§ 123. Mr. Dribergasked the Secretary of State for War how many soldiers serving in Germany have married German women; how many have been refused permission to do so; how many have married without permission; how many of those who married without permission have been punished by posting to another theatre; and how many of those so posted have been free subsequently to rejoin their wives, and after what lapses of time.
§ Mr. J. R. H. HutchisonI regret that some of this information is not readily available. Since 1947 permission to140W marry a German woman has been given to 7,342 soldiers. No records of permission withheld are available before the end of 1949: in 1950 and 1951, 12 men were refused this permission. Three hundred and five cases of soldiers who have married without permission since 1948 are recorded. Posting to another theatre, where the soldier has married without permission and it has been ascertained beyond reasonable doubt that he knew that this would be a breach of regulations, has been carried out in 37 cases since this procedure was introduced in April, 1951. A soldier so posted may apply, on arrival in his new command, for his wife to join him, in the same way as any other man posted to that command.