Catalogue description Claims Commission: Minutes

The Claims Commission was set up by Army Order 183 of 1940 to:

• a) deal with claims at home made by or against the War Department in respect of personal injury or damage to property arising from the acts of military or civilian personnel for whom the department was responsible, arising out of accidents (including traffic accidents) to persons or property, pillage, looting, theft, explosions of ammunition and shooting, fires and damage to lands and crops caused during training and manoeuvres;
• b) advise the Army Council on regulations designed to minimise accidents and damage;
• c) supervise and co-ordinate the work of any claims commissions set up to deal with claims in any theatre of war in which British forces were present;
• d) keep records of all claims and payments; and
• e) where necessary to consult and instruct the Treasury Solicitor, and his equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland, regarding claims falling within the jurisdiction of the Commission.

The commission also dealt with claims by the War Department in respect of similar damage to its property. The members of the commission included representatives of outside bodies such as the Accident Offices Association. An assistant director of claims was appointed to each home command to deal with claims other than those concerning damage to land or crops, which were dealt with by compensation officers attached to corps.

Although originally established as a wartime body the Claims Commission continued after the Second World War. From 1946 it assumed responsibility for dealing with claims against other departments arising from traffic accidents (it had dealt with claims arising from Air Ministry and Royal Air Force traffic accidents at home since 1942). In 1949 the Claims Commission and Lands Branch of the War Office were constituted as a Directorate of the War Office under the comptroller of lands and claims, although the two continued to operate independently. At this time responsibility for claims arising from the use of land returned to the Lands Branch.