§ 56. Mr. GILBERTasked the Prime Minister if he can make any general statement as to the enemy air-raid on London and district on 19th and 20th May; can he state the number of enemy machines that were brought down; the names of our airmen who brought them down; the number of enemy airmen captured, and if any of them were alive; and can he state by whose authority the bodies buried were given military funerals?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONAs regards the first and second parts of my hon. Friend's question, I am afraid I can add nothing to the official statement which has 968 already been published in the Press. It is not desirable to publish the names of individual airmen or anti-aircraft gunners who bring down, or contribute in bringing down, enemy aircraft, except in so-far as their services justify inclusion in an Honours List or a mention in dispatches. Details regarding enemy airmen captured, whether dead or alive, are forwarded in due course to the enemy through the Prisoners of War Information Bureau, in accordance with Article 14 of the annexe to the Hague Convention of the 18th October, 1907, but it is not proposed to publish any information on the subject.
As regards the last part of the question, the bodies of dead airmen are buried with military honours in accordance with Article 19 of the annexe to the-Hague Convention, and the practice prevails on both sides.