§ MR. WINGFIELD-DIGBY (Dorsetshire, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether the 17th Lancers embarked for South Africa six officers short of their establishment; whether the other regiments of the 4th Cavalry Brigade are also short of their proper number of officers; and whether efforts were made to fill up the vacancies from the Reserve of Officers or from the Yeomanry.
§ MR. WYNDHAMTwo of the regiments referred to were short of officers on embarkation, chiefly because some of them were already serving in South Africa. Those officers may be ordered to join their units at the discretion of the general officer commanding. Vacancies have been as far as possible filled by eligible officers from the Reserve or from the Yeomanry or other sources. In one case there were as many as three.