12. Major DAVIESasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, since no proper provision of officers with legal training or knowledge exists for the defence of officers or men charged with offences before courts-martial, he will consider the advisability of securing such provision; and whether he will also take into consideration the advisability of officers or men being given a right of representation by a qualified officer at field general courts-martial?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI can add nothing to the answer which I gave my hon. and gallant Friend on 31st October.
§ 19. Mr. KINGasked the Under-Secretary of State for War how the deaths of soldiers executed by sentence of courts-martial are treated; whether the names are inserted in the lists of missing or in any casualty list; and whether in all cases the next-of-kin are informed of the death and its actual cause?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe names of soldiers executed by sentence of court-martial are not published in casualty lists. The next-of-kin are informed of the facts.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI cannot say, but they are informed.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the next-of-kin are informed by a very brutal letter, and will my hon. Friend consider whether these cases could not be put in the casualty lists, so as to avoid, this kind of communication to the parents? In many of these cases the boy is suffering from shell shock.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONMy hon. Friend most be aware of the facts. As I think I have stated, to put these cases in the 192 casualty lists would not be stating the true facts. It is a polite letter which is sent, stating what is necessarily a, brutal fact.
§ Mr. KINGIs not this a printed form, and could not an autograph letter, at any rate, be sent, with one or two words of sympathy added?