Chapter II.

Men.

Division I.

Enlistment and Discharge, etc., of Men.

Original enlistment.

53. —(1) (a) A person (including a minor) may be enlisted as a man of the Permanent Defence Force for service for a period of twelve years or for such less period as may from time to time be prescribed, but not for any longer period, and the period for which a person enlisting under this section is enlisted is in this Act referred to as the term of his original enlistment.

(b) The Minister, in special cases or classes of cases, may direct that where a boy is enlisted under this section before attaining the age of eighteen years the period of twelve years mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be reckoned from the day on which he attains the age of eighteen years.

(2) The enlistment of a person under this section shall be as follows, either—

(a) for the whole of the term of his original enlistment in the Permanent Defence Force, or

(b) for such portion of the term of his original enlistment as may from time to time be prescribed and as is specified in his attestation paper in the Permanent Defence Force and for the residue of the said term in the Reserve Defence Force.

54. —A person (including a minor) may during a period of emergency be enlisted as a man of the Permanent Defence Force to serve for that period of emergency in the Permanent Defence Force.

55. —(1) (a) A person (including a minor) may be directly enlisted to serve as a man of the Reserve Defence Force for a period of twelve years or for such less period as may from time to time be prescribed, but not for any longer period, and the period for which a person enlisting under this section is enlisted is in this Act referred to as the term of his original enlistment.

(b) The Minister, in special cases or classes of cases, may direct that where a boy is enlisted under this section before attaining the age of eighteen years the period of twelve years mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be reckoned from the day on which he attains the age of eighteen years.

(2) The enlistment of a person under this section shall be for the whole of the term of his original enlistment in the Reserve Defence Force.

(3) A person enlisted under this section shall be enlisted for service in a particular class of reservists.

Proceedings for enlistment.

56. —(1) The Minister may make regulations (in this Act referred to as recruiting regulations) in relation to all or any of the following matters, that is to say:—

(a) the appointment and duties of recruiters;

(b) the persons authorised to enlist recruits for the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force;

(c) the manner in which recruits are to be enlisted;

(d) the forms to be used for the purposes of enlistment;

(e) the persons to be enlisted;

(f) the enlistment of recruits for service in a particular service corps;

(g) the enlistment of recruits in the Reserve Defence Force for service in a particular class of reservists;

(h) any other matter in relation to proceedings for enlistment.

(2) Recruiting regulations shall provide for the completion by a person enlisting in the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force of an attestation paper in the prescribed form and the signing by such person of such attestation paper and the verification of his signature.

57. —Every person enlisting in the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force shall be enlisted in accordance with recruiting regulations.

58. —(1) Every person enlisting in the Permanent Defence Force under section 53 shall take an oath or make a declaration either in the form set out in Part I of the Eighth Schedule to this Act or in the form set out in Part II of the said Schedule.

(2) Every person enlisting in the Permanent Defence Force under section 54 shall take an oath or make a declaration either in the form set out in Part I of the Ninth Schedule to this Act or in the form set out in Part II of the said Schedule.

(3) Every person enlisting in the Reserve Defence Force under section 55 shall take an oath or make a declaration either in the form set out in Part I of the Tenth Schedule to this Act or in the form set out in Part II of the said Schedule.

(4) The oath or declaration mentioned in subsection (1), (2) or (3) of this section shall be taken or made before a prescribed officer.

(5) The oath taken or declaration made in pursuance of this section by a person enlisting in the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force shall bind such person to serve in accordance with his engagement and the tenor of such oath or declaration until he is legally discharged.

59. —Every person enlisting in the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force shall, upon—

(a) signing a declaration affirming such particulars in relation to himself as may be required by his attestation paper and of his willingness to fulfil the engagements set out in the said attestation paper, and

(b) complying with section 58,

be deemed to be enlisted as a man of the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force (as the case may be), and, for the purposes of this Act, the date of the attestation of such person shall be the date on which he signs the said declaration and complies with section 58.

Appointment to service corps.

60. —(1) Recruits may, in pursuance of regulations from time to time made by the Minister, be enlisted for service in a particular service corps, but save as provided in such regulations (if any) recruits shall be enlisted for general service.

