78. Sir H. DALZIELasked the Undersecretary of State for War whether the general service officers, non-commissioned officers and men at present serving in the Northern and Southern Armies of the Home Defence Forces will have an opportunity of seeing service abroad; whether general service officers in these Armies will be permitted to transfer to other units of their arm of the service in order to proceed overseas; and whether he will consider the advisability of arranging that the instruction of recruits at home shall, as far as practicable, be carried out by 1090 officers and non-commissioned officers who were in the Regular Army before the War, who have seen active service during the War, or who are in one of the lower medical categoreis precluding their employment abroad?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe policy indicated in the latter portion of this question is always adopted, so far as is possible. The difficulty is that there are never enough officers of lower medical categories available to meet the training requirements at home. Fit general service officers in the units in question are constantly being relieved by those who are unfit, and it is hoped that under arrangements now being made this process may be accelerated.
Sir H. DALZIELIs it not the case that large numbers of officers are anxious to go to the front, have been asking to go since the beginning of the War, and have been deliberately refused permission?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONYes. I should like to bear testimony to the patriotic desire of these men. It is a well-known fact that a great many fit men have been anxious to go to the front ever since the beginning of the War, and that these men have been, in almost every case, the very-best officers to train the troops at home. It was necessary, in the interests of the country, to keep them here.