§ Mr. STEWARTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether certain Mercantile Marine officers with acting naval commissions were temporarily lent to the Foreign Office and, while acting on the Skibotn route in 1918, succeeded in preventing much valuable material originally dispatched to our Russian Allies being secured by the Germans, who nearly succeeded in capturing it during the trouble in Finland; whether the material, of a value of about £7,000,000, was removed under very trying climatic conditions and at great risk to those effecting it; whether this service has received, or will receive, 1378W any special recognition either in the way of honour or of salvage reward; and, if not, can the case be further considered?
§ Dr. MACNAMARACommander Day, R.N.R., Paymaster-Lieutenant F. Burke, R.N.R., and Sub-Lieutenant J. K. Storey, R.N.R., were lent to the Restriction of Enemy Supplies Department in January, 1918, for the purpose of recovering certain, stocks originally destined for Russia which were then lying on the Skibotn route on the Finnish Norwegian frontier, it being feared they would fall into the hands of the Germans. Owing to Commander Day's energy and initiative the greater part of the stores was recovered, and he was thanked by the Restriction of Enemy Supplies Department for carrying out his duties in a most able and efficient manner, and was awarded the O.B.E. That Department, however, was unable to entertain a claim for salvage of the stores. Appreciation was also expressed to Paymaster-Lieutenant F. Burke, R.N.R. I am advised that no further action by the Admiralty is contemplated.