(2) The prescribed military authority shall as soon as practicable appoint a recruit, if enlisted for service in a particular service corps, to that service corps and, if enlisted for general service, to some service corps.

61. —(1) This section applies only to men of the Permanent Defence Force enlisted under section 53.

(2) The following provisions shall apply in respect of a man of the Permanent Defence Force enlisted for general service—

(a) in case his service as a man of the Permanent Defence Force in the service corps in which he is for the time being serving is less than ten years, he may be transferred by order of the prescribed military authority to another service corps,

(b) in case his service as a man of the Permanent Defence Force in the service corps in which he is for the time being serving is ten years or more, he may be transferred by order of the prescribed military authority to another service corps, if, but only if,—

(i) he consents to such transfer, or

(ii) a proclamation authorising the calling out of reservists on permanent service is for the time being in force.

(3) Where a man of the Permanent Defence Force is enlisted for service in a particular service corps, he may be transferred by order of the prescribed military authority to another service corps, if, but only if, he consents to such transfer.

(4) The provisions of this section shall have effect subject to subsection (2) of section 296.

Assignment of reservists to classes of reservists.

62. —(1) A reservist enlisted under section 55 for service in a particular class of reservists shall be assigned by the prescribed military authority to that class of reservists.

(2) A reservist who for the time being belongs to a particular class of reservists may, with his own consent, be assigned by the Minister to another class of reservists.

Variation of engagement, re-engagement and continuance in service.

63. —(1) (a) This subsection applies to a man of the Permanent Defence Force who is enlisted under section 53.

(b) The Minister may by regulations vary the conditions of service of a man to whom this subsection applies so as to permit him, with the consent of the Minister:—

(i) to enter the Reserve Defence Force at any time for the residue unexpired of the term of his original enlistment, or

(ii) to extend his service in the Permanent Defence Force for all or any part of the residue unexpired of the term of his original enlistment.

(c) A man to whom this subsection applies, with the consent of the Minister, may, if the term of his original enlistment is less than twelve years, extend, in accordance with regulations made by the Minister, the term of his original enlistment up to a period of twelve years or any shorter period.

(d) Where a man to whom this subsection applies extends the term of his original enlistment under this subsection, any subsequent reference in this Act to the term of his original enlistment shall be construed as a reference to the term of his original enlistment as so extended.

(2) (a) This subsection applies to a reservist who, having been enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force under section 53, has been transferred to the Reserve Defence Force under section 70.

(b) A reservist to whom this subsection applies, with the consent of the Minister, may, if the term of his original enlistment is less than twelve years, extend, in accordance with regulations made by the Minister, the term of his original enlistment up to a period of twelve years or any shorter period.

(c) Where a reservist to whom this subsection applies extends the term of his original enlistment under this subsection, any subsequent reference (including the reference in subsection (3) of this section) in this Act to the term of his original enlistment shall be construed as a reference to the term of his original enlistment as so extended.

(3) (a) This subsection applies to a reservist who, having been enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force under section 53, has been transferred to the Reserve Defence Force under section 70.

(b) The Minister may by regulations vary the conditions of service of a reservist to whom this subsection applies so as to permit him, with the consent of the prescribed military authority, to re-enter the Permanent Defence Force for all or any of the residue unexpired of the term of his original enlistment.

(4) Regulations under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) or under subsection (3) of this section may be expressed to be applicable generally or in specified cases only.

64. —Subject to any regulations from time to time made by the Minister, a man of the Permanent Defence Force enlisted under section 53 may, after the expiration of nine years reckoned, in case he is a man to whom a direction under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 53 was given, from the day on which he attained the age of eighteen years or, in any other case, the date of his attestation, on the recommendation of his commanding officer and with the approval of the prescribed military authority, be re-engaged for such further period of service in the Permanent Defence Force as will make up a total continuous period of twenty-one years' service reckoned as aforesaid and inclusive of any period previously served in the Reserve Defence Force.

65. —(1) The Minister may, as respects men of the Permanent Defence Force who have completed a total continuous period of twenty-one years' service or (by virtue of any continuance in service under this subsection) more in the Defence Forces and who desire to continue to serve in the Permanent Defence Force, by regulations provide for their continuance in service in the Permanent Defence Force.

