§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON (Dundee)On behalf of the Member for the Ilkeston Division of Derbyshire, I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he can state the number of hospital orderlies employed in South Africa in the weeks ending 17th March, 21st April, and 19th May respectively, distinguishing, if possible, those belonging to the Royal Army Medical Corps, the Volunteers, the St. John Ambulance Brigade, and other organisations.
§ *MR. WYNDHAMThe numbers of hospital orderlies employed in South Africa were as follows: 17th March, 2.936, including 560 St. John Ambulance Brigade; 21st April, 3,739, including 766 St. John Ambulance Brigade, 84 Militia Medical Staff Corps and 361 Volunteer Medical Corps; 19th May, 3,943, including 986 St. John Ambulance Brigade, 91 Militia Medical Staff Corps, and 492 624 Volunteer Medical Corps. This does not include the staff of such hospitals as the Yeomanry Hospital, Portland Hospital, etc., the subordinate male staff of which numbers 519, but of which it is not known how many are employed as orderlies. The returns of Medical Staff raised locally in addition to the above are not furnished to the War Office; but 1,200 stretcher bearers are known to have been raised in Natal, thereby releasing orderlies of the Royal Army Medical Corps for duty in the hospitals.