§ *SIR LEES KNOWLES (Salford, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if, in view of the fact that three active service companies from the three Volunteer battalions of the Lancashire Fusiliers were raised in succession, each under an Army Order identical in every respect as to conditions and period of service, the length of service being for the duration of the war in South Africa, or for one year, and that honorary Army rank has been granted to the officers of the first two companies upon retirement from the regular Army, he will reconsider the recent War Office ruling that, although they served till the end of the war, the officers of the third company are ineligible for honorary Army rank because their actual service in South Africa did not exceed six months.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. BROMLEY DAVENPORT,) Cheshire, MacclesfieldWhen the grant of honorary Army rank to officers of Imperial Yeomanry and Volunteer companies was approved, it was decided that it should be based on a minimum qualifying service in South Africa, and a
†See (4) Debates, cxxx., 1,000.1130 period of six months was accordingly fixed as the limit. No relaxation of this rule has been made. There are many officers affected, and several with longer service in South Africa than those mentioned in the Question, who only served three-and-a-half months there, but I am not aware of any sound grounds for reconsidering the rule.
§ *SIR LEES KNOWLESasked if the rule was made after the officers had accepted the conditions of service?
§ MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTreplied in the affirmative, adding that, on the other hand, when the officers accepted the conditions of service there was no undertaking that they should have honorary Army rank.