§ MR. WHITWELLasked the Secretary of State for War, What is the opinion of the Officers who superintended the recent Summer Manœuvres as to the power of bearing fatigue and exposure manifested by the troops engaged, especially of such of the Army forces as were enlisted during the last three years respectively as compared with the soldiers of more mature age and earlier enlistment?
MR. GATHORNE HARDYSir, in reply to the Question of the hon. Member, I beg to say I am informed that the whole force was perfectly capable of undergoing any fatigue that soldiers are liable to be called upon to bear. Throughout the Manœuvres the men who bore fatigue and exposure best of the troops engaged were undoubtedly those who have enlisted during the last three years. The men who fell out were 136 in all. Of these, only 37 had under three years' service. The marches varied from eight to 20 miles, and on the last occasion when the Second Army Corps had to strike its camp after a night so wet that the majority of the men were unable to he down, they marched in complete service order 15 miles, without including the time and distance gone over during 178 the field-day, when only eight men under three years' service fell out, the total number that day being 67; the majority of these had over 15 years' service.