HC Deb 22 February 1916 vol 80 cc568-9
27. Mr. ANDERSON

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether his attention has been drawn to the case of the late Harry Hull, of Gillingham, Kent, who served in the Navy for nearly nineteen years, was a petty officer, secured the Good Service Medal, and was officially recognised as of superior ability and very good character; whether the sailor, after being knocked overboard from His Majesty's Ship "Duncan" and undergoing treatment in the Royal Naval Hospital, Chatham, was invalided, owing to a form of paralysis, out of the Service on a pension of 8s. 3d. a week; that in order to keep his wife and child he tried to work in Chatham Dockyard, but after ten days was found insensible in a boiler which he was cleaning out; that he was sent without the knowledge of his wife to Medway Infirmary under a wrong assumption that he was insane; that he was taken home by his wife and died on 6th February as the result of falling downstairs; that the widow has since been informed by the lady visitor from the Patriotic Fund that nothing can be done for her; and whether the Admiralty will have the facts investigated with a view to something being done for the widow and child?

Dr. MACNAMARA

The late Harry Hall was invalided from the Navy with a life pension of 8s. 3d. a week. In accordance with our practice, so far as opportunity offers in the cases of men discharged on small pension, light work was found for Hall in Chatham Dockyard. He collapsed while at work in the machine-shop. (He had not at any time been employed inside a boiler.) No trace of any injury could be found. He was incoherent and rambling, and could give no account of himself. He was taken to the Medway Union Infirmary. Directly intimation of his death reached us the matter was taken in hand. The necessary forms of inquiry have been sent to the widow with a view to the assessment of pension to herself and child. Such pension will, of course, be payable as from the date of death. On inquiry I find that the Patriotic Fund cannot trace any record of the case having been brought to their notice at all.