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Unit History: Royal Military Police (Volunteers)

The Royal Military Police is a branch of the British Army responsible for providing a military police presence on service property, operations and excercises and for the policing of service personnel. The members tend to be known as Redcaps because they wear red topped berets.

The Provost Marshal is an officer in charge of the military police. This position dates back to 1241, when Henry III of England appointed William of Cuningham. However, an official military police service was not established until 1877. In 1926, they became the Corps of Military Police and were awarded the acolade ’Royal’ after their services in the Second World War and gained the title the Corps of Royal Military Police.

The service has been involved in a number of conflicts throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Memories of Royal Military Police (Volunteers)

(Memories written by members of Forces Reunited)

Royal Military Police (Volunteers), Gillman Barracks, Singapore in 1963

Written by Rodgé JONES

200[Singapore]Pro Coy RMP was the worst mistake of my life. My CO 43rd & 52nd pleaded with me as the then Provost Cpl not to make the transfer. The rest is academic. In my view the RMP are the pits and deserve all that comes to them, they have no compassion or enmity with the soldiers and seek only to fulfil an arrest target which i gladly was NOT party to in any way, hence my demise after only TWO years. I could never forget my role as a Chosen-man.

Royal Military Police (Volunteers), in 1963

Written by Tony Stanley

When stationed with 247 Berlin) Pro Coy one of my duties was located at Checkpoint Charlie, situated in the American Sector. I was fortunate to be the only RMP NCO on duty at the Checkpoint when the President of the United States, John F Kennedy visited the Berlin Wall. Would have liked to have had photos to record the occasion but so far, no luck.