§ Captain C. Smithasked the Secretary of State for War whether he has con- 258W sidered the case of a soldier, number 14675882, which was the subject of a letter from the hon. and gallant Member for Colchester on 15th January, 1946; whether he will make a statement on the circumstances in which this man was arrested; what charge was made against him; what his medical category is; and where he now is.
§ Mr. LawsonThis soldier was arrested on 8th November, 1945, and despatched to his unit on the following day. He appeared before his Commanding Officer on 14th November and was remanded for District Court Martial. He was tried by District Court Martial at Lichfield on 23rd November, 1945, on a charge of whilst on active service being absent without leave from 18th November, 1943, until 8th November, 1945. He was found guilty and sentenced to one year's detention. The soldier escaped from a Military Detention Barrack on 5th December, 1945, and is still absent. At the time of his escape he was in medical category B2.