Assistant Provost Martial - Uniform/Insignia

[Philip64]

I understand that each British infantry division had its own Assistant Provost Martial (APM), usually with the rank of Major. But I can't find any information on the appropriate uniform: ie distinguishing insignia, ribbons etc. (I think it likely that red was involved somewhere) Can anyone help me? I'd like to know how readily a British APM would be recognisable from his uniform.

Any help much appreciated.

[daggers]

Philip

That 'M' is for Marshal, not Martial. Expect an answer to your query shortly.

D

[FROGSMILE]

He wore regimental dress, as his cap badge could be any, although usually from the combat arms and very often cavalry, or infantry. Depending upon the formation level (Army, Corps, Division) he was distinguished by a staff officers red tabs on his collar and (usually) a part red, part black arm band with the letters APM in red on the black part, although there were other variations and dark blue could be used in lieu of red. He stood out quite clearly, but only by means of his armlet.

[Philip64]

That's very helpful, thank you - and prompt!

My understanding is that, once the need to expand military police numbers became apparent, some men were recruited directly from the civilian police into the military police. A very niggling question, I know, but in such cases would they have had a formal regimental affiliation too? In other words, did all Divisional Assistant Provost Marshals serve in regular units first?

[FROGSMILE]

That's very helpful, thank you - and prompt!

My understanding is that, once the need to expand military police numbers became apparent, some men were recruited directly from the civilian police into the military police. A very niggling question, I know, but in such cases would they have had a formal regimental affiliation too? In other words, did all Divisional Assistant Provost Marshals serve in regular units first?

You must not get confused between military policemen and staff officers with a provost function. APMs had to be experienced army officers, ideally with operational/combat experience and were only extremely rarely military policemen and certainly not as a rule civilian policemen. They were usually older men unfit for the rigours of the trenches, but employed for their great experience.

At that time there was no direct entry and military policemen were always recruited from other parts of the army so that they had had experience of soldiering and soldiers beforehand. Only during the war, with the need to expand quickly and also deal with some specialised and unfamiliar roles such as, e.g. dockyard policing, was direct entry advocated on the basis of sheer pragmatism. As soon as the war was over, it was ceased.

If you carry out a forum search for 'military police' in this section you will be able to read and learn a lot more.

[Old Owl]

I wonder if infact there may have been other requirements for an officer to be appointed to the position of APM?

I have had for many years a 1914/15 Star Trio to Captain WIlliam Miles Morant, 7th D.L.I, who was Kia 11/4/18. Educated at Durham School his biography contains the following details:

"--son of Mr W.G.Morant, Chief Constable of the County Of Durham---He passed the Solicitors' Final Examination in 1913, and received an appointment as a Solicitor on the staff of Sir Charles H.Matthews, Bart., K.C.B., Director of Public Prosecutions, at the Home Office. On the 7th September, 1914, he was gazetted to the 7th D.L.I., and went to France in April, 1915, where he served for three years. After some hard fighting in France and Belgium, he received an appointment as Assistant Provost Marshal, first at Le Havre and later at Dunkirk. In 1917 he rejoined his Battalion, and was killed in action at Merville on 11th April, 1918, on his 26th birthday."

He certainly was an experienced officer, but I wonder if his legal training may have had some bearing on his appointment?

He wears the 'red tabs' of a staff officer in his portrait.

Robert

[spof]

Robert

The way I read that is he was APM in the Deopts at Le Havre and Dunkirk for a period before rejoining his unit. Could have been working with the Provost Marshall for a while until he was returned to his unit?

Glen

[Philip64]

You must not get confused between military policemen and staff officers with a provost function. APMs had to be experienced army officers, ideally with operational/combat experience and were only extremely rarely military policemen and certainly not as a rule civilian policemen. They were usually older men unfit for the rigours of the trenches but employed for their great experience.

At that time there was no direct entry and military policemen were always recruited from other parts of the army so that they had had experience of soldiering and soldiers beforehand. Only in the war, with the need to expand quickly and also deal with some specialised and unfamiliar roles such as, e.g. dockyard policing, was direct entry advocated on the basis of sheer pragmatism. As soon as the war was over, it was ceased.

If you carry out a forum search for 'military police' in this section you will be able to read and learn a lot more.

Thank you. This is extremely helpful. I will do as you suggest.

I wonder if infact there may have been other requirements for an officer to be appointed to the position of APM?

I have had for many years a 1914/15 Star Trio to Captain WIlliam Miles Morant, 7th D.L.I, who was Kia 11/4/18. Educated at Durham School his biography contains the following details:

"--son of Mr W.G.Morant, Chief Constable of the County Of Durham---He passed the Solicitors' Final Examination in 1913, and received an appointment as a Solicitor on the staff of Sir Charles H.Matthews, Bart., K.C.B., Director of Public Prosecutions, at the Home Office. On the 7th September, 1914, he was gazetted to the 7th D.L.I., and went to France in April, 1915, where he served for three years. After some hard fighting in France and Belgium, he received an appointment as Assistant Provost Marshal, first at Le Havre and later at Dunkirk. In 1917 he rejoined his Battalion, and was killed in action at Merville on 11th April, 1918, on his 26th birthday."

