§ Captain W. BENNasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he has power to recommend the posthumous award of a Distinguished Flying Cross; whether he has considered the circumstances in which Lieutenant Douglas Blaxland Thompson, who was killed in action, was awarded this decoration; and whether he will recommend the presentation of this decoration to this gallant officer's next of kin?
Captain GUEST:The answer to the first part of the question is that the Air Ministry has no power to recommend the posthumous award of any decoration except the Victoria Cross. With regard to the second part, no award was made in the case of Lieutenant Thomson, nor can any recommendation by his commanding officer be traced. The practice, which is the natural corollary of the answer to the first part of the question, is that if an officer be recommended for the award of a decoration, and is afterwards killed, the decoration, if granted, is presented to his next of kin. If, however, he be killed before any recommendation has been made, nothing further can be done.