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The Origin Of The Canadian Provost Corps The Canadian Military Police Corps by Sgt-Maj ( retired Major) Donald A. (Don) Tresham, CD |
 
This article; "The Origin Of The Canadian Provost Corps, The Canadian Military Police
Corps" (CMPC) was prepared by the late Sergeant-Major (MWO retired) Donald A.
(Don) Tresham, CD of Ottawa, a former member of the Canadian Provost Corps.
Don researched and wrote this article for publication in the former Canadian Provost
Corps Association Newsletter, Watchdog; to be printed in a series of parts,
with the first part being published in the second edition of the Watchdog,
dated: 31 March 1980.
After his distinguished career with the Canadian Provost Corps and the Canadian Forces Security Branch (Military Police) Don subsequently, went on to achieve the rank of Major in the Reserves. He was one of the architects of the former Canadian Provost Corps Association, serving in various capacities on the executive, including the office of the President. Sadly, Don passed away in Ottawa on the 29 December 2001 and subsequently received his final posting to that Big DB In The Sky. He is fondly remembered by all of his former Provost and Military Police colleagues. |
It is thought that the Anglo-French word Provost is derived through
the old English Pafost, from the Latin Praefectus,
which has always implied one in authority. It is believed that the Provost
Marshal was first appointed by the King, probably during the thirteenth century
as an assistent to the Earl Marshal of England, in order to relieve that officer of the
disciplinary side of his military duties. The Provost Marshal's role included the enforcing
of Royal Writs, summoning of Feudal Barons to honour their obligations of military
service to the King and enforcing the King's peace in military assemblies and camps;
plus, the enforcement of military discipline in the field.
There are many references made to the Provost Marshal in Henry VIII's
Articles Of War of 1513 and the duties performed by the Provost
Marshal and his Provost men or Tipstaves as they were
called.
In 1557 a Provost Marshal was given a HQ War Establishment of 1 Chaplain,
2 Judges, 2 Goalers and 2 Hangmen, so it is not difficult to figure out what his duties
consisted of and to say the least; he was not beloved. The Provost
Marshal was allotted pay of I pound per day which in those days was an extremely
high rate of pay.
Overseas the Provost Marshal was not forgotten. In the Colonial Empire there
were semi-permanent and permanent Provost Marshals. The earliest known
provision of a permanent Provost Marshal was for the Colony of Virginia in
1611; others that are recorded include: St. Helena 1687, Gibraltar 1724 and various
appointments throughout India in the eighteenth century.
During the Napoleonic Wars and in particular, the Peninsular War, there was a notable
importance placed on the role of the Provost Service and as a result it was
expanded in size and allotted new tasks. Besides a Provost Marshal for each
Army, there were many Assistant Provost Marshals recruited from the
supporting arms and services and distributed throughout each Army. In addition,
Provost Sergeants were appointed to command small detachments of Police. The
Provost Service also got support from two newly formed organizations, those
being The Corps of Mounted Guides (1809-1820) and The Staff Corps of Cavalry
(1811-1820). These organizations were formed to support and supplement the
Provost Service and their specific duties included: route reconnaissance, acting
as interpreters, provision of dispatch riders and orderlies and to act as Military Police.
During the long period of peace after the Napoleonic Wars, the Provost Service
sank into insignificance. In 1829 the title Provost Marshal General was
discontinued and in 1844, Queens Regulations laid down that the rank of the Provost
Marshal would only be that of Captain.
Although the rank of the Provost Marshal was down graded to that of Capt by
Queens Regulations of 1844, the need for a Provost Service was recognized. It
was decided that the Provost Marshal would be stationed at Aldershot, England
and that one of his duties would be to train as Military Police, men who volunteered
for such employment. On completion of their training these men would be employed on
police duties or on staff of the military prisons.
Gradually, the men employed on staff of the Military prisons, lost touch with those
who acted as Military Police and in later years, a separate Corps was formed to
handle military prisons. This is today known as The Military Provost Staff
Corps.
The men employed on police duties, required more specialized training and a separate identity
and so in 1855, the Corps of Mounted Police was formed as a separate permanent Corps of
the British Army. Its original establishment was very small, consisting of 1 officer, 1 Sgt, 1 Cpl
and 18 Privates. The Corps was recruited from Cavalry Regiments and the Cavalry Depot.