He certainly was an experienced officer, but I wonder if his legal training may have had some bearing on his appointment?

He wears the 'red tabs' of a staff officer in his portrait.

Robert

Thank you. Very interesting and helpful.

[FROGSMILE]

I wonder if infact there may have been other requirements for an officer to be appointed to the position of APM?

I have had for many years a 1914/15 Star Trio to Captain WIlliam Miles Morant, 7th D.L.I, who was Kia 11/4/18. Educated at Durham School his biography contains the following details:

"--son of Mr W.G.Morant, Chief Constable of the County Of Durham---He passed the Solicitors' Final Examination in 1913, and received an appointment as a Solicitor on the staff of Sir Charles H.Matthews, Bart., K.C.B., Director of Public Prosecutions, at the Home Office. On the 7th September, 1914, he was gazetted to the 7th D.L.I., and went to France in April, 1915, where he served for three years. After some hard fighting in France and Belgium, he received an appointment as Assistant Provost Marshal, first at Le Havre and later at Dunkirk. In 1917 he rejoined his Battalion, and was killed in action at Merville on 11th April, 1918, on his 26th birthday."

He certainly was an experienced officer, but I wonder if his legal training may have had some bearing on his appointment?

He wears the 'red tabs' of a staff officer in his portrait.

Robert

Yes this is an example of an officer from a war-raised 'Service Battalion' and as the army grew in size to the biggest it had ever been, before or since, then the need for staff officers with appropriate experience became acute and more difficult to fulfil. Military law was at that time very different from civil law (a little less so now following reforms), but even so a man who understood and was familiar with the basic precepts of legal principles would have been very useful to a Divisional Commander and he would also have been able to find his way around the Manual of Military Law.

I imagine that he saw some hard fighting and needed a break from the front line after 3-years of trench warfare and it would have been a natural staff position for him as the APM. Also his length of service at regimental duty would have prepared him almost as well as a Regular would have been in ordinary circumstances. I can easily envisage how after a period of staff duties he might well have longed to return to the simple certainties and comradeship of the front line. It is, as so often a sad story, to learn that it led to him meeting his end.

[Philip64]

I wonder if infact there may have been other requirements for an officer to be appointed to the position of APM?

I have had for many years a 1914/15 Star Trio to Captain WIlliam Miles Morant, 7th D.L.I, who was Kia 11/4/18. Educated at Durham School his biography contains the following details:

"--son of Mr W.G.Morant, Chief Constable of the County Of Durham---He passed the Solicitors' Final Examination in 1913, and received an appointment as a Solicitor on the staff of Sir Charles H.Matthews, Bart., K.C.B., Director of Public Prosecutions, at the Home Office. On the 7th September, 1914, he was gazetted to the 7th D.L.I., and went to France in April, 1915, where he served for three years. After some hard fighting in France and Belgium, he received an appointment as Assistant Provost Marshal, first at Le Havre and later at Dunkirk. In 1917 he rejoined his Battalion, and was killed in action at Merville on 11th April, 1918, on his 26th birthday."

He certainly was an experienced officer, but I wonder if his legal training may have had some bearing on his appointment?

He wears the 'red tabs' of a staff officer in his portrait.

Robert

Very interesting and, of course, sad. The position of APM sounds so senior, it's still troubling to realise that this APM, even after years in the front line, was still in his early twenties when taking up the post. I don't suppose the portrait in question is viewable on-line anywhere? It would be great to see it.

[FROGSMILE]

Very interesting and, of course, sad. The position of APM sounds so senior, it's still troubling to realise that this APM, even after years in the front line, was still in his early twenties when taking up the post. I don't suppose the portrait in question is viewable on-line anywhere? It would be great to see it.

Yes, he was young and there is no doubt that the median age of company officers dropped in 1914-15 only to climb steadily again after the losses at Ypres, Loos, the Somme and Paschendaele.

The APM was an important post, but at the second level, GSO2, of jobbing staff officers within a formation headquarters. The others were GSO1 and GSO3.

[EastSurrey]

T.H.Westmacott was an A.P.M.; with the Indian cavalry in France and then 24th Division. His interesting papers, especially on the murder of a tyrannical Indian N.C.O, and the Great Retreat in 1918,are at IWM.Michael

[Old Owl]

Very interesting and, of course, sad. The position of APM sounds so senior, it's still troubling to realise that this APM, even after years in the front line, was still in his early twenties when taking up the post. I don't suppose the portrait in question is viewable on-line anywhere? It would be great to see it.

Phillip,

I'm not sure that his portrait is available on line, but if you send me your email address via a PM, then I can send you a copy over.

Robert

[Philip64]

T.H.Westmacott was an A.P.M.; with the Indian cavalry in France and then 24th Division. His interesting papers, especially on the murder of a tyrannical Indian N.C.O, and the Great Retreat in 1918,are at IWM.Michael

Sounds fascinating. As soon as they reopen the place I will take a look.