Having served out PVR-porridge at Binnsworth establishing why reservists hadn't responded to requests to come and join Bliar's illegal Iraqi misadventure, I attempted to make head or tail of the baffling, ambiguous wording of the Reserve Forces Act and was unable to do so.....it is written almost with the intent to deceive.
Most often the reason for failing to respond was the complete and utter institutional incompetence prevalent in the Reservists cell, resulting in post often being sent to the wrong person and no actual signed copies of the Notices being retained....
Nor had they any proof that people who had either married or moved house had failed to notify them - as I told them, when
they moved from Barnwood to Innsworth
they didn't notify all Reservists, so any address change notices after 1991 would be few in number. In any case, people could just have notified them by phone....
When I left, I sent something back to Binnsworth stating my understanding of my liability to any future call-out or recall notice by Recorded Delivery, stating that unless I heard to the contrary within 28 days then I would consider the matter closed.
I didn't, it was!
The whole reservist liability system, Impiger my old chum, needs to be re-worded in plain English which anyone can undertand. Otherwise any solicitor would simply say "I don't understand this gobbledegook, how can you expect my client to have done so?". Set your staff the task of doing so!
Never had a reply......
