§ 39. Mr. GILBERTasked whether the rule that officers and men are not to be 1998 sent overseas until they reach the age of nineteen years applies to the Royal Flying Corps?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONNo, Sir; the Royal Flying Corps was particularly exempted by an Army Council Instruction of 8th December, 1916. It was found impracticable to apply the rule to this branch of the Service owing to the fact that a large number of the best pilots begin their training at the age of eighteen and become proficient and fully qualified long before they reach the age of nineteen.