown booklet that served as both an identification record and a financial log.

It contained essential information such as:

• Regimental number, name, and unit

• Next-of-kin and marital status

• Assignments of pay and allowances

• Medical and vaccination records

• Promotion and leave entries

The paybook was a soldier’s lifeline — needed to draw rations, receive pay, and access medical treatment. Losing it could cause major administrative headaches or even suspicion of desertion.

Many soldiers also tucked inside photos, letters, or mementos, turning the booklet into a personal keepsake of their service. Private Burton’s inclusion of a morale-boosting “Letter Home” guide reminds us that even amidst the chaos of war, the human need for connection endured.