30. Mr. HAZLETONasked why the latest Service Battalion of Infantry recruited in Ireland, the 10th Service Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers has been attached to an English instead of to an Irish Division; who is responsible for this decision; and whether the men enlisted in this battalion joined on the understanding that they would be sent to help to fill up the losses in the ranks of their own countrymen at the front?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe battalion in question was originally formed as a Reserve Battalion to supply drafts to the Irish Divisions and not as a Service Battalion. On the urgent representations, however, of those concerned in raising the battalion, it was allowed to go out as a Service Battalion, and as a certain Division required a battalion to complete its formation, and as the 10th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was at the time ready for service, it was allotted to the Division in question. My hon. Friend will thus see that the battalion in which he is interested has been given foreign service, although originally formed only as a Reserve Battalion.
§ Mr. JOHN REDMONDIs it not a fact that urgent representations were made at the time that these Irish battalions should be attached to an Irish Division?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThat is not my information. I know that something has been said lately about it.
§ Mr. REDMONDI urged it myself at the time.
32. Mr. HAZLETONasked why such Irish reserves as are available are being partly sent to other than Irish units at the front; and if he is aware that this policy is creating discontent in Ireland?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI am not aware that this is the case, but perhaps my hon. Friend would give me in private any information of which he is in possession.
33. Mr. HAZLETONasked how many Catholic chaplains are doing duty with the Ulster Division; and who is the Catholic chaplain doing duty with the 14th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles attached to the Ulster Division?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGETwo Catholic chaplains are doing duty with the Ulster Division. The answer to the second part of the question is "The Rev. C. J. Higgins."
34. Mr. HAZLETONasked why it is that drafts from the 4th Reserve Battalion of the Leinster Regiment have been sent to English or Scotch regiments instead of being used to make good the losses in the ranks of Irish regiments at the front?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe Army Council do not possess any information which corroborates what is stated in the question, but if my hon. Friend's information is correct the drafting of these men to regiments other than the Leinster must have been ordered by the Commander-in-Chief concerned, because it was necessary in the interests of the service
35. Mr. HAZLETONasked the Secretary of State for War whether the 11th Reserve Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers is intended to supply reserves to the 10th service battalion of the same regiment; and whether this will involve these Irishmen being sent to an English division and not to the ranks of the Irish divisions at the Front?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGENo distinction is made between Irish battalions in Irish divisions and Irish battalions in other divisions so far as the dispatch of reinforcements from this country is concerned.