§ Major Sir B. FALLEasked the Secretary of State for War if the officers of the regiments now or shortly to be under orders for Russia, will be given an allowance in money for the purchase of suitable kits; if officers and men are to undergo a special medical survey; if all the men are volunteers for service in Russia, or merely volunteers for foreign service; are the battalions being sent entire units, or are the officers and men being drafted from definite units into composite 618W battalions; and are the composite battalions to take their titles from the units their officers belong to or from the men of a particular battalion forming a majority in the composite battalion or from those men who represent the senior regiment in the Army in that composite battalion?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe only special kit necessary is warm clothing for winter. This will be issued in kind, if, and when, the need arises.
The troops for Russia are in two distinct forces, No. 1 and No. 2 Relief Forces, and have been formed under somewhat difficult conditions as regards the Infantry, as follows:
No. 1 Relief Force.—When this force was decided upon, two Infantry battalions were required at very short notice. The quickest and most economical plan was to take the two Regular battalions at the top of the roster for foreign service after the War. This fell upon the2nd Hampshire Regiment and the 1st Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. They were due to go abroad and complete their foreign tour in two years.
It was impracticable to complete the establishment entirely from men of the two battalions in question, owing to the fact that a considerable portion of them have not completed the furlough to which they are entitled. It was therefore arranged as a temporary measure to draw upon other regiments in the district concerned; the battalions still to have head quarters and one company of Hampshire Regiment and Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, respectively, the remaining companies to be from other regiments, and to be relieved as soon as the requisite number of Hampshire Regiment and Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry were forthcoming, and sent to Russia as drafts.
Thus the first force (Hampshire and Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry) consists entirely of Regular serving soldiers supplemented to some extent by personnel serving for the Army of Occupation period only, who have definitely volunteered for this service. As the numbers come forward from the Hampshire Regiment and Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry the personnel from other regiments will gradually be relieved until these battalions are complete with their own men, all Regular serving soldiers.
The second Russian Relief Force consists entirely of volunteers, with the ex- 619W ception of a few Regular soldiers whom it has been necessary to include. All these men have been medically examined and passd fit for general service (Category "A (1)") in Russia.
The titles of the battalions of Infantry of the two forces are
1st Relief Force—2nd Hampshire Regiment, 1st Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry.
2nd Relief Force—45th Royal Fusiliers, 46th Royal Fusiliers.
The reason for the titles of the two battalions for the second Relief Force being as stated is that, for Record Office purposes, it is necessary that these battalions should form part of an existing regiment, and the regiment chosen is the most suitable from an administrative point of view.