How much in 1944?

I thought this was an interesting photo, taken at no20 Army Training Centre, Brantford ONT, 1944, back then 1usd was worth 13 usd now to give you an idea (was not able to find an inflation rate for canada at the moment)[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I thought the Reising was interesting, I did not know it was brought into Canada, I just read they were made at apx $50 USD a piece during ww2, cost here $112.37 in canadian,

Tracer rounds 6c each, practice rounds 3 1/2c , no price on the shells or grenades

That is one heck of a photo for sure. Very very interesting. Bren was pretty pricey.

According to the Bank of Canada inflation calculator, the $375.00 Bren Gun in 1944 would cost $5270.60 in today's money and the $35.00 Sten would now cost $491.92. You can run the calculator for wartime rates of pay with $1.00 in 1944 now being worth $14.05. For comparison purposes in 1945 a 1937 Pattern Waistbelt is listed as being worth $0.78 which now works out to $10.96 where as the most expensive 1982 Pattern Waistbelt cost the Canadian Government $3.35 in the mid-1980s which now equates to $6.89. Take into consideration that a Canadian Corporal back then was being paid approximately $87.00 a day, a 1982 Pattern Waistbelt only represented 2.9 percent of a days pay, where as in WWII the cost of 1937 pattern Waistbelt represented 78 percent of a days pay. In other words, when compared to every day wages, WWII equipment was considerably more expensive then it is today.

Thanks Ed for the extra insight, will have to look for that calculator also,

I noticed also the two types of face mask for the respirator, I actually was surprised at how much things cost too

Yes, there was the Mk IV stockinet covered Facepiece and the Mk V rubber Facepiece for the Service Respirator.

That is a great picture, I am bit surprised at the amounts of some of the items.

Do you think they were a little liberal with the dollar figures for say a war bond drive?

The prices correspond with the amounts listed in the Routine Orders of the period. Even though the Second World War was a war of mass production, equipping the services and supplying our Allies was hugely expensive; but through extremely efficient fiscal management Canada came out of the war in such good financial shape that we were able to write-off the debt owed to us by other countries. Many Canadians know and recognize our wartime military successes, few understand our economic success and how one of the least prepared nations for war in 1939 finished the conflict as a middle power in 1945.

As far as War Bond drives go, per capita, Canadians were one of the biggest personal financiers of the war as it was a way to save for the future - a lesson that from what I read in the newspaper, many Canadians have now forgotten.

Well said Ed,

Canada really came of age during the war. Emerging from the great depression with almost no army to speak of to ending the war with one of the best army, great airforce, the 3rd largest Navy in the world and manufacturing power house.Canada enjoyed great prosperity after the war. The greatest generation. It will be a sad day once the last of that generation have passed.

just too add, I found this page in a recruitment booklet, circa 43-44, an idea of RCAF pay
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Fabulous chart, thank you for posting.

If you are interested here is a good web site......

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Type in year of origin, amount, and this year and it will do the conversion for you.....

Mike

thanks Mike, will have to check that out