(2) Where a man of the Permanent Defence Force is continued in service for a particular period under subsection (1) of this section, he may be continued as a man of the Permanent Defence Force for that period in the same manner in all respects as if his term of service were still unexpired.

66. —(1) This section applies to a reservist who is enlisted under section 55.

(2) A reservist to whom this section applies, with the consent of the Minister, may, if the term of his original enlistment is less than twelve years, extend, in accordance with regulations made by the Minister, the term of his original enlistment up to a period of twelve years or any shorter period.

(3) Where a reservist to whom this section applies extends the term of his original enlistment under this section, any subsequent reference in this Act to the term of his original enlistment shall be construed as a reference to the term of his original enlistment as so extended.

67. —Subject to any regulations from time to time made by the Minister, a reservist may, after the expiration of nine years reckoned, in case he is a man to whom a direction under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 53 or paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 55, was given, from the day on which he attained the age of eighteen years or, in any other case, the date of his attestation, on the recommendation of his commanding officer and with the approval of the prescribed military authority, be re-engaged for such further period of service in the Reserve Defence Force as will make up a total continuous period of twenty-one years' service reckoned as aforesaid and inclusive, in case he enlisted under section 53, of any period previously served in the Permanent Defence Force.

68. —(1) The Minister may, as respects reservists who have completed a total continuous period of twenty-one years' service or (by virtue of any continuance in service under this subsection) more in the Defence Forces and who desire to continue to serve in the Reserve Defence Force, by regulations provide for their continuance in service in the Reserve Defence Force.

(2) Where a reservist is continued in service for a particular period under subsection (1) of this section, he may be continued as a reservist for that period in the same manner in all respects as if his term of service were still unexpired.

Transfer to Reserve Defence Force and discharge.

69. —Where a man of the Permanent Defence Force enlisted under section 53 deserts or absents himself without leave, whether once or oftener, then, save as may be otherwise prescribed, each period commencing on the date on which he deserts or absents himself without leave and ending on the date on which he next surrenders himself or reports back for duty or is apprehended (as the case may be) shall be excluded in reckoning his service in the Permanent Defence Force for the purposes of this Act.

70. —(1) This section applies only to men of the Permanent Defence Force enlisted under section 53.

(2) In reckoning the service of a man of the Permanent Defence Force for the purposes of transfer to the Reserve Defence Force or discharge from the Permanent Defence Force, his service shall, subject to section 69, be reckoned from, in case he is a man in respect of whom a direction has been given under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 53, the date on which he attains the age of eighteen years or, in any other case, the date of his attestation.

(3) (a) Every man of the Permanent Defence Force, upon completion of the period of his service with the Permanent Defence Force, if shorter than the term of his original enlistment, shall, subject to the provisions of this subsection, be transferred in the prescribed manner to the Reserve Defence Force,

(b) Where the time at which a man of the Permanent Defence Force would, by virtue of paragraph (a) of this subsection, be entitled to be transferred to the Reserve Defence Force occurs while a proclamation authorising the calling out of reservists on permanent service is in force, the following provisions shall have effect—

(i) he shall continue to serve as a man of the Permanent Defence Force for such further period (not exceeding the period during which the proclamation is in force) as the prescribed military authority may decide,

(ii) on the expiration of such further period—

(I) in case the term of his original enlistment has expired and he has not been re-engaged under section 64 or continued in service under section 65, he shall be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force with all convenient speed,

(II) in any other case, he shall be transferred in the prescribed manner to the Reserve Defence Force.

(c) Where a man of the Permanent Defence Force is required by this subsection to be transferred to the Reserve Defence Force—

(i) he shall until so transferred be subject to this Act as a man of the Permanent Defence Force,

(ii) upon such transfer, he shall, subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, become and be a man of the Reserve Defence Force for the period unexpired of the term of his original enlistment,

(iii) if, during the said period, he re-enters the Permanent Defence Force under subsection (3) of section 63, then, he shall from the date of such re-entry become and be again a man of the Permanent Defence Force in like manner in all respects as if he had not been so transferred to the Reserve Defence Force.

