§ 71. Mr. THOMAS GRIFFITHSasked the Secretary of State for War whether a notice has been posted at Calais stating that all 1915 men in the Signal Service will be retained; and whether he will take steps to secure equality for all men enlisted in 1914 and 1915?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am not aware of this, but will have inquiries made and inform my hon. Friend of the result as early as possible. The Signal Service being part of the machinery of demobilisation must, of necessity, be kept working until the end. To carry on the service certain essential trades are required, and to a large extent these trades include numbers of older men and men of long service overseas. Although every effort has been made to equalise demobilisation in the Signal Service, it is unavoidable that in some cases men of forty-one or of long service overseas have to be retained because they are of these essential trades.