§ VISCOUNT ULLSWATERMy Lords, I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made 256 with the distribution of war medals to ex-Service men; whether the distribution is made by regiments or by districts; is priority given to length of service or to date of discharge; and how long will it he before the distribution is completed.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (VISCOUNT PEEL)My Lords, having had the honour for many years of sitting under the presidency of the noble Viscount in another place, and having frequently appealed to him on points of Order, it is rather a new sensation for me to be in the position of trying to provide him with information.
With regard to the first part of the Question the following commemorative medals and stars have been issued by the War Office up to and including February 28, 1922:—
The medals and stars are distributed, in the case of officers, direct from the War Office; in the case of other ranks, through officers in charge of Record Offices; and in the case of Dominion troops, through their respective Governments.
— Home. Dominions and Colonies. Total. 1914 Stars 350,330 Nil 350,330 1914–15 Stars 1,635,050 292,277 1,927,327 British War Medals 3,472,322 861,875 4,334,197 Victory Medals 3,462,617 689,803 4,152,420 With regard to the issue of the medals and stars from the Army Record Offices the following is the position. The total receipts at the Record Offices of 1914 and 1914–15 Stars, are 1,299,446, and the total issues are 1,241,838, with a balance on hand on January 28, 1922, of 57,608. As to British War Medals the total receipts at the Record Offices are 3,168,486 and total issues, 2,595,550, leaving a balance in hand on January 28, 1922, of 572,936. In the case of Victory Medals the total receipts are 3,296,542 and total issues 2,670,113, leaving a balance in hand on the same date of 626,429.
As regards the second part of the Question the distribution is made by regiments and corps, and not by districts. With regard to the third point, the answer is 257 that priority is not given to length of service or to date of discharge. The medal rolls are prepared either alphabetically by corps or in sequence of the men's former regimental numbers. It would slow up the whole distribution to select names by any system which gave priority for length of service or date of discharge. With regard to the last point in the Question, it is hoped that the distribution of all commemorative medals and stars will be completed by the end of 1922, but the rate of issue may decrease in proportion to the rate of decrease of staff and the final date may be a little after the end of this year.
I understand that the noble Viscount is specially interested in certain regiments. The bulk issue of medals for the Norfolk and Suffolk regiments is completed, and the issue for the Essex regiment practically complete also. Medals are issued to officers in charge of Record Offices, and issue in these cases is made from the Record Office at Warley to the individuals concerned. I may add that the chief difficulty with which officers in charge of Record Offices have to contend is that of finding the addresses of the individuals entitled to the medals and stars. If any addresses can be furnished to assist the officers at Warley they would be greatly appreciated.
§ VISCOUNT ULLSWATERMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Viscount for the information he has given me. May I risk him one further Question, and it is whether it would be the proper course on the part of the men who have not received their medals to apply to their Record Office, or how can they make it known that the medals have not been received?
§ VISCOUNT PEELThey would be perfectly in order in writing to their Record Office and in that case would, of course, give their addresses. It is probably owing to changes of address, or the addresses having been forgotten, that the medals have not been sent.