§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the Special Army Order, issued on 11th April, announcing that any officer or soldier who, when in the presence of the enemy, displays a white flag or other token of surrender, will be tried by general court-martial, is retrospective and applies to the cases of the surrenders at Nicholson's Nek, Reddersburg, Koorn Spruit, and Lindley: and whether he will now give the names of the irresponsible persons who raised the white flag at Lindley, or state his reasons for withholding their names.
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)I beg at the same time to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can state to what regiment or command did the person belong who raised the white flag at Lindley; and, if it is alleged that he was one of any Irish company, will a court-martial or inquiry be ordered.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, Guildford773 The order will not be retrospective, though in certain cases of surrender inquiries or courts-martial have been ordered. In reply to the second paragraph and to a similar question put by the hon. Member for North Louth, the persons responsible for raising the white flag at Lindley were Lieutenant Robins and Corporal Jacques, of the 47th Company Imperial Yeomanry, Duke of Cambridge's Own. Lieutenant Robins was severely wounded and could not attend the court of inquiry. Lord Roberts is making a further inquiry respecting his case. Corporal Jacques had been invalided and discharged before the inquiry was held.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYNeither of these gentlemen, I am happy to say, is Irish.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI do not think the right hon. Gentleman said whether the names of the persons responsible at Nicholson's Nek and Reddersburg would be given too.
§ MR. BRODRICKNo; Nicholson's Nek took place in November or October, 1899, and is too far back.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLYou do not know them, I suppose?
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!