§ Major PRESCOTTasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the feeling amongst bereaved persons that there are unidentified soldiers in the asylums in this country; whether he is aware that Private William Locke, No. 13927, Middlesex Regiment, was reported to be killed in action on 11th May, 1915, and his burial place is unknown; whether he has been notified that on 10th Decem- 686W ber, 1918, Lance-corporal Charles Clarke, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, called on the mother of Private Locke, who resides at 44, Gloucester Road, Upper Edmonton, and told her that, while he was a prisoner of war at Friedrichsfeld Camp Hospital, her son was incarcerated there and spoke to him, about six weeks before the Armistice; whether he will issue an order directing that the photographs of any unidentified or missing men be placed on private view at the War Office to be seen by relatives only of all missing men; and if he can make any further announcement on the subject generally?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThere are only three soldiers unidentified owing to mental trouble. The Private Locke referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend was killed in action. Lance-Corporal Clarke was at Friedrichsfeld at the same time as a different man named Locke, No. 11988, Private V. Locke, 8th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps, and no doubt this was the man he saw. Any relative of a missing soldier can send his photograph to the War Office, where it will be carefully compared with those of the three unidentified cases. I am afraid I can add nothing further on the subject generally to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Rotherham on the 9th instant.