§ Brigadier-General CROFTasked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether he is aware that, under the present proposed Regulations governing the award of the special Territorial Force medal, only those who took part in the fighting after 1st January, 1916, will be eligible for the one decoration which signifies pre-War voluntary service;
(2) whether, seeing that thousands of 1914–15 stars have been awarded to those who joined up after 4th August, 1914, and who had no pre-War service at all, the award of the Territorial Force medal is in itself a guarantee that the holder is a pre-War member of the force;
265W(3) whether, taking into account the fact that the pre-War members of the Territorial Force who were sent out to fight in the early months of the War were therefore called upon to incur suffering and casualties out of all proportion to other civilians, and in consideration of the promise he made at the Territorial Force conference last May that all pre-War members of the Territorial Force who undertook the overseas obligation and were passed fit and accepted for such service should have the medal, he will reconsider his decision?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI regret I can add nothing to the answer which I gave on the 9th March with regard to the conditions governing the award of this medal.
§ Brigadier-General CROFTasked the Secretary of State for War if he is unable to reconsider the terms of the award whether members of the Territorial Force who are eligible for the decoration, but who are debarred from it because they are eligible for the award of one of the stars, may have the option of waiving their claim to the latter in favour of the former should they so desire?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLIt is not considered desirable to adopt the hon. and gallant Member's suggestion.