§ 44. Commander H. CRAIGasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in the case of Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve officers attached to the Royal Naval Division who were given promotion to acting rank before the Royal Naval Division was transferred to the control of the War Office, such promotions to acting rank are subject to cancellation under the War Office Regulation whereby officers who have held acting rank in the field are compelled to revert to their substantive rank upon their return, through sickness or wounds, to depot?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAPrior to the transfer of the Royal Naval Division to the control of the War Office, the promotion of officers to acting rank was authorised under the same conditions as are laid down for the Army, namely, during the performance of specified duties. Officers so promoted would therefore automatically revert to their substantive rank on ceasing, from any cause, to perform such duties. The position of such officers of the Royal Naval Division was in no way affected by its transfer to Army control.
§ Commander CRAIGThe point I wish to put is the case of the man promoted to acting rank while the Naval Division was under the Admiralty?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAHaving ceased to perform the duty which he was performing in that acting rank, he would have been reverted by the Admiralty had the Royal Naval Division remained with us. The same thing precisely happens under the War Office.