§ 31. Mr. Gallacherasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that Private W. Tinker, No. 7368178, was sent to Normandy nine months after he had been repatriated from a prisoner of war camp in Germany and has been serving with the B.L.A. as a medical orderly since July; how many other repatriated prisoners of war are serving with the B.L.A.; and whether it is the policy of his department that repatriated prisoners of war should be drafted for overseas service.
§ Sir J. GriggAs I said in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Clay Cross (Mr. Neal) on 24th May, protected personnel, for example, those in the Royal Army Medical Corps, may be employed in a theatre of war overseas if they are medically fit for such duties, provided they are not employed in a combatant capacity. This is in accordance with the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick. About 140 repatriated prisoners belonging to the R.A.M.C. have so far been sent overseas. None were sent as far as I know until they had completed six months' service in this country.
§ Mr. GallacherSurely the Minister will agree that we are not so far short of manpower in the Army that we should put these men through such a terrific psychological training and return them to the 1781 fighting front again after the experiences they have been through? Is it not possible to find suitable employment for them in the Army here?
§ Sir J. GriggI can assure hon. Members that we have no reserves of man-power.