§ 28. Mr. Wilkesasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is yet able to announce when the claim of Mr. C. N. Christou, of Heraklion, Greece, for catering services to British troops in Heraklion in 1941 will be met.
§ Mr. BellengerThis claim has now been paid.
§ 31. Mr. Collinsasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that 5183812 Private W. J. Watts was demobilised on 7th November, 1946, and arrested in Austria by the Military Police for alleged illegal entry on 24th January, 1947, 10 days after the expiration of his demobilisation leave; that he was brought to this country, but was not charged until 5th March, and is still under open arrest at Aldershot; whether Watts is regarded as a civilian; and when a final decision will be reached in this case.
§ Mr. BellengerThis soldier's release leave was not due to expire until 27th February, 1947. My hon. Friend is therefore mistaken in thinking that he was arrested after the end of his release leave. He was charged and remanded for further evidence on 19th February, and he has since been released from arrest without prejudice to re-arrest. As he was arrested before his release leave had expired, he will continue to be regarded as a soldier until his case has been disposed of, and he has completed the balance of his release leave. His trial is expected to take place in the very near future.
§ Mr. CollinsWould my right hon. Friend say why, under those circumstances, this man was treated as a civilian and subject to considerable indignity and personal inconvenience when, had he been regarded as a soldier, he would have been given reasonable facilities?
§ Mr. BellengerI have no knowledge of this man being treated with indignity, but, of course, he did return to Austria without permission while on release leave.
§ 32. Mr. Collinsasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that news of the death of Major C. T. Widgery, R.E., in the terrorist bomb attack on the Goldsmith Officers' Club, was published in the Press on Monday, 3rd February, but official notification was not sent to Mrs. Widgery until five p.m. on Tuesday, 4th February; that the first news of her bereavement was, therefore, conveyed to the widow at her home in Taunton by a reporter; and whether, in view of the consequent additional distress, he will give an explanation, and an assurance that the names of casualties will not in future be published before the next of kin have been informed.
§ Mr. BellengerThe outrage referred to in the first part of the Question took place on 1st March last, and not in the month of February. Owing to faulty conditions on the signal circuit, the original telegram from the Command to the War Office, notifying the death of Major Widgery, had to be relayed by another circuit, and was not received in the War Office until shortly after noon on 4th March. The fatality was notified to Mrs. Widgery the same day.
As regards the second and third parts of the Question, although the Press has been asked to co-operate in cases of this kind, I have no power to require delay in publication until the next-of-kin has been informed, and I can only express my deep regret that, owing to accidental causes beyond the control of the military authorities, the offical notification to Mrs. Widgery was delayed in transmission.
§ Mr. CollinsSince my right hon. Friend is aware that there have been a number of distressing cases of this kind, which have caused considerable suffering to the persons concerned, is it not possible to devise some means whereby news of this kind is withheld from the Press until the War Office have obtained it, and passed it on to the next-of-kin?
§ Mr. BellengerThat would involve some control over the Press, and that, I think, is beyond my powers.
§ Mr. KeelingWill the Secretary of State for War not add a word to deplore this damnable intrusion of the Press on private grief?
§ Mr. BellengerGenerally speaking, I think that the Press are very co-operative, and I hope that, as a result of this sad case being brought to the attention of the public, they will observe the ordinary decencies, as they usually do.
§ Mr. BramallIs it not a fact that, in certain cases of this kind, the names are withheld until official information has been given to the next-of-kin? Is it not possible to do that?
§ Mr. CollinsBefore my right hon. Friend replies, may I say that, in this particular case, the Press acted with the very greatest sympathy and understanding, and it was not their fault that they informed Mrs. Widgery of the loss in the first place?
§ Mr. HollisWas Major Widgery's name given to the Press by the military authorities, or did they discover it for themselves?
§ Mr. BellengerI should rather imagine that the Press, who have been very alert in this particular command, ascertained the name without any assistance from the military authorities on the spot.