Brigadier-General PALMERasked the Secretary of State for War how many prisoners taken by the Turks at Kut are still unaccounted for, and if there is still considered to be any chance of any of them being heard of?
§ Mr. FORSTERThere are in all 155 men not so far accounted for in consequence of the evacuation of Kut. Of these, definite evidence has been received, showing that eighty men were captured as prisoners of war, but have not yet been repatriated. In the cases of the remaining seventy-five no information whatever has been received other than they were presumed to have been taken prisoners of war when Kut was evacuated. It is feared that none of the prisoners still unaccounted for can have survived their captivity.
Brigadier-General PALMERasked the Secretary of State for War if he can give any information respecting Private R. Piper, No. 1643, 1/4th Wilts Regiment, attached 2nd Dorsets, Indian Expeditionary Force, reported taken prisoner at Kut; and if he is aware that repeated applications by parents to the War Office and record office have been met by silence?
§ Mr. FORSTERNo. 1463/200265 Private R. Piper, 1/4th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, attached 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment, was presumed to have been taken a prisoner of war on the evacuation of Kut, but has never been definitely reported to be a prisoner of war. The list of men found to have been taken prisoner on the evacuation of Kut has been sent to the military bases in Turkey for inquiries to be made, but no information concerning Private Piper has yet been received. I regret that an interim reply was not sent to the applicants pending the determination of the case.