Letter: Our K-For soldiers

Sir: Two particular problems that will face the British members of K-For need to be thought about in advance.

The first is keeping the soldiers happy, especially sexually. Each is a very fit and highly trained fighting man who as weeks, if not months and years go by, will find himself with time on his hands in a country with beautiful girls and, because of recent events, a shortage of unattached local young men.

The temptation to get involved with the local girls will be immense. How unwanted pregnancies are to be avoided will lie partly in giving our soldiers good education in contraception; but even better, providing them with fairly frequent opportunities to come home for a few days R&R.

The second is the differing pay received by national contingents of K- For. The Americans will be highly paid, the British adequately paid, the Russians lucky if they get paid at all. The Italians, French and Germans will be somewhere in between.

Would it be too difficult to arrange for each soldier, whatever army he hails from, to receive the same pay locally, with any excess banked in his own country? The matter should certainly be discussed and dealt with before it becomes a source of strife and discontent.

THOMAS STAPLETON MD FRCP

High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire