§ 163. Mr. Nallyasked the Secretary of State for War if he will cause an immediate investigation to be made into the complaints of certain men of the 13th Parachute Regiment alleging that, as a consequence of the Kluang court martial proceedings, adverse and unwarranted comments as to personal character have been inserted in their discharge papers.
§ Mr. BellengerInvestigations are being made and if a soldier's military conduct or character has been wrongly assessed the necessary amendment will be made.
164. Mr. H. D. Hughesasked the Secretary of State for War how many members of the 13th Parachute Battalion whose court martial was quashed have subsequently been penalised by segragation on military transports, transfer to infantry regiments with loss of pay, or adverse reports on release leave certificates, etc.
90W
§ Mr. BellengerI am not aware of any special segragation on board ship but I am making inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend. All men in the Parachute Battalion of which the paratroopers referred to were members, were surplus to the requirements of the Army Air Corps, as a result of the normal reduction in that Corps. There is therefore no question of penalisation in the men's transfer back to their former Corps. Loss of parachute pay inevitably follows on a normal transfer of this nature to another arm. With regard to the last part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a similar Question today by my hon. Friend the Member for Bilston (Mr. Nally).