§ 9. Mr. ROBERT YOUNGasked the Secretary of State for War whether the 1077 late Private William Shyrme, No. 64,578, C Company, 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, was sentenced to 21 days' imprisonment for trying to obtain leave under false pretences; whether these pretences were that when on leave his mother, a widow with six children, and managing two retail shops and desirous of closing down one shop, requested him to apply fur an extension of his leave, he did so, and the usual police inquiries took place, and a promise made to secure the leave desired, yet the report sent in was business worries not urgent; whether, when ordered to return to Aldershot, he did so two hours before his leave was up yet was sentenced to the punishment stated; whether such punishment was excessive seing he had not overstayed his leave; and whether, while in prison, he was given two cold baths without reference to the state of his health, with the result that within two days he was removed to hospital, temperature 105, where he died of influenza.
§ The SECRETARY OF STATE for WAR (Mr. Churchill)I regret that my investigations in this case are not yet complete, but I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I am in a position to do so.