HC Deb 09 March 1916 vol 80 cc1703-4
109. Mr. SNOWDEN

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War by what authority Private F. Cockshutt, 14th Battalion, Worcester Regiment, is being retained in the Army; by what authority the War Office refuses to give an undertaking that he will not be sent abroad, seeing that the boy is only seventeen years of age; and if further consideration will be given to the case and a promise given that he will not be sent abroad until he has reached the age of a conscript soldier?

Mr. TENNANT

I must refer my hon. Friend to the letter I sent him on 21st February.

112. Mr. R. McNEILL

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he has yet completed his inquiry into the case of No. 14756. Gunner F. Ellender, 15th Division, C battery, 73rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, who enlisted in August, 1914, at the age of sixteen years against the wishes of his parents, and, although not yet eighteen years of age, has been on active service in France since July, 1915; if he is aware that correspondence with a view to having the boy sent back to England has been passing between his relations and the military authorities for eleven months, and that his birth certificate was sent to and acknowledged by his commanding officer several weeks ago; if he will say who is responsible for such delay in sending the boy back from the front; and whether, especially in view of the fact that Ellender's parents have five other sons serving in the Army, he will take immediate steps to have the boy transferred to a unit at home until he attains nineteen years of age?

Mr. TENNANT

Inquiries have been addressed to the military authorities in France about this case. T will inform my hon. Friend when the reply is received.

Mr. McNEILL

Does the right hon. Gentleman know that it is now more than a week since I put this question to him? Has the delay not been sufficient to discover whether these facts are true, bearing in mind the fact that the correspondence has been going on for many months?

Mr. TENNANT

I am quite aware that there has been unusual and regrettable delay, but I have not succeeded in getting the information from the other side.