The Corps of Military Police
| Author | D. W. G. Lee |
| Published date | 01 January 1943 |
| Date | 01 January 1943 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X4301600108 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
32
THE
POLICE
JOURNAL
holder with hair taken from the right eyebrow of the deceased, Professor
Sydney Smith found that they corresponded in thickness, shape and
colour.
The
portions of spectacle lens found on the roadway were
examined and it was found that they belonged to a lens of a type which
fitted a prescription made by an oculist for the right eye of the deceased
some time before his death.
The
driver of the van was charged with culpable homicide and
pled"
Not
guilty." He was tried at Inverness High Court and, upon
conviction, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.
I am indebted to Professor Sydney
Smi-th
for notes on his
findings in connection with this case.
The
Corps
of Military
Police
By
MAJOR
D. W. G.
LEE
Assistant
Provost
Marshal,
Home
Forces
THE ubiquity of the military in these islands has resulted in the Police
being constantly brought in contact with them for one reason or
another; and for the same reason the .Police are being brought into
contact more and more with the Corps of Military Police.
There
are
several branches of this Corps, and since, to my knowledge, misunder-
standings have occurred 1etween the civil arid military police when
members of the C.M.P. have been asked to take action in something
which is outside their sphere, a short examination of the military police
may be helpful to both parties.
When war broke out, the Corps of Military Police was a small body
of men, some
500
in number, and was scattered over the Empire.
There
were in existence two or three territorial Provost Companies,
but
these
were only raised in the early part of 1939 and their training had not been
fully completed when war was declared.
Thus
it
will be seen that the
military police were very few in number in 1939. Now, in 1942, their
numbers have risen in this country to
30,000
odd, and they are to be seen
almost everywhere where troops congregate in large numbers; many
are also serving in the Middle East, India and our Colonies.
This
rapid expansion has not been easy. Men were required
urgently for every Service and for industry, and the type of man wanted
in the C.M.P. is not to be found everywhere. Many civil policemen
still on the Reserve, who were called back to the Colours, found their
way to the C.M.P.,
but
many did not. These Reservists were mostly
the type of man who makes a good N.C.O. or a good instructor, and
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