HL Deb 01 June 1916 vol 22 cc311-3

VISCOUNT PEEL rose to ask His Majesty's Government—

1. Whether, under the present Regulations, officers of the Special Reserve, New Armies, and the Territorial Force on being granted commissions in the Regular Army are placed, irrespective of past services, rank, and experience, on the list of second-lieutenants, with seniority from the date only when the Regular commissions are approved.

2. Whether His Majesty's Government will, under the particular circumstances of the present war, so amend the Regulations as to secure that these officers, when recommended for commissions in the Regular Army, may be transferred subject to the same conditions under which officers of the Regular Army have hitherto been transferred from one regiment to another, or that they shall receive some recognition on transfer, as regards seniority, for their position and war service in their respective corps.

The noble Viscount said: My Lords, I will explain the point of this Question. At the present time if officers of the Territorial Force, the New Armies, or the Special Reserve wish to take permanent commissions in the Regular Army, whatever their rank may be—whether they are first-lieutenants, captains, or majors—under the present Regulations they can only be transferred to the Regular Army on the basis of becoming a second-lieutenant, and their commissions only date from the date when those commissions are approved. The suggestion I make is that these Regulations should be so amended that either of two things could happen—either these officers so transferred should take in the Regular regiment to which they are transferred the same rank as they had in their previous corps, going, of course, to the bottom of that rank, and following in that way the precedent of the transfer of Regular officers from one regiment to another; or that, in being so transferred, they should have recognition by way of seniority for their work and services in their previously existing corps. It is obvious that this war has brought about such great changes that some change of that kind is advisable.

We have first of all the testimony of our Generals that a great many of these officers in the new Armies, Territorials and others, have done extremely well and shown high military capacity. They have had great experience in war. Many of them have actually commanded Regular troops in war, and with great distinction; and it is a commonplace, of course, that six months' experience in a war of this kind is worth six years' experience of peace training. Further, as this war's experience has knocked out the experience of all previous wars, experience of this particular war is absolutely invaluable. We also have the fact that owing to the appalling carnage of this war a great many of the Regular regiments have been almost entirely depleted of officers. The officers of those regiments are almost entirely new; of course, they are transferred from one regiment to another. But still in comparing the Regular officer of the past with the new officers, the balance is very often greatly to the advantage of the non-Regular officer. Therefore it is rather absurd that young fellows of two-and-twenty and three-and-twenty, with perhaps ten weeks' training at Sandhurst, should come out of College and be rapidly made first-lieutenants and captains, and that a very experienced officer from the non-Regular forces coming into that regiment should be put down at the bottom of the second-lieutenants and commanded by those boys.

I know that there are difficulties in the way of these transfers, and that the difficulty is greater according as you get higher in rank. But even if the War Office do not agree to my full proposal, I submit that it is advisable, if you wish to get these valuable officers with experience from the non-Regular forces, and if you wish to fill up the ranks of the Regulars with men of great experience, that you should at least give to these men for their services, their experience, and their knowledge, some advantage in the way of seniority; otherwise you will deter a good many valuable officers who might join the Regular Army from taking up permanent commissions.

LORD SANDHURST

My Lords, the noble Viscount has, in the first part of his Question and in his speech, correctly stated the rule as it exists at the present time. The suggestion in the second part of the Question has recently been considered, and certain proposals have as a result been formulated, the effect of which, if adopted, will be to give the officers commissioned in the Regular Army from the Special Reserve, the New Armies, and the Territorial Force credit for their former service in those branches of the Army. These proposals have not, however, been approved, and I cannot to-day say more than that it is possible that what the noble Viscount-desires will be done. So that the noble Viscount will see that this matter is engaging the serious attention of the War Office.

House adjourned during pleasure.

House resumed.