(4) (a) Subject to this subsection, every man of the Permanent Defence Force, upon completion of the term of his original enlistment or the period of his re-engagement under section 64 or the period of his continuance in service under section 65, shall be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force with all convenient speed.

(b) Where the time at which a man of the Permanent Defence Force would, by virtue of paragraph (a) of this subsection, be entitled to be discharged occurs while a proclamation authorising the calling out of reservists on permanent service is in force, he shall continue to serve as a man of the Permanent Defence Force for such further period (not exceeding the period during which the proclamation is in force) as the prescribed military authority may direct, and at the expiration of such further period shall be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force with all convenient speed.

(5) Subsections (3) and (4) of this section shall have effect subject to subsection (3) of section 296.

(6) Where a man of the Permanent Defence Force is transferred to the Reserve Defence Force or discharged under this section, he shall be entitled to be conveyed free of cost from the place where he is so transferred or discharged to the place where he appears from his attestation paper to have been resident when attested or to any place at which he may at the time of his transfer or discharge decide to take up his residence and to which he can be conveyed without greater cost.

71. —(1) Every man of the Permanent Defence Force enlisted under section 54 to serve for a period of emergency shall upon the expiration of that period of emergency be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force with all convenient speed.

(2) Where a man of the Permanent Defence Force enlisted under section 54 is discharged under this section, he shall be entitled to be conveyed free of cost from the place where he is discharged to the place where he appears from his attestation paper to have been resident when attested or to any place at which he may at the time of his discharge decide to take up residence and to which he can be conveyed without greater cost.

72. —(1) In reckoning the service of a reservist for the purposes of discharge from the Reserve Defence Force, his service shall, subject, if he was transferred to the Reserve Defence Force under section 70, to section 69, be reckoned from, in case he is a man in respect of whom a direction has been given under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 53 or paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 55, the date on which he attains the age of eighteen years or, in any other case, the date of his attestation.

(2) (a) Subject to this subsection, every reservist, upon completion of the term of his original enlistment or the period of his re-engagement under section 67 or the period of his continuance in service under section 68, shall be discharged from the Reserve Defence Force with all convenient speed.

(b) Where the time at which a reservist would, by virtue of paragraph (a) of this subsection, be entitled to be discharged occurs while a proclamation authorising the calling out of reservists on permanent service is in force, he shall continue to serve as a reservist for such further period (not exceeding the period during which the proclamation is in force) as the prescribed military authority directs, and at the expiration of such further period shall be discharged from the Reserve Defence Force with all convenient speed.

(c) Paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection shall have effect subject to subsection (2) of section 297.

(3) Where a reservist is discharged under this section and immediately before his discharge stood called out on permanent service, he shall be entitled to be conveyed free of cost from the place where he is discharged to the place which was his registered place of abode when he was called out on permanent service or to any other place at which he may at the time of his discharge decide to take up his residence and to which he can be conveyed without greater cost.

Discharge otherwise than on completion of service.

73. —The Minister or any officer authorised by the Minister in that behalf may, for prescribed reasons, direct the discharge of a man from the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force (as the case may be).

74. —A reservist who becomes a member of either House of the Oireachtas shall thereupon stand, by virtue of this section, discharged from the Reserve Defence Force.

75. —(1) A man shall be entitled, except during a period of emergency, to his discharge from the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force by purchase as may be prescribed.

(2) Where—

(a) a man at any time within three months after the date of his attestation pays to the Minister such sum (not exceeding twenty-five pounds) as the Minister may fix and applies to be discharged, and

(b) such payment and application are not made during a period of emergency,

such person shall be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force (as the case may be) with all convenient speed.

(3) Where—

(a) a person has enlisted, and

(b) a period of emergency commences within three months after the date of his attestation, and

(c) such person within three months after the termination of the period of emergency pays to the Minister such sum (not exceeding twenty-five pounds) as the Minister may fix and applies to be discharged,

such person shall be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force (as the case may be) with all convenient speed.

