21. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Ian Fraserasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consult with the other Service Ministers with a view to arranging that, where an officer or man receives a decoration or award but is discharged before notification can reach his unit, he will be personally notified and sent a copy of the citation.
§ Sir J. GriggI will certainly consider my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion, but until there has been full examination of the amount of work involved and other considerations I should not like to commit myself.
§ Sir I. FraserWhile thanking my right hon. Friend, might I ask him to give very sympathetic consideration to this matter, because it clearly causes great disappointment if a man gets an award and does not know what it is for?
§ Sir J. GriggI will certainly give sympathetic consideration to it, but my hon. and gallant Friend must allow me to take into account the very serious shortages of staff from which most Government Departments suffer at this stage of the war.
§ 23. Captain Alan Grahamasked the Secretary of State for War whether the Africa Star will be awarded to Allied personnel serving under British command in Africa, and, in particular, to the Polish Carpathian Brigade of General Kopanski, which distinguished itself at Tobruk and Gazallah.
§ Sir P. GriggThe award of the Africa Star is confined to personnel of the British, Dominion, Indian and Colonial Forces. The unit to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers is a part of the Polish Forces, and as such qualifies for any awards instituted by the Polish Government.