§ Mr. RENDALLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware 1130W that men who joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1915 and have been on hospital service in Egypt for two and a half years with no leave have been sent to Palestine, forced to go to an Infantry training base, and on refusal placed under arrest and sentenced in July last to two years' hard labour; and will he have special inquiries made into the case of this nature of which particulars were sent him upon 19th September last?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe urgent requirements for men of Category A for service in fighting units have necessitated the transfer to Infantry, under the provisions of the Army (Transfers) Act, 1915, of a considerable number of men who originally enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps. The only grounds on which a man may claim exemption from such transfer are that he holds conscientious objection to combatant service. All claims to exemption are carefully investigated by General Officers Commanding-in-Chief, and no men who can show sufficient proof of conscientious objection are transferred. Before being sent to an Infantry unit, men transferred are sent to an Infantry training centre to enable them to learn their duty as Infantrymen. Any men who may have been punished have presumably been punished for refusing to carry out orders which have been given them after due consideration of their cases. Inquiries are being made into the case which my hon. Friend brought to my notice, but a reply has not yet been received from the military authorities in Egypt. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as I receive a report.