HC Deb 08 April 1919 vol 114 cc1873-4W
Mr. R. YOUNG

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that C. Barclay, W.R./506,047, Royal Engineers, Inland Water Transport Section, joined the Army about 2nd February, 1917, in Winnipeg, Canada; whether a Mr. Grantham, acting on behalf of Major Owen, recruiting officer, Drummond Buildings, Montreal, promised him the rank of quartermaster-sergeant, with pay at 5s. 8d. per day, of which an assignment of 2s. 10d. per day was to be paid to his wife; that on his arrival in England he was informed that his pay was 3s. 2d. per day, with the rank of sapper, and that his allotment would be 2s. 4d. instead of 2s. 10d. per day; that he protested against the breaking of his enlistment agreement, with the result that his pay-book was made out showing an allotment of 2s. 10d. per day, signed by Lieutenant D. H. Griffiths, Royal Engineers, Sandwich, Kent, on 7th April, 1917; that the agreed amount has never been paid, although Mr. Barclay was informed on the 3rd of October, 1918, by the Manitoba Patriotic Fund, Winnipeg, that their records, taken from the enlistment certificate, certified him as holding the rank of acting-sergeant, and that his assignment was one-half of his daily pay, and that Mr. Grantham wrote the words the allotment being one-half of daily pay 2s. 10d. on his allotment papers; and whether he will have the original allotment papers examined and the contract agreed to on behalf of the recruiting officer carried out, in justice to a soldier who left a position with good pay upon the representations of the recruiting officials?

Mr. FORSTER

I am informed that the case to which the hon. Member refers has already been carefully investigated, and it has been definitely ascertained from the recruiting authorities in Canada that Sapper Barclay was not recommended for non-commissioned rank, and that his assertions in regard to the rate of pay promised to him on enlistment proved on investigation to be without foundation. I understand that atlhough the original allotment papers showed an erroneous amount of 2s. 10d., this was altered to the correct rate of 2s. 4d. by the recruiting authorites in Canada at the time.