However, all members of the Corps remained on the muster rolls of the parent Regiments. It
was recognized that being a policeman meant extra responsibilities and long hours and in
recognition, each Cpl and Pte was given an extra shilling a day and the Sgt was given an extra
shilling and six-pence, which in 1855 was a generous allowance.
In 1865 the Corps was reorganized as The Corps of Military Mounted Police, (MMP).
A detachment of MMP served overseas during the Egyptian and Sudan
Campaign of 1882-84 and a Foot Police detachment was raised in Egypt to met the
local requirements of the field force.
In 1885 the Foot Police that had been raised in Egypt became a regular Corps as
The Corps of Military Foot Police, (MFP). The establishment in 1885 of the
Military Police was, MMF 75 other ranks, MFP 90 other ranks.
Both Corps came under command of the Provost Marshal.
By 1899, War Establishments and Equipment Tables etc; had been allotted to the
Military Police. In the Boer War (1899-1902) the War Establishments were, 12
MMP and 12 MFP with each GHQ, 12 MMP with each
Cavalry Division or 4 MMP with each Cavalry Brigade. 12
MFP with each Infantry Division or 4 MFP with each Infantry
Brigade and 16 MFP with Lines of Communications Troops. In all about
200 members of the military police served in South Africa from 1899 to 1902 and it was
the first time that a military police organization had been deployed operationally in numbers,
during a military campaign.
Canada, from its birth on 1 July 1867, to-date, has adopted the military posture of
maintaining a small permanent regular force, complemented by a larger citizen militia in peace
time. In times of hostilities the militia is called upon to mobilize and provide the number
required to meet the threat. Because of this posture, Canada never had a permanent military
police organization until after World War 2. (The Canadian Provost Corps from
1940 - 45 were an Active Service Force).
From 1867 to 1917, Military Police in Canada, as a Corps, did not exist.
In the Permanent Regular Force, policing was handled by regimental or unit police with
trial by military authorities. In the Non-Permanent Active Militia, policing was again
carried out by regimental or unit police. The powers of Commanding Officers were quite limited
and Civilian Magistrates were called upon to handle serious military offences. However, Canada
did have a para-military police force, the North West Mounted Police, later the
RNWMP and RCMP. The NWMP was modeled after the Royal
Irish Constabulary, a force of trained cavalrymen with powers of peace officers. Military
discipline and deportment were paramount and in many ways it resembled the Corps of
Mounted Police that became part of the British Army in 1855.
In 1869-70, Sir John A. MacDonald, the Prime Minister of Canada, wanted a para-military
police force to control the vast Canadian North West. In 1870-71, Lt F.W. Butler, a British
Army Officer, was dispatched to survey the North West and recommend a force. Lt Butler
recommended a force of 100-150 men, military trained and under command of a Magistrate or
Commissioner. A second survey was conducted in 1872 by Colonel Robertson Ross, the
Adjutant General of the Canadian Militia. Col Ross recommended a para-mililtary police
force of 550 all ranks, based on the establishment of a Cavalry Regiment.
On receipt of this information, Sir John A. MacDonald presented a plan for a force of soldier
policemen patterned after The Royal Irish Constabulary and on 23 May 1873 an act
was passed establishing the North West Mounted Police.
Since its organization in 1873, The North West Mounted Police and its successors,
The Royal North West Mounted Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police have
contributed much to Canada's military efforts, directly and indirectly, to establishing a
Canadian military police force. Some of their major contributions are listed below:
There is no doubt that many members of the NWMP, RNWMP and RCMP,
as individuals, contributed much to the organization of an effective Military Police
Force in Canada and Overseas. Many held appointments as Provost Officers
and Provost Men while serving in the Canadian Army; long before the birth of the
Canadian Provost Corps on 15 June 1940.
On 15 Oct. 1917, the Canadian Military Police Corps was organized. (General
Orders No. 93 and 94, 1917 refer). These Orders authorized the formation of detachments
of Military Police organized into a Corps. The Minister of Defence stated that the
majority (at least two-thirds) of the personnel should be composed of Men already
enlisted in the forces and so, far as possible, soldiers who had served overseas at the front.
