CAPTAIN DONELANI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War if he can state the result of the inquiry into the case of Private Grindle, King's Royal Rifles, who was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment for wearing a shamrock in his cap on last St. Patrick's Day?
§ * MR. BRODRICKThe General Officer Commanding at Aldershot reports that Private Grindle appeared on parade with a shamrock in his cap, and was twice ordered to remove it by Second Lieutenant Blundell. This he refused to do, and was then made a prisoner. The Officer Commanding awarded him 168 hours' imprisonment for direct disobedience of an order given by an officer on parade, not for wearing the shamrock, and this he explained to Private Grindle at the time. Any soldier must obey any order given by an officer, but the General Officer Commanding considers that Second Lieutenant Blundell should not have given the order for the removal of the shamrock without referring the question to his Officer Commanding, and has ordered the entry in Private Grindle's defaulter sheet to be expunged.
§ * MR. BRODRICKThere is no question of compensation. ["Hear, hear!"] Private Grindle committed two errors. In the first place, he did not ask for leave to wear the shamrock, when authority would have been granted; and, in the second place, disobeyed an order given twice on parade. On the other hand, the General Officer Commanding, looking at all the circumstances, has ordered the record to be expunged from the order sheet, so that it will not stand against him in his future service.
§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIENIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the men of one regiment in the service wear roses on St. George's Day?
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The Question which the hon. Gentleman is asking does not arise out of the Question on the Paper.
§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIENIf you will allow me, Sir, I will develop it. [Laughter.]
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The Question is irregular.
§ * MR. BRODRICKHis imprisonment is over.