corisande Posted 4 May , 2018 Share Posted 4 May , 2018 I was sent this photo, which I think is of a police group in the Gold Coast , but they look very military. The service history of the white man in the centre (I have his full history) makes me think it is police Can anyone help with itentification ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 4 May , 2018 Share Posted 4 May , 2018 (edited) The look like the Gold Coast Regiment (constabulary) men here - https://goo.gl/images/VdvGnT Caveat - I know nothing about them but what the picture looks. Craig Edited 4 May , 2018 by ss002d6252 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 4 May , 2018 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2018 Craig Thanks. The problem I have (apart from knowing nothing about the regiments/police in Gold Coast at that time) is that they look too heavily armed to be police, but I don't know if the British armed the colonial police to the teeth. Therefor I don't know if this is a British regiment of West African soldiers. Or a group of armed police Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 4 May , 2018 Share Posted 4 May , 2018 From what I can find they were armed pretty much as soldiers for colonial policing and then used as soldiers later. Quote The regiment was formed in 1879 as the Gold Coast Constabulary, from personnel of the Hausa Constabulary of Southern Nigeria, to perform internal security and police duties in the British colony of the Gold Coast. In this guise, the regiment earned its first battle honour as part of the Ashanti campaign.[1] The Gold Coast Constabulary was renamed in 1901 as the Gold Coast Regiment, following the foundation of the West African Frontier Force, under the direction of the Colonial Office of the British Government. The regiment raised a total of five battalions for service during the First World War, all of which served during the East Africa campaign. During the Second World War, the regiment raised nine battalions, and saw action in Kenya's Northern Frontier District, Italian Somaliland, Abyssinia and Burma as part of the 2nd (West Africa) Infantry Brigade Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 4 May , 2018 Share Posted 4 May , 2018 This may be a better help - http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0032258X3200500111 Apparently in 1894 a separate civilian police force was formed and the constabulary were retained as a military force. In 1901 they were formed in to a more military like group along with artillery support. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 4 May , 2018 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2018 Craig I am very grateful for that, it is very helpful as to who the police were Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 4 May , 2018 Share Posted 4 May , 2018 2 minutes ago, corisande said: Craig I am very grateful for that, it is very helpful as to who the police were I quite liked the idea of a police force with artillery support ! Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 4 May , 2018 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2018 Yes, the RIC would probably have liked that support in 1920 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NRP.HKP Posted 25 July , 2018 Share Posted 25 July , 2018 A clue to identification is the duty armband worn on the lower left sleeve by members of the Rank and File,( you may recall this was a British Police item not all that many years ago ) and which was adopted by many of the Colonial Police Forces, and the Shanghai Municipal Police.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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