§ 40. Mr. GILBERTasked whether, in view of the number of medals now being 835 granted to officers and men of the Navy and Army for war services and the interest taken by the public in the award of these medals, he can arrange that there shall be some public presentations of medals to officers and men who have won them at which the general public can be admitted?
§ Mr. TENNANTHis Majesty personally invests officers who have been granted decorations. Non-commissioned officers and men who have been awarded medals are at the time usually at the front, and public presentation to them in the presence of the British general public would not, of course, be practicable. In such cases presentation would, as a rule, be made at a parade in the presence of the comrades of the recipients. In the case of soldiers coming home, either on leave or duty, the War Office arranges with the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Command in which the soldier is staying for a public presentation on parade, and Members of Parliament and mayors of corporations sometimes arrange with the War Office to present medal or medals at a public meeting or gathering. I think that what the hon. Member desires is already being done to a large extent.