The British Military Funding

The British Military Funding

The Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) is a British charity. It is the British Army's national charity. The charity provides financial and practical support to soldiers, former soldiers, and their families in times of need. The ABF works with Regimental and Corps Associations and other Service charities. They identify and investigate eligible cases in "real need", and provide them with financial support. Dependent on voluntary donations, the ABF must currently raise around £5.5 million each year to continue its vital work with members of the British Army Family. The American branch of the ABF, set up in 2006, is the British Army Benevolent Fund America (BABFA). BABFA aims to raise awareness of the charity's work amongst the many supporters and ex-pats in America and to raise funds. The Charity works with regimental charities and acts when further help is need that they cannot provide. (John Sallow 2007 PP. 212)

In 2000, government spending in the UK was a little less than £360 billion and government revenues a little more than £370 billion. Today the cases that attract most attention are those where a government employs special military services to help it in a conflict. For a number of years it has been the British Government's policy to outsource certain defence functions. Notably, a significant proportion of training of the Armed Forces is already undertaken by civilian contractors or with their participation The question of employing private military companies in wider roles for the UN is something which needs debate. As the military authorities in the United Kingdom had informed the government that internment on islands in close proximity to Great Britain was open to serious objection from the point of view of national security, the considered opinion of the government was that it would be far better if internment could be effected in some more distant area. The High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in Australia was therefore asked to ascertain whether, in the circumstances, His Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of Australia would be prepared to accept German and Italian internees and arrange for their detention, and if so, the maximum number which could be accepted on the condition that all expenditure on account of transport and maintenance would be borne by the United Kingdom Government. 

The Military Board gave urgent consideration to this request and recommended to War Cabinet that the United Kingdom authorities be informed that the Commonwealth Government agreed to accept a total of 6000 (including internees and prisoners of war) from Great Britain. War Cabinet concurred in the recommendation and a cable was despatched early in July 1940 advising acceptance of the proposal and requesting details of nationalities and sexes of internees and the probable date of despatch from the United Kingdom. (Nagl, John. 2008 249 p.)

Only one shipment of internees was received in Australia under this arrangements; comprising 2542 males (2342 Germans and 200 Italians). These internees were transferred on the “Dunera” which departed from England on 10 Jul the request ...