HC Deb 15 June 1945 vol 411 c1894W
Mr. De Chair

asked the Secretary of State for War what modifications he has been able to make in the terms on which officers and other ranks invalided out of the Army as a result of wounds are notified of their discharge; and on the question of their wearing uniform after discharge while attending E.M.S. hospitals under Ministry of Pensions arrangements.

Sir J. Grigg

The decision that an officer must be invalided out of the Army is reached on a finding that he is permanently unfit for service, whatever the cause of his disability may be. The instrument under which he is invalided is the Royal Warrant for Pay and Promotion, and in order to meet the point raised in the first part of the Question the expression used in the notification letter to each officer, and in the notice in "The London Gazette," has been altered from "ill-health," which was used in peacetime, to "disability" which is the expression used in the Pay Warrant. In the case of other ranks, the expression used on the discharge certificate is "ceasing to fulfil Army physical requirements," which calls for no alteration. It was carefully chosen so as to avoid prejudicing the man's chance of obtaining employment in civil life after discharge. He is entitled to a wound stripe for wounds received in action which he may wear on plain clothes.

As regards uniform it has been decided that officers who have relinquished their commissions or who have been relegated to unemployment should be allowed to wear uniform if they wish to while they are undergoing treatment in hospital as in-patients and until they are discharged. Instructions about this have recently been issued.