The original establishment was as follows:
Thirty four members of the CMPC were to be mounted and receive mounted pay
of 200 per diem. The establishment provided for 34 horses. The Provost Marshal was to
be a Colonel, with the DAAG as a Lt. Colonel. APMs were to be
Majors and DAPMs Captains. It was further authorized that 25% of the
Corporals could be made Acting Sergeant without pay and 50% of the
Lance Cororals could be made Acting Corporal without pay. There was no
establishment for Privates. Canadian Expeditionary Force Routine Orders, dated
25 April 1918, set out the condition for transfer into the CMPC. They were as
follows:
The CMPC was organized into 13 Detachments. Two of these Detachments, No. 8
and 9, served with the Canadian Corps in the field. The Detachments were as follows:
On 4 December 1917, Lt Colonel G. Godson, DSO was appointed temporary
Colonel and Provost Marshal, Dominion of Canada. As Provost Marshal Col.
Godson was given the power and authority to:
In 1917 the official designation of the CMPC was Military Police CEF
and, as such, had unit status.
By Order in Council PC No. 722 of 22 March 1918 and CEF Routine Order No. 486
dated 25 April 1918, all detachments of Military Police CEF were converted into
a Corps to be known as Canadian Military Police Corps.
To further improve the efficiency of the CMPC a school of instruction, known as
the CMPC School, was established at Ottawa on 1 June 1918 and an
APM was appointed Commandant. The Military Police course offered at
the school was of 3 weeks duration. The school operated these courses until March 11,
1919, at which time the courses were discontinued and the CMPC School was
closed.
On 31 May 1918 an Order in Council was passed transferring the Special Force of Dominion
Police (780 all ranks), originally formed on 8 Jan 1918 to assist the Militia Dept, from the
Justice Dept. to the Militia Dept. This force was placed under the command and control of the
Provost Marshal and was officially known as the C14PC Civil Branch. The main
task of the Civil Branch of the CMPC was the apprehension of absentees and
those who failed to register under the Mobilization Act. By Oct. 1918 the Civil
Branch had increased to 969 all ranks.
In some cases the combined strengths of the CMPC Military and Civil Branches
were not great enough to enforce the Mobilization Act. This was a serious problem in
Quebec. To solve this problem, large numbers of Infantry and Cavalry were attached for duty
with the CMPC.
In Oct. 1918 it was necessary to send a force of 937 CMPC and attached Cavalry to
Chicoutimi, Quebec to round up defaulters under the Mobilization Act.
To give you some idea of the magnitude of the work done by the CMPC in Canada
from 1 June 1917 to 31 October 1918, 1 have listed some statistics below:
In 1918 it was found necessary to establish an APM's office in New York City. This
appointment was the British Assistant Provost Marshal, New York. Lt. Col. F.S.
Hunter, DSO of the Indian Army, a graduate of Royal Military College, Kingston,
Ontario, held this appointment and came under the Provost Marshal, Dominion of
Canada. The APM was responsible for discipline of all ranks, British and Canadian
in New York City and throughout the United States. He had a small staff of British and
Canadian Military Policemen, but I have been unable to determine the exact number
of CMPC personnel. Various documents indicate it was a Detachment of about 50 all
ranks. It is known that the Canadian Contingent dealt with 958 cases up to 1 Nov. 1918,
mostly for desertion. On that date the Canadian Detachment was withdrawn and as far as Canada
was concerned CMPC operations in the USA concluded.
In September 1919 the Department of Militia and Defence was asked by the British Government to
furnish a unit to process, handle and transport Chinese Coolies from Halifax to Vancouver. It was
also requested to staff a Transit Camp at William Head, B.C. These Coolies were members of The
Chinese Labour Corps, a unit that served under British Command in France and Flanders during
World War I. This Corps was termed "expendable" and was used to dig trenches and other earth
works, construct and repair roads and rail lines. At the conclusion of World War I there were about
100,000 of these Coolies in France. The Imperial Government decided that they would be returned
to China. Most of the Coolies did not want to return but a decision was made to interne them and
have them returned to China. It was projected that some 25 to 30 thousand Coolies would be
returned to China via Canada. The plan was to transport them by ship to Halifax, load them on
special trains and transport them under guard to William Head and Vancouver B.C. At Vancouver
they were to be put aboard ships for passage to China.
