HC Deb 30 May 1945 vol 411 cc194-5
14. Mr. Driberg

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that the assurance contained in a letter from his Department to the hon. Member for Maldon, date 13th February, that T/Sergeant G. H. Moore, U.S. Army, was to be returned for temporary duties to this country in order to be available for service of a petition in civil proceedings, has not been fulfilled and that the solicitors concerned have now been notified on be half of T/Sergant Moore's commanding officer that it is not intended to return him to this country; and if he will urgently renew his representations to the U.S. authorities on this matter.

Mr. Eden

This matter has already been brought to the attention of my Department by the hon. Member and renewed representations have been made to the United States authorities.

Mr. Driberg

In making those representations, will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that there was an absolute assurance from his Department, and that at that time the high American military authorities were being extremely helpful, but that some obstruction appears to have occurred lower down in Sergeant Moore's own unit?

Mr. Eden

They have been helpful in a large number of these cases. What we did not know at the time was that the commanding officer was supposed to have refused to send the man back to the United Kingdom.