§ Sir R. Taskerasked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the widespread idea that the Territorial Army ended with the outbreak of war, he will issue a statement on the present position of the Territorial Army; and whether instructions have been issued that the letter "T" is to be removed from the uniform worn by members of the Territorial Army?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaI am glad to have the opportunity of dispelling a misconception. The Territorial Army did not end at the outbreak of war. On the contrary, in accordance with the intention announced some years ago, all expansion since the war has been based on the Territorial Army. Men who, since the outbreak of war, have volunteered for service for the duration of the war have been enlisted into the Territorial Army, while every man called up for military service under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, 1939, has been deemed to have enlisted in the Territorial Army.
Thus, the Territorial Army does exist, but, in the operational necessities of war, the whole of the Forces must constitute one Army in which each individual is placed where his attainments are of greatest use to the nation. For this reason and to avoid obvious outward distinction in the field, it was decided to suspend, during war, the wearing of the letter "T."