CO129-407 - Public Offices & Others - 1913 — Page 149

A

Any further communication on this subject should be addressed to-

The Secretary,

War Office,

London, S.W..

and the following number quoted.

23/4709.

(A.G.2.b.Service).

Sir,

C.O.

982

118

RECO

RFGP 9 JAN 13,

War Office,

8th

London, S.W.

January, 1913.

丝

24034

I am commanded by the Army Council to

acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 5th

August, 1912, forwarding a despatch from the Officer

Administering the Government of Hong Kong, regarding the

transfer of eleven Non-Commissioned officers of the 1st

Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, to the

Police Force of that Colony, and in reply to inform you

that they will raise no objection to a free discharge

being granted for this purpose in the case of any of

these Non-Commissioned Officers who have completed their

first period of limited engagement and who are serving

on to complete 21 years' service. The Council however

regret that they have no power to sanction the discharge

of any soldier with less than 12 years' service for the

purpose of taking up Police employment unless he is

willing to pay the sun laid down in the Royal Warrant

for Pay and Promotion for the purchase of his discharge.

The Council presume that suitable arrangements

will be made by the local authorities to provide for the

passage to the United Kingdom of these Non-Commissioned

Officers and their families if any, on their employment

e Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office,

London, S.W.

in

May