The "Silly Quid"

£1 was paid to members of the Wagoners’ Special Reserve as a retainer. Many referred to it as the "Silly Quid" because it was so easy to obtain and required nothing in return – except a promise to enlist in the event of war, which none of them expected to become a reality.

As most of the horse lads “lived in” on their farms and were provided with board and lodging as part of their wages, £1 was about a quarter of their annual disposable income.