§ 12. Major Lord Willoughby de Eresbyasked the Secretary of State for War whether arrangements can be made whereby a wounded officer or other rank, when fit, wishing to return to his former unit and asked for by his former commanding officer, is posted back to his former unit and not to another.
§ Sir J. GriggThe present arrangements provide as far as possible for a man to return to his old unit, and in meeting demands for reinforcements commands overseas arrange to post individuals of those arms with strong regimental or county ties to their own regiment or to one with similar ties. But I regret that in many cases it is not possible to carry out my Noble and gallant Friend's suggestion.
§ Lord Willoughby de EresbyDoes my right hon. Friend not think it better, 1214 apart from any other considerations, that men who have had specialised training in regiments such as my own, which is an artillery regiment, should be posted back to their own regiments, where they are required, rather than being sent to other regiments, where their specialised training is of no value?
§ Sir J. GriggIn general, yes. But in view of the fact that this entails the posting of reinforcements, it would require a much bigger reserve than we have been able to get. I said, in the last sentence of my answer, that it is not always possible to do what we desire.