§ General Sir IVOR PHILIPPSasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether officers, non-commissioned officers, and men taken prisoners during the German offensive in 1918, and against whom there is no question of any misconduct, but, on the contrary, who held on to their positions when other troops retired, receive the gratuity according to their permanent rank in the Army and not according to the temporary rank they held at the time of their capture, although they may have held such temporary rank for many months and even years, while others who have only recently been promoted to temporary rank draw the gratuity of that higher rank?
§ Mr. FORSTERNo. Sir, prisoners of war did not relinquish temporary rank on capture. They are therefore subject to the same conditions as other officers and men as regards the calculation of the gratuity.