HC Deb 04 February 1915 vol 69 cc131-2
54. Mr. FALLE

asked the Prime Minister if he is aware that a limit of age has been decided on for all officers and that many who joined or rejoined the service and were accepted in the 1st and 2nd armies, known as Lord Kitchener's Army, have been and are being pushed out of those armies and appointed to the 3rd army; and if he proposes to take any action in the matter, seeing that these officers joined as fighting men and were allowed to join under the impression that their services would be required in that capacity, and that it is only after having worked hard and submitted to considerable hardships and drilled these armies for five months and more that they are pushed aside for others to reap where they have sown and are practically informed that their rôle is that of schoolmaster and that promotion is to be denied them?

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Tennant)

Any transfer of officers which has taken place has been on the grounds of professional or physical disability for field service and not on that of age, for no limit of age has been fixed.