§ General Sir IV OR PHILIPPSasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the Royal Warrant on the rank of officers, published as Army Order 35, of 1915, applied on its issue to the rank of brigadier-general, when it was decided to revert to the older Regulation that brigadier-generals should rank according to their substantive rank and not according to the date of their appointment; and will he give the date and text of any Order or Instruction on the subject issued by the Army Council?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONArmy Order 35 did not apply to the rank of brigadier-general, whose relative seniority between themselves is determined by their seniority in their permanent rank, under paragraph 224, King's Regulations. Army Order 35 merely placed temporary officers, Special Reserve officers, and Territorial Force officers on the same footing, from the 5th August, 1914, as Regular officers. There was no "reversion"; the old Regulation was never altered.
§ Sir I. PHILIPPSasked the Undersecretary of State for War if he will give the dates and text of all Orders and Instructions issued by the Army Council 288W since the issue of the Royal Warrant on rank of officers, published as Army Order 35, of 1915, regarding the ranking of officers of all ranks of the Regular Army, the Special Reserve, the Territorial Force, and the New Armies?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI will send my hon. and gallant Friend copies of Army Orders 73 of 26th January, 1915, and 201 of 11th May, 1915. The former deals with the precedence of Reserve officers and the latter with officers holding temporary rank below that of colonel.
§ Sir I. PHILIPPSasked what date is taken as the date of the substantive rank of a brigadier-general of the New Armies who is not an officer or ex-officer of the Regular Army, and who holds no substantive commission and yet has to rank with other brigadiers according to their substantive rank?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONIf he has held during the War a lower rank than brigadier-general,e.g., the command of a battalion, his precedence would be determined by the date of such rank, but if he has been appointed direct to the rank of brigadier-general, he remains junior to any who have held junior ranks and subsequently become brigadier-generals.
§ Sir I. PHILIPPSasked what amendments, if any, have been made to the Royal Warrant on rank of officers published as Army Order 35, of 1915; and when such amendments were made?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONNo amendments have been made to this Army Order.