HC Deb 21 February 1945 vol 408 c774
17. Mr. W. J. Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Air why, having regard to the fact that overseas tours in the Army take no account of marital status, nor is weight given to it in the Government's demobilisation plan, the overseas tour for single men in the R.A.F. is four and for married men three years.

Sir A. Sinclair

The current instructions which govern the length of overseas tours in the R.A.F. were issued in 1941, that is to say, long before the Release Scheme was formulated. It was considered reasonable to give married men unaccompanied by their wives, some advantage over single men and married men who had their wives with them. The merits of this arrangement are, I think, fully recognised by the Service.