§ Mr. Hoggasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the complaints of Signals units serving in the S.E.A.C. that they have been obliged to outstay their period of overseas service owing to the lack of replacements; and whether he has any statement to make.
§ Sir J. GriggThe Commander-in-Chief in India informed the War Office that he had no alternative but to postpone repatriation under Python of Signals personnel for some months owing to operational necessity, as maintenance of vital communications on this expanding and far-flung front depended on the arrival of replacements of Signals units before departure of men for repatriation. General Auchinleck has told me that every case where repatriation of men under the Python scheme has to be postponed owing to operational necessity is referred to him personally, and a decision is made only after the most careful consideration. I recognise the strong feeling in this House and amongst the troops that everything possible should be done to reduce the overseas tour in the Army, but the Python scheme has always been subject to military necessity and only Commanders-in-Chief can be the judges of this.
The War Office have in fact despatched in the last three months to India and S.E.A.C. more than twice as many Signals personnel as have been returned from those theatres. But the expanding needs of operations to which I have referred, together with the reductions in the period of overseas service to which the War Office are working as I explained to the House on 26th September, have made the situation more difficult, especially as regards 379W Signals personnel. But the Commander-in-Chief India has personally assured me that under present arrangements all Signals personnel with 3 years 8 months overseas service at the end of this year should have embarked for home by April, 1945. The situation has been explained to all Signals units in India Command in a personal letter by General Auchinleck, and Admiral Mountbatten has also made a personal statement to the troops in the South-East Asia Command.
§ Mr. G. Hutchinsonasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is now able to make any statement with regard to the future organisation of the Army welfare services in India and the S.E.A.C.
§ Sir J. GriggI am afraid the answer is "Not for a little while yet."