61671-1919-Refunds-to-ex-Army-officers-and-men-entitled-to-repatriation-overseas — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, DECEMBER 19, 1919.

DESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

No. 574.

CIRCULAR.

DOWNING STREET,

25th October, 1919.

SIR,--With reference to my predecessor's Circular despatch of the 31st of January, 1917,* I have the honour to transmit for your information a copy of a letter from the War Office in regard to refunds being made to ex-Army officers and men who were entitled to repatriation overseas at the cost of Army funds, but who made their own arrangements for returning home and obtained passages at their own expense.

2. If there are any ex-soldiers in the territory under your government who made their own arrangements for return passages before the 1st of April last, after having unsuccessfully applied to the Repatriation Record Office at Winchester, or to some other Army Authority, the necessary applications will no doubt be submitted, accompanied by the information, specified in the last paragraph of the War Office letter.

I have, &c.,

The Officer Administering the Government of

HONGKONG.

MILNER.

[Enclosure in Circular despatch of 25th October, 1919.]

WAR OFFICE,

LONDON, S.W. 1,

5th September, 1919.

SIR, I am commanded by the Army Council to refer to your letters of the 10th April, 1919, 20th June, 1919, and 15th August, 1919, regarding refunds to officers and men, entitled to repatriation overseas at the cost of Army Funds, who made their own arrangements and obtained passages at their own expense.

As you are no doubt aware the demobilisation regulations were framed to allow those entitled to repatriation either to be kept on pay and be sent back at the earliest opportunity, or if they wished to defer passage for their own convenience to be demo- bilised in the United Kingdom and to apply for passage within 6 months of the date of demobilisation. In the latter case, no guarantee can be given that passage can be given at the time when the application is made, though whatever is possible is done to meet the applicant's convenience.

By the above arrangements it was hoped to meet the requirements of all classes. It would have been administratively impossible to have allowed each man to make his own arrangements and to refund the cost subsequently, and the Council are not prepared to make a general departure from the Demobilisation Regulations on this point.

It is, however, realised that in the first period of demobilisation the machinery at the Repatriation Offices at Winchester may not have been working quite smoothly, owing partly to misunderstanding on the part of some of those due for repatriation, and partly to the very heavy pressure of work at Winchester. The Council have accordingly decided that in cases in which an officer or man made his own arrangements (after applying to Winchester) owing to a mistake made by the Winchester authorities, a relaxation of the general rule may be made, and a refund granted on the basis of a round sum representing broadly what it would have cost Army Funds, had the repatriation been carried out through the usual channel. At present each case will be considered on its merits by the Inter-Departmental Repatriation Committee on which the Treasury is represented.

* Published in the Gazette of the 30th March, 1917, as Notification No. 117.