51171-1917-Silver-badge-awarded-to-officers-and-others-who-have-left-the-Army-owing-to-physical-disability — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, MAY 11, 1917.

DESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

No. 206. The following despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies is published, by command.

Any enquiries regarding it should be addressed to the Colonial Secretary.

11th May, 1917.

CIRCULAR.

A. G. M. FLETCHER, Colonial Secretary.

DOWNING STREET,

20th March, 1917.

SIR,I have the honour to inform you that the King has been pleased to approve of a silver badge being awarded to officers, soldiers, nurses, and certain civilians who have left the Army owing to physical disability incurred by military service.

2. I enclose a copy of the original notification describing the badge, and also a copy of a pamphlet issued by the Army Council containing the conditions governing the issue of the badge. I would invite your attention to the paragraph on page 4 of the pamphlet in which the procedure for applicants who have served in the forces of a Colony or Protectorate is laid down.

3. The Army Council have decided that the minimum period of time during which a soldier shall have served with the colours since the 4th of August, 1914, in order to be eligible for the badge shall be seven days.

I have, &c.,

The Officer Administering the Government of

WALTER H. LONG.

HONGKONG.

[Enclosure I in Circular despatch dated 20th March, 1917.]

SERVICE BADGES.

54/Gen. No. 2330.

A silver badge of the Imperial Cipher, pierced, within a circle. The circle bears the words For King and Empire--Services Rendered." Each badge to bear a serial

number.

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(1) To be awarded to those officers and soldiers who, having served at home or abroad since 4th August, 1914, have, for age or physical incapacity, retired, relinquished their commissions, or been discharged from the Service, such incapacity being due to wounds or to sickness caused by military service.

(2) The award to include all troops -British, Indian and Colonial.

(3) To be worn only with plain clothes on the right breast or on the right lapel

of the jacket.

(4) To be accompanied by a certificate bearing the same serial number. The

certificate always to be in possession when the badge is worn.

(5) The badge will also be awarded to members of Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service, Regular, Reserve and Territorial Force, Queen Alexandra's Military Nursing Service for India, and members of Volun- tary Aid Detachments who have quitted the Service under the conditions noted in (1).

Also to civil practitioners regularly appointed to perform military duties and to other civilians who have occupied positions normally held by officers or other ranks of the Royal Army Medical Corps under a fixed agreement for a period of service, who have been forced to resign from physical incapacity caused by military service.