§ Mr. GANZONIasked the Under-Secretary for War whether he is aware that officers of reserve Territorial battalions holding temporary commissions recently granted, especially captains and first lieutenants, are being drafted abroad to join their first-line battalions who have been in the fighting line for months, and are there retaining their temporary rank and pay, to the obvious prejudice and loss of those officers of permanent but lower rank already abroad; and whether he will 1282W take steps to prevent the continuation of this practice?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe rule is that officers drafted from the battalions at home to join the battalion abroad assume the order of precedence which their date of joining entitles them to, reverting if necessary to a lower rank. Reversions are carried out on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief and are of frequent occurrence. If the hon. Member has any particular case in mind perhaps he will furnish me with the details.