Regimental police

[the-5th-kings]

Hi

Can anyone help with information about this photo of the 1/5 King's (Liverpool) Regiment about 1914.

It looks to me like they are all wearing RMP on the lower right arm. How many RMP's would there have been with the 1/5th

Colin

[FROGSMILE]

Hi

Can anyone help with information about this photo of the 1/5 King's (Liverpool) Regiment about 1914.

It looks to me like they are all wearing RMP on the lower right arm. How many RMP's would there have been with the 1/5th

Colin

It was usually a sergeant, a corporal and 4 privates/Lance Corporals, one per company. This could be increased by the commanding officer as required by seconding additional men from their companies. In more enlightened battalions suitable men were rotated through these appointments to prevent them being seen as a cushy number and also to stop the men who were acting as R(M)Ps losing sight of their origins and getting above themselves.

[the-5th-kings]

So in the photo it looks like a corporal and 4 privates.

I know who 1 of them is but would there be any records of who the RMP's were.

Thank you

Colin

[FROGSMILE]

So in the photo it looks like a corporal and 4 privates.

I know who 1 of them is but would there be any records of who the RMP's were.

Thank you

Colin

Yes the sergeant, known as the Provost Sergeant, was clearly elsewhere when the photo was taken.

It is doubtful that you would find a list of the names retained. The only real chance would be if the unit's war diary happened to mention them, and that would only be done if they had become involved in something significant enough to record.

[millie231]

Millie, the photo is notable in showing two older men and two youngsters of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) and as you say that your GGF was a reserve I am guessing that he is the man with the medal ribbons seated at right. Generally each regiment had two Regular Battalions, one or two Reserve Battalions ( Special Reserve and Extra Reserve - before 1908 Militia battalions), and several Territorial Force Battalions (part-timers).

It was common for some of the men who had completed the Regular part of their contract ('engagement' in Army terms) to spend some portion of the Reserve part by 're-enlisting' in one of the one/two Reserve Battalions (Special and Extra), as this gave them better remuneration (cash retainer). These older men, who could ordinarily stay until the age of 42 (longer in wartime), would complete their annual three to four week camp and assist with the training of the other element of the Special Reserve, younger men (often rustic teenagers) who were also undergoing their annual training.

The Reserve Battalions (usually 3rd and 4th) were organised in a similar way to the Regulars, and broken down into companies (up to 8 before 1915) and a Battalion HQ. Within the latter was the guardroom staff, which comprised a Provost Sgt, a Corporal (or sometimes Lance Corporal) and 5 or 6 Privates. The function of these men was the exact same as explained earlier in this thread at post No22. They were known as the Regimental (Military) Police Staff. Much later the term 'military' was dropped to avoid confusion with the newly formed Corps of Military Police.

The NCOs of the R(M)P staff usually wore the arm band on the opposite arm to the privates, and you can see that with the Lance Corporal in your photo. This was the most common practice, but each regiment could adopt its own preference, as long as it was 'uniform' within the unit. I suspect that the arm bands (worn low down near the cuff at that time), were secured with safety pins (or similar) through the cloth on the underside. The role of R(M)P was often one well suited for the 'steady', older soldiers who could (usually) set a good example to the youngsters.

Upon mobilisation, the Reserve units were formed up (mobilised) at the regimental depot (Shrewsbury for KSLI) and continued training individual reservists while guarding vulnerable points in Britain. The Special/Extra Reserve units remained in Britain throughout WW1, but many of their peripatetic rank and file did not, since the object of the special reserve was to supply drafts of replacements (the youngsters in your photo) for the overseas units of the regiment. The older Reservists gradually retired or were moved to other roles, and the battalions became training units pure and simple.

Long time since I continued with my research, and I now have another question....sorry! Which in the picture do you think the Lance Corporal is? Any idea what the ribbons on the man on the right might be?

Thank you xx

[FROGSMILE]

Long time since I continued with my research, and I now have another question....sorry! Which in the picture do you think the Lance Corporal is? Any idea what the ribbons on the man on the right might be?

Thank you xx

The Lance Corporal is the man far left as you look at the photo, you can see that he has a single stripe on each arm to indicate this. The ribbons on the man at far right are almost certainly from the 2nd Anglo/Boer War (King's and Queen's South Africa Medal) and he probably has a 1911 coronation medal too.

[FROGSMILE]

On 25 July 2012 at 00:23, Chief_Chum said:

I have several photographs of Suffolk Regimental Policemen through the ages but this one is causing some head-scratching.

It is part of a photograph showing a Recruiter with two young recruits at the Depot Gate between the wars but I would love to know what this Corporal has on his cuff-band.

Have any of you come acrross Great War brassards with similar markings? Any ideas?

 

I've only just seen this, Chief Chum. The letters are PC, as in Provost Corporal.  In between the letters is a larger version of the castle collar badge favoured by the Suffolk Regt.  Their bandsmen wore a very similar badge on band pouches (aka 'music cases').

[themonsstar]

[FROGSMILE]

On 11/05/2022 at 00:24, themonsstar said:

 

Thank you for posting this fine image of a Garrison Military Policeman in a hot climate(perhaps somewhere like Egypt). The soldiers selected for that role were usually automatically given the appointment and authority of lance corporal, so ambitious men would sometimes volunteer for the duty.  In peacetime it was usually a requirement that at least one good conduct badge was in possession as a marker of good standing.  It was a temporary duty and men usually returned to their parent unit after a period of service in the role.

Note the Regimental Provost Sergeant at far right on the bench in the photo below.

Edited 13 May , 2022 by FROGSMILE