§ 5. Mr. Lipsonasked the Minister of Labour what account is taken in the demobilisation plan of the special hardships incurred by men serving in the S.E.A.C.; and to what extent is it intended that these men be retained in the Services when the war in Europe has ceased and men in their group at or nearer home are released.
§ Mr. BevinIt is not practicable to differentiate between service rendered in different theatres of war; moreover, the circumstances of particular cases vary so much that any such differentiation would be bound to result in indefensible anomalies. The Government's proposals for release from the Forces after the defeat of Germany are therefore based on a combination of age and length of service, irrespective of where that service has been performed. While release must necessarily be subject to operational requirements, the Services will make every effort to release men in their turn, wherever they may be serving.
§ Mr. LipsonIs my right hon. Friend aware that his answer will cause great disappointment to the men serving in the South-East Asia Command, in view of the bad climatic and other conditions there, and the fear that on the plea of military necessity they will be retained in the Services when the European war is over, while others over here will be released?
§ Mr. BevinI regret if, by inference, that impression has been left on serving men's minds. Service men in the Far East have had the scheme explained to them, and they received it with good feeling. They know they will be treated on fair terms and brought home on the basis of age and length of service, so far as it is humanly possible to do it.
§ Mr. Quintin HoggWhile not asking the Minister to give preference to any particular theatre of war, will he be prepared to give special consideration to overseas service as such, especially to continuous periods of overseas service, away from wife and home?
§ Mr. BevinI would like to put this matter right. If I adopted the suggestion in the Question it would have a serious effect on the men now fighting in Normandy, who fought all the way from El Alamein to Tunis, and were brought home for 15 months to get ready for Normandy. The time they were home would be counted against them, whereas, on age and length of service, these men—men of the 49th, 50th and 51st Divisions, who have had most of the fighting—would retain their priority notwithstanding the fact that they were 15 months at home, getting ready for other battlefields.