HC Deb 11 July 1963 vol 680 cc1417-9
Mr. Paget (by Private Notice)

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will make a statement about the six men missing on exercise in the Norwegian mountains.

The Secretary of State for War (Mr. J. B. Godber)

The six missing soldiers are from a party of 40 all ranks drawn from units of 51 Highland Division, T.A., which has recently been carrying out leadership training in Norway. All the men are volunteers.

The party was divided into six patrols of six with a small headquarters of four men, and they have been taking part in an exercise consisting of a two day map reading exercise in the Norwegian mountains, followed after a day of rest by a four-day trek of 50 miles over a high plateau.

One of the patrols has been overdue since Tuesday night. The Norwegian Army and Air Force and the police are looking for it, but the search is hampered by heavy fog.

The patrol has plenty of food, warm clothing, tents and sleeping bags. It also has smoke grenades, air identification panels and first-aid kit. It is not equipped with wireless sets. The officer commanding the party had made a reconnaissance of the area before the exercise and rations had been previously dumped in mountain huts along the patrol's route.

We are in close touch with the Norwegian authorities through our Military Attaché in Oslo. We are informing next-of-kin.

Mr. Paget

While this is no kind of criticism of this sort of operation, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he can tell us how this sort of story gets about? It obviously causes a great deal of anxiety when there does not seem to be any great cause for anxiety—or, at least, we hope that there is not. How does this sort of story get out?

Mr. Godber

The men should have reported on Tuesday night. When no report was received, no doubt this became known in Norway and the Press obtained this information. I realise the difficulties and worry that this causes the next-of-kin. We are informing the next-of-kin. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get in touch with all of them, but because these stories have appeared I have taken the special precaution of informing the next-of-kin of every other one of the party so mat their fears may be immediately dispelled.

Mr. Paget

I very much welcome that, for it is extremely important that those who have no cause for anxiety should be told.

Mr. Bowles

Is it the intention that the public should be told the names of the missing men?

Mr. Godber

It is always our custom to announce them after the next-of-kin have been informed. We do not normally do so before that, and for the reasons which I have given we have not done so at the moment.