The Department of Militia accepted this distasteful task and decided that a Special Guard of the
Canadian Military Police Corps be formed to handle this duty. As a result the Special Guard
CMPC was authorized with an establishment of 542 all ranks. The Headquarters was in Halifax
with Train Guard Detachments of 492 all ranks. Another Guard Unit of 2 Officers and 50 Military
Police was located at the Transit Camp at William Head B.C.
The work of the Special Guard CMPC was made extremely difficult because of:
a. The nature of the duty. Many found it to be distasteful. b. The long days put in by the train guards riding trains from Halifax to Vancouver-William Head and return, sometimes with a day or less off between return trips. After several return trips, with little or no time off, the guards were exhausted. c. The arrival of ships at Halifax by day and night carrying Coolies, sometimes with an hour or less prior notice to the Special Guard CMPC. d. It was originally estimated that 20 to 30 thousand Coolies would be processed. It appears that some 70,000 were transported across Canada. Incomplete CMPC records account for 48,726 Coolies. The Special Guard CMPC establishment of 542 all ranks simply was not large enough, so its members had to work double and sometimes triple time between September 1919 and April 1920.
In spite of the work load placed on the Special Guard CMPC it met all requirements on time.
During the entire operation there was never a delay in handling disembarkations at Halifax,
or loading trains and transporting the Coolies to Vancouver-William's Head. The CPMC
were always on time with the required personnel to carry-out their duties.
The Special Guard CMPC was composed entirely of men with "Overseas Service". It is recorded
that their dress, deportment and attention to military duties were "second to none". The Special
Guard CMPC had a distasteful duty to carry out but they did their duty with the firmness required
by the situation.
General records seem to indicate that about 70,000 Coolies were returned to China via Canada,
however, the Special Guard CMPC reports only account for 48,726. The special Guard CMPC
records at Halifax indicate:
Date - Coolies processed and guarded by CMPC 1919 September - 6,963 October - 6,612 November - 6,418 December - 0,487 1920 January - 7,281 February - 9,757 March - 1,208 Total - 48,726 Disposition of Coolies Deaths at Halifax - 5 Sent forward by train - 48,721 Death in route - 3 Died at Vancouver - 1 Died at William Head - 13 Missing - believed drowned - 1 Sailed from Vancouver and William's Head - 48,703 The last Coolie sailed for China on 4 April 1920. Guards at Halifax and William's Head were immediately demobilized with the exception of a small rear party to clear out each of the units.
The Commandant of the Transit Camp at William Head was demobilized on 30 April 1920 and the last
CMPC Guard Struck-off strength on 31 May 1920.
The Officer Commanding the Special Guard CMPC at Halifax received notication that his unit was
reduced to nil strength and that he himself was demobilized on 18 June 1920.
The rapid demobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force made it possible to start demobilization
of the Canadian Military Police Corps in November 1919. Records indicate the demobilization was
effected as follows:
Dates Of Demobilization
In conclusion, the Canadian Military Police Corps did yeoman service during, and after World War I.
It served actively in Canada, the USA, Great Britain, and France and Flanders. It was a Corps Elite
which only accepted men of the best character. Its Military Branch was composed mainly of veterans who
had service at the front. Its Civil Branch was ex-Dominion Policeman. Truly an outstanding Corps
composed of the best. Many members of the Canadian Provost Corps knew little or nothing about the
founding Military Police Organization in Canada. It is hoped that this series of articles have brought the
CMPC from forgotten to remembered. It earned its lineage in Battle and is on the right of the
line. It Must Be Remembered!
As a result, a company composed entirely of members of the RCMP, on leave of absence from the
force,was formed and proceeded overseas in December 1939 as part of the lst Canadian Division. It
must be pointed out that the Canadian Provost Corps did not exist at this time and that this original
company of RCMP was not known as a Provost Company.
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Click below to view a photo of a member of the Canadian Army Military Police Corps, Photo of WW1 CMPC |