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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

brassards, armlets, armbands


Muerrisch

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Not quite true, they would have, I believe, authority to intervene in "the town", even if only to avoid drunks getting the army a poor reputation. Frogsmile will, I hope, have a deeper knowledge.

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On 14/02/2018 at 15:52, Jonathan D'Hooghe said:

Thank you both for your help. At this time, I assume they would have just policed the camp and the men in it and would not have had any wider jurisdiction?

 

They mounted town patrols during throwing out time (tap-to) and in Garrisons could be organised into larger detachments by each unit providing a contingent.  In general each unit with an establishment number and equipment table had a team of regimental (military) police under a Provost-Sergeant.  In addition major garrisons such as Aldershot, Colchester and the Curragh had a small detachment formed from men filling extra regimentally employed (ERE) posts.  The Garrison Provost Sergeant would often have completed colour service and be on the ‘long service’ list.  In times of war the unit police were often coordinated at formation HQ level under the Assistant Provost Marshal (APM).

Edited by FROGSMILE
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Thank you once again. Looking at the photo, it is clear that quite a number of the men are senior in age and would have many years of service.

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1 hour ago, Jonathan D'Hooghe said:

Thank you once again. Looking at the photo, it is clear that quite a number of the men are senior in age and would have many years of service.

 

Yes Jon, and that was very common.  The role suited steady, older men who knew every trick in the book.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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  • 2 weeks later...

I have recently put this on display in the Museum, hence below par photograph. I feel its worthy of inclusion here though. 

 

This Allied Police Commison Armlet was worn by the British contingent of the APC  policing Constantinople from 1918 to 1923. 

20180301_124241.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
On 7/14/2007 at 04:56, green_acorn said:

Hi,

I just saw this armband on the well known sell, buy site. Red, White, Red with the letters S.T. Apparently Ships Transport Officer, which would make sense, countries like mine, Australia, used officers in this function a lot. The seller is saying it is WW2, which is probably right, but I would contend it was then therefore based on WW1 precedence and usage.

cheers,

Chris

post-6813-1184385352.jpg

 

According to BL Davis's book on British army uniforms etc of WWII ST is for Supply & Transport Services and not exclusively to do with messing about in ships.  I have a very similar brassard which has very similar uses from both wars, but how do you differentiate between the two is the question I wish to elucidate an answer to.  My example is O for Ordnance Services.  Davis has the Red/White/Red brassard as Anti-aircraft Corps HQ, whilst the list on this thread have it as Army corps HQ.

HQ army corps staff officer Ordnance armband 1 sv.jpg

Edited by Jerry B
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Another example of the Allied Police Commission Armlet. 

 

 

APC Armlet.jpg

Maison Rouge 2.6.1921 WM.jpg

Yedi Kuli Stamboul 9.12.21 WM.jpg

Edited by Toby Brayley
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 Examples as in post #310 and #312 being worn. 

 

 

APC Group c1922 Close WM.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

"LMB" Army Service Corps, September 1913. Worsted style "MP" Armlet worn on the cuff

LMB ASC Friday september 19th 1913.jpg

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  • 6 months later...

A rather crude MP style armlet, unit unknown. 

MP Armlet.jpg

Edited by Toby Brayley
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  • 1 month later...

Army Service Corps

 

 

ASC MP.jpg

Oxs and Bucks Regimental Regimental Police. Seated is "PC" for Provost Corporal, thanks to Frogsmile for the info. 

20181222_143121.jpg.25867ba808de5fdce8f84fe6f0f05fa8.jpg

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Hi Toby

The letters appear to be proud of the cloth so may be large solid brass letters attached to the armband. A little bit unusual as I believe I’ve only seen one other image with similar letters.

regards

Dave

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Here is a Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Lance Corporal sporting large brass letters on his arm band, possibly R.P.C. (the first letter is just visible)

Sepoy

IMG_0042.jpg

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An excellent image, however I believe there’s there’s what looks like an R before the PC although you can just make out the top of the curve

regards

Dave

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Yes I think that RPC is quite possible as ‘Regimental Provost Corporal’, and agree that the R is perhaps just discernible, unless it were a button securing the armlet in place (I would expect to see the back tail of the R if I could see the curve of the top - see Oxf&Bucks above?).  

It’s very interesting to see the brass letters in use by the Buffs, as it was by 1st RWF for a great many years, although I do not know when the practice began. In the case of the latter the letters were cut from brass sheet by the battalion armourer sergeant and then smooth polished with a rotary buffer.

 

P.S.  There is a separate thread on Regimental Police that covers many of the varieties of armlet, here: 

 

Edited by FROGSMILE
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  • 1 month later...

7th Bde 25th Division brassard on blue (faded to a grey blue colour) 

 

39th Division brassard on scarlet

 

Both cut down and recovered from a decaying frame,

IMG_9776.JPG

IMG_9777.JPG

IMG_9778.JPG

IMG_9779.JPG

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  • 2 months later...

A better study of the red on black  “Armlet Expeditionary Force”. First sealed on the 12th July 1915 (8429/1915). 

armlet 1.png

armlet 2 .png

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  • 2 months later...

Garrison Military Police, Nowshera India 1913. Lots to see here including a mix of 5 and 7 button frocks on the D.L.I chaps.  Interesting GMP/Garrison Provost Sergeant badges. They are not armlets as there is no strap, they appear to be held on with hook and eyes

 

256092203_IndiaGMP1913DLI.jpg.1c50ddfcb4b6c380de636099b3d6d8b1.jpg

672956957_IndiaGMP19131.jpg.8bdeabfdbf5de3ee2e44f1208037140a.jpg

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Superb picture, Toby.  I have never seen that type of armband before, despite numerous photos of similar groupings.  I agree that as with the sergeant’s stripes they are secured in place by hooks and eyes, a method of fixture that it’s sometimes forgotten was very common at that time for a variety of purposes connected with clothing, including mess dress vests and some types of patrol jacket.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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