76. —(1) Where—

(a) a person under the age of eighteen years is enlisted without the consent in writing of his parent, and

(b) the parent of such person applies within three months after the date of such person's attestation to the commanding officer or the Minister for the discharge of such person,

such person shall be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force (as the case may be) with all convenient speed.

(2) In this section, the word “parent”, in relation to a person (in this subsection referred to as the recruit) who was under the age of eighteen years at the date of his attestation, shall be construed in accordance with the following provisions—

(a) subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, the word means the person (in this subsection referred to as the legal guardian) having the legal custody of the recruit at that date;

(b) (i) if at that date there was no legal guardian, or

(ii) if, owing to the absence from the State of the legal guardian or for any other reason, the recruit was not at that date living with or in the actual custody of the legal guardian,

then, the word means the person with whom the recruit was living or in whose actual custody he was at that date.

77. —Where—

(a) a person under the age of twenty-one years is enlisted, and

(b) such person is at the date of his attestation bound for a period of not less than two years under an indenture of apprenticeship, and

(c) the master of such person, within one month after the date of his attestation, pays to the Minister such sum (not exceeding five pounds) as the Minister may fix, produces the said indenture to the commanding officer of such person and applies to the said commanding officer for the discharge of such person,

such person shall be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force (as the case may be) with all convenient speed.

Status of unenlisted person in receipt of pay as a man and of persons informally enlisted.

78. —(1) Where a person—

(a) has accepted pay as a man of the Permanent Defence Force, and

(b) has neither been attested nor re-engaged as a man of the Permanent Defence Force,

the following provisions shall have effect—

(i) such person may at any time claim his discharge, and on such claim being made he shall be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force with all convenient speed, and

(ii) until such claim is made and such person is actually discharged in the manner prescribed by regulations made under section 81, he shall be subject to this Act as a man of the Permanent Defence Force duly enlisted and attested or re-engaged.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall apply in respect of a person who has accepted pay, a grant or other payment as a reservist and has neither been attested nor re-engaged as a reservist, subject to the modification that references to the Permanent Defence Force shall be construed as references to the Reserve Defence Force.

79. —(1) Where there has been an error (not being a material error) in the enlistment, attestation, re-engagement or continuance in service of a person as a man of the Permanent Defence Force, such error shall not invalidate his enlistment, attestation, re-engagement or continuance in service and may be corrected by direction of the Minister.

(2) Where—

(a) a person has been attested, re-engaged or continued in service as a man of the Permanent Defence Force, and

(b) there has been any material error or any illegality in his enlistment, attestation, re-engagement or continuance in service (as the case may be), and

(c) such person has after the date of his attestation, re-engagement or continuance in service (as the case may be) accepted pay as a man of the Permanent Defence Force, and

(d) such person, within three months after he first so accepted pay, claims his discharge on the ground of such error or illegality,

then the following provisions shall apply—

(i) such person shall be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force with all convenient speed;

(ii) during the period commencing on the date of his attestation, re-engagement or continuance in service and ending on the date on which he is discharged in the manner prescribed by regulations made under section 81 he shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to be a man of the Permanent Defence Force.

(3) Where—

(a) a person has been attested, re-engaged or continued in service as a man of the Permanent Defence Force, and

(b) there has been any material error or any illegality in his enlistment, attestation, re-engagement or continuance in service (as the case may be), and

(c) such person has after the date of his attestation, re-engagement or continuance in service (as the case may be) received pay as a man of the Permanent Defence Force, and

(d) such person does not, within three months after he first so accepted pay, claim his discharge on the ground of such error or illegality,

then such person shall, notwithstanding such error or illegality, be deemed for the purposes of this Act to have been duly attested and enlisted or re-engaged or continued in service as a man of the Permanent Defence Force.

(4) Where—

(a) a person has been attested, re-engaged or continued in service as a man of the Permanent Defence Force, and

(b) there has been any material error or any illegality in his enlistment, attestation, re-engagement or continuance in service (as the case may be), and

(c) such person has not after the date of his attestation, re-engagement or continuance in service (as the case may be) accepted pay as a man of the Permanent Defence Force,

the following provisions shall have effect—

(i) such person may at any time claim his discharge, and on such claim being made he shall be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force with all convenient speed, and

(ii) until such claim is made and such person is actually discharged in the manner prescribed by regulations made under section 81, he shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to be a man of the Permanent Defence Force.

