HL Deb 28 November 1946 vol 144 cc463-6
EARL FORTESCUE

My Lords, I beg to ask a question of which I have given private notice. I desire to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any statement to make about the provision of officers for the Territorial Army.

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (LORD PAKENHAM)

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Earl for enabling me to make a statement regarding the provision of Commanding Officers and staffs for the Territorial Army. As the statement contains a fair amount of detail and is therefore necessarily rather long I am arranging to circulate it in the Official Report. I will send a copy to the noble Earl, Lord Fortescue. I hope to make a further statement shortly as to the provision of regimental officers. With your Lordships' permission I would just now like to summarize the position. Territorial Divisions, except two Divisions with their headquarters in London, will be commanded by the Major-Generals commanding the local districts. Brigade and similar Commanders will be Territorial or other officers not on the active list of the Regular Army whenever suitable officers are available and willing to accept these appointments. It is likely, however, that the numbers who can spare the necessary time will be considerably less than the total needed and, if so, Regular officers will be appointed.

Commanding officers of units will generally be non-Regular officers and Regular officers will, as a rule, only be given command when no non-Regulars can be obtained. Some Staff officers are needed at once for the Territorial Army. Their duties will correspond with those of Staff officers in similar appointments in the Regular Army and they will in nearly all cases be Regular officers. Regular officers will also be provided as Adjutants and Quartermasters of units. Suitable non-Regular officers who are available and willing to serve may, however, be appointed when Regular officers are not available. The same standards are being applied in the selection of all these officers, whether non-Regular or Regular. They are being drawn from the same field as are officers for similar appointments in the Regular Army and the same process of selection is being followed. The age zones for selection have, however, been slightly raised so as to take advantage of the experience of rather older officers which will be invaluable in the early stages of the reconstitution of the Territorial Army. Great importance is being attached to the war records of the officers being considered and to their experience on active service.

The statement referred to by Lord Pakenham is as follows:

DIVISIONAL COMMANDERS.

Normally, a Territorial Division will be commanded by the District Commander (Major-General) in whose district the headquarters of the Territorial Army Division is situated. The District Commanders concerned commanded Divisions in the war. District Commanders, who are also to command Territorial Divisions, will in future, as the appointments become vacant, be selected primarily as Divisional Commanders.

Two Divisions, with headquarters in London, will be commanded by Major-Generals who are not also District Commanders. These officers have been specially selected for these appointments.

BRIGADE AND SIMILAR COMMANDERS.

The intention is, whenever suitable officers are available and willing to accept the appointments, to appoint Territorial Army or other non-Regular officers as Commanders of Territorial Army Armoured, Infantry and Anti-Aircraft Brigades, and as Commanders, Royal Artillery, Commanders, Army Group Royal Artillery and Commanders, Army Group Royal Engineers.

A number of officers have been provisionally earmarked as suitable for these appointments. In most cases, these officers held similar commands in the war with success, and are between the ages of 40 and 52. They are now being approached to find out whether they are willing to be appointed.

A few rather younger non-Regular officers with particularly distinguished war records may also be approached. It is expected, however, that the total number of non-Regular officers who will be in a position to accept these responsibilities will be very considerably short of the number required and it is intended to fill all remaining appointments with Regular officers. A number have already been earmarked so that they can be appointed without loss of time when the number of vacancies is known. They have been drawn from the same field as are officers for similar appointments in the Regular Army. Many of them held Brigade or similar commands during the War.

STAFF OFFICERS.

The headquarters of districts, the Commander of which also commands a Territorial Division, will receive an increase of staff to provide the necessary staff officers for the Division.

The headquarters of other districts will also have some addition, as they will have Territorial Army units to deal with.

New headquarters are needed for the two Divisions in London and staffs are being selected.

The number of Anti-Aircraft groups is being increased from three to five. All Anti-Aircraft groups will include both Regular and Territorial Army Anti-Aircraft Brigades. The number of staff officers at the headquarters of these Anti-Aircraft groups is being increased.

The headquarters of Armoured, Infantry and Anti-Aircraft Brigades and Commanders Royal Artillery, Commanders Army Group Royal Artillery and Commanders Army Group Royal Engineers will each be provided with one wholetime staff officer.

All these staff officers will be Regular officers selected from the same staff pools as are staff officers for similar appointments in the Regular Army. The majority have already been earmarked. There may, however, be some difficulty in providing at once some junior staff officers (third grade) at District and Divisional Headquarters, as at present there is a shortage of officers suitable and trained for these appointments.

The staff officers to be provided now, are the minimum considered necessary to form and train the Territorial Army in peace. If and when the Territorial Army is embodied, a large number of additional staff officers will of course be needed and it is hoped to provide most of these from the Territorial Army itself. The provision and training of these officers is now being considered.

REGIMETAL OFFICERS.

(a) Commanding Officers.

The intention is to appoint non-Regular officers to command units whenever fully qualified non-Regular officers are available. Lists have been prepared of Territorial Army and other non-Regular officers between the ages of 34 and 47 who have been recommended for command of units, and Commands are to make provisional nominations, which may include names not on the lists. When these nominations are received they will be considered by a Selection Board.

Lists of potential Regular Commanding Officers have also been prepared in case sufficient non-Regular officers are not available.

It is possible that at a later stage all units with non-Regular Commanding Officers will be provided with a Regular officers as 2nd in command. In the early stages this will only be necessary when a unit is changing its role or being raised for the first time.

(b) Adjutants and Quartermasters.

It is hoped to provide these for all units commanded by Lieutenant-Colonels (together with other ranks as permanent staff instructors, clerks, storemen, technical N.C.Os. and other specialists). The question how far it will be practicable to fill these posts with Regular officers including officers with Short Service Commissions, is under examination.

There is, however, a general shortage of Regular officers, and it would not in any case be possible at present to provide Regulars for all the posts, particularly for Royal Artillery units. It is proposed, therefore, to appoint suitable Territorial Army officers to some of these posts, when they are available and willing to serve.

(The War Office, 28th November, 1946.)