Military Police Ww2 - Research, photos and text: Sergeant Antony Buckingham. RACMP, Service Police Investigators are currently posted to the Australian Defense Force Investigative Service (ADFIS).
Since its formation in 1916 during the First World War (WW1), the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police (RACMP) or more commonly known as the Military Police (MP), has been the main force of the Australian Army in times of war and peace. does the police Research and combat support tasks in support of your fellow soldiers.
Military Police Ww2
Throughout its history, the MP has always used motorcycles in combination with other vehicles to carry out its duties. The Military Police Motorcycle has been the "workhorse" of the Corps and has stood the test of time in war and peace, providing speed, practicality and presence in combat and military areas across Australia.
American General Willis D. Crittenberger Inspecting Italian Military Police, Italy, 1945
While the current MP bike is a BMW (civilian police model), the Corps has been riding US, British and Japanese types since 1916: direct message delivery; convoy control - cowboy and cowboy cars; traffic control - quick response to traffic problems; manning control points - a quick means of darting between different points in the fight, especially; Highway and road patrol - picking up stragglers, identifying broken down vehicles, helping lost people; physical presence of police - patrol military areas for discipline violations; maintaining physical security - police/security presence throughout military areas; Road Signing and Route Marking - assistance of military convoys and vehicles; ceremonial escorts and PR activities; More practical on unsealed roads - can go anywhere; Can be easily deployed in aircraft or sea vessels; Maintenance and reliability are generally better in operational areas.
Left: A member of the British Commonwealth Occupational Force in Japan, late 1940. Right: Harley and rider out for formal work in the 1950s.
British bikes from Norton and the American model of the Harley WLA were particularly in vogue during WW2. The Australian Army after World War II in the late 1940s to early 1950s was largely equipped with WW2 military equipment including motorcycles, the most common of which was the Harley Davidson military version commonly called the WLA. Provided to Australia for free by the US under the 'Lend Lease Agreement' in WW2, many hundreds would serve with the Australian Army during the war and into the late 1960s. On occasions, their use takes on a more dramatic form.
As part of raising the profile of the new Australian Army, the Military Police were asked to provide "precision driving demonstrations" at military tattoos and public relations events across Australia, where it was common to perform dangerous and spectacular driving combinations. see, including Several Members of Parliament were standing/lying and sitting on an old Harley Davidson motorcycle.
August 1940, Captured German Airmen Being Escorted By Military Police... News Photo
Harleys served the Corps well and continued to be ridden throughout the 1960s and into the Vietnam War. In 1967, the long-standing Harley Davidson motorcycles were to be replaced by the British BSA B40 motorcycles, although this brought some controversy. Initially, the BSA B40 was chosen because of its light weight and cross-country performance, which suited the needs of the army for operations in Southeast Asia. The need for a highway-capable bike was not essential, as the army was often campaigning in Southeast Asia during this period.
A mix of models including a BSA B40 and a W1 Kawasaki in the 1970s at the Botanical Gardens in Sydney.
Left: A member of the MP Red Knights display team with his GS400. Right: Red Knights 'sword pegging' aboard the GS400.
Various reports were presented on the condition of the bikes in service with the Corps, with one report from 1971 stating that Australian BSA distributors did not carry most of the spare parts required to serve the Australian Army. It was further noted that engines were not available in Northern Command, Brisbane and North Queensland from January 1969 and pistons and piston rings had to be produced by RAEME. There were also a number of other problems, including frequent braking from various cables, electrical failures, bicycle exteriors falling off, and poor performance, operating at slow formal escorts. The same report identified that one particular Provost unit had its bikes repaired an average of 25 days a month, while another unit had 16 out of 20 bikes repaired at RAEME workshops. An antidotal story tells that the parts that had to come with the bike when entering Australian army service were loaded onto a separate ship, which was caught in the Suez crisis of the 1960s, and eventually about 10 arrived a year later in 1975. arrived in Australia, possibly explaining why parts replacement was a big problem.
Kits Of Military Police Personnel
1970s hopefuls undergo selection trials including, from left, the Honda CB550, Yamaha 500, Kawasaki Z400 and Suzuki GS400.
In 1976 the Australian Army adopted its first non-British/American bike and introduced the Suzuki GS400, the first of many Japanese models. When used in a field and police role, it was prone to falling "too bitten" on long road trips. By 1987, the Suzuki 65GSRR would enter service. Easy to ride, well balanced and considered great for escort work, it would serve the Corps well until 2004. During 1987 another Japanese bike was introduced into MP service Yamaha 60XTT trail bike. Considered a strong tractor bike and once the initial fuel and battery issues were resolved, it remained in service until 2011 and was recently sold.
The BMW R 1150 RT-P was chosen to replace a fleet of Kawasaki 650S and Suzuki GS400S. The first delivery consisted of 37 motorcycles and were essentially the same as those used by the police.
In 2004, the Corps received its current issue police bike, the BMW K100 police bike. Based on the Victorian police model, it has been very reliable and well balanced and is currently used throughout Australia to escort army bases and for ceremonial work and domestic policing. The RACMP continues to use the Motorcycle on a daily basis and provides an efficient and meaningful service to the Australian Army and ADF.
U.s. Army Mp (military Police) Practices French On A Ship Taking Him To Normandy, Stock Photo, Picture And Rights Managed Image. Pic. Ere Hisl037 Ec228
Military police bikes are not currently deployed in the Middle East due to the "high IED bomb threat" and are not considered safe (lack of rider protection) in modern combat environments. However, MP bikes are used on a daily basis in Australia and are synonymous with the roles and functions of the RACMP.
When you returned to the barracks after a night "on the town", it was I who brought you home safely.
I have driven through two world wars, BCOF Japan, Korea and to this day, "the road to hell",
This story was written with the help of the Military Police Association of Australia (MPAA), current serving and former serving members of the RACMP.
File:japanese Prisoners Of War Under Direction Of Military Police In The Philippine Islands, Wwii (34340839541).jpg
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An American Military Police Officer Holds Captive Two Nazi Pilots In Eschweiler, Germany On 3 December 1944
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