Mr. E. HARVEYasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a number of men now at the Royal Army Medical Corps depot, Blackpool, who volunteered in the early stages 1314W of the War expressly for this service and making written statements that the; volunteered for the Royal Army Medical Corps only, are now about to be drafted against their will, into infantry regiments; and whether he will take steps to retain for the branch for which they enlisted men who have already done good service in it and only enlisted for this work?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe Royal Army Medical Corps is a Regular corps, and met enlisted in it are liable for transfer to other corps. So far as is possible, men who originally asked to be posted to the Royal Army Medical Corps on con scientious grounds will not be sent to the Infantry if the fact is recorded in their documents. The transfers to which my hon. Friend refers were carried out in accordance with these principles.
Mr. E. HARVEYasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether lie is aware that a number of Leeds members of the St. John Ambulance Association, who responded to an appeal for home hospital orderlies in June, 1915, and again, after a year's home service, responded to an appeal for oversea service in the Royal Army Medical Corps, were informed by official circular in December, 1916, that, if they volunteered their services, they would be sent in drafts to the Royal Army Medical Corps overseas, but if they did not would be discharged and called up after thirty days under the Military Service Act, whereupon they volunteered and were sent to Blackpool for training and are now ordered to join the Infantry in spite of this promise; and whether he will take steps to redress their grievance?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONInquiries are being made, and I will inform my hon. Friend of the result as soon as I am in a position to do so.