(5) Subsections (2), (3) and (4) of this section shall apply in respect of a person who has been attested, re-engaged or continued in service as a reservist, subject, however, to the following modifications, that is to say:—

(a) references to the Permanent Defence Force shall be construed as references to the Reserve Defence Force, and

(b) references to pay shall be construed as references to pay, a grant or other payment.

General provisions as to discharge.

80. —Where a man is required by section 70, 71, 72, 75, 76, 77, 78 or 79 to be discharged, the prescribed military authority shall order the discharge of such man from the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force (as the case may be).

81. —(1) A man shall not be discharged from the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force except in pursuance of—

(a) a direction under section 73, or

(b) an order of the prescribed military authority under section 80, or

(c) a sentence of discharge with ignominy from the Defence Forces or of discharge from the Defence Forces imposed by a court-martial.

(2) The Minister may make regulations as to the manner in which and the persons by whom the discharge of men is to be carried out.

(3) Until the discharge of a person who is a man of the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force is carried out in accordance with regulations made under subsection (2) of this section, such person shall remain a man of the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force (as the case may be).

(4) Subsections (1), (2) and (3) of this section shall not apply to a reservist discharged by virtue of section 74.

82. —Where a man is discharged from the Permanent Defence Force or the Reserve Defence Force, there shall be given to him or sent to him to his last registered place of abode or to the address indicated by him on discharge a certificate of discharge in such form and containing, in relation to him, such particulars as may be prescribed.

83. —(1) All moneys payable in respect of the discharge of men shall be collected and taken in such manner as the Minister for Finance shall from time to time direct and shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in accordance with the directions of the Minister for Finance.

(2) The Public Offices Fees Act, 1879, shall not apply in respect of any moneys payable in respect of the discharge of men.

Division II.

Promotion of Men to Higher Non-Commissioned Rank and Reduction in Rank of Non-Commissioned Officers.

84. —(1) The Minister or any officer authorised by him in that behalf may promote—

(a) any man holding a non-commissioned army rank to a higher substantive non-commissioned army rank,

(b) any man holding a non-commissioned naval rank to a higher substantive non-commissioned naval rank.

(2) The Minister or any officer authorised by him in that behalf may for a prescribed reason reduce—

(a) a non-commissioned officer holding a substantive non-commissioned army rank to a lower substantive non-commissioned army rank,

(b) a non-commissioned officer holding a substantive non-commissioned naval rank to a lower substantive non-commissioned naval rank.

(3) (a) A non-commissioned officer shall not be reduced in rank under subsection (2) of this section unless and until the reason for the proposed reduction has been communicated to him and such non-commissioned officer has been given a reasonable opportunity of making such representation as he may think proper in relation to the proposed reduction.

(b) Paragraph (a) of this subsection shall not apply during a period of emergency or in respect of a non-commissioned officer who is on active service.

(4) The Minister or any officer authorised by him in that behalf may promote—

(a) any man holding a substantive non-commissioned army rank or an acting non-commissioned army rank to a higher acting non-commissioned army rank,

(b) any man holding a substantive non-commissioned naval rank or an acting non-commissioned naval rank to a higher acting non-commissioned naval rank.

(5) The Minister or any officer authorised by him in that behalf may direct that—

(a) a non-commissioned officer holding an acting non-commissioned army rank shall revert to his substantive non-commissioned army rank or to an acting non-commissioned army rank higher than his substantive non-commissioned army rank,

(b) a non-commissioned officer holding an acting non-commissioned naval rank shall revert to his substantive non-commissioned naval rank or to an acting non-commissioned naval rank higher than his substantive non-commissioned naval rank.

(6) The following—

(a) any promotion under subsection (1) or (4) of this section,

(b) any reduction under subsection (2) of this section,

(c) any reversion under subsection (5) of this section,

shall take effect as from such date as the authority making the promotion or reduction or directing the reversion shall fix.