§ Lieut.-Colonel D. WHITEasked the Secretary of State for War on which principle of priority the issue of the War medal and the Victory medal is based; and whether such priority is regimental or alphabetical?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSThe distribution of British War and Victory medals to personnel of British corps is divided into two categories—
Medals for rank and file which are issued through Record Offices.
Medals which are issued direct from the War Office to those who held commissioned rank.
With regard to the rank and file, the medals are issued at short intervals to officers in charge of records in rotation, having regard to the. number of nominal rolls submitted by them and with a view to supplying every Record Office with a certain number of medals to give employment to the staffs engaged on this work. It is not practicable to issue these medals by order of units (e.g., battalions), as the names are submitted on rolls of regiments with which the men last served, although they may have qualified for the award by service with other regiments, the names of the latter being inscribed on the medals. In the cases of those who held commissioned rank, where addresses and full particulars of service are known, issue is made in the order of qualification, i.e., firstly to those who qualified by service in 1914, then in 1915, then in 1916, etc. Priority issues are, however, made in certain cases e.g., when individuals are proceeding abroad and have no permanent address at home; in the case of re-enlisted members of the Territorial Force, etc.