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1st Regiment, Royal Military Police

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1st Regiment, Royal Military Police
Backboard of the Royal Military Police
Active1971–1985
1996–present
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeMilitary police
SizeRegiment[a]
Part of1st Military Police Brigade
Regimental HQCatterick Garrison
CorpsRoyal Military Police
Engagements
Insignia
Heraldic Background
Tactical Recognition Flash

The 1st Regiment, Royal Military Police (1 RMP[1]) is a military policing unit of the British Army which was formed during the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, but disbanded in 1985 following cuts to the RMP in the region. The regiment was then reformed in 1996 following the Options for Change, and since 2014 has been an integral part of the 1st Military Police Brigade and just one of the two remaining RMP regiments since 2019.

History

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First formation

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A Land Rover Defender utilised by the Royal Military Police while in Northern Ireland. The RMP is one of the few corps (units) which still uses the Land Rover.

The first time of the 1st Regiment, RMP was formed was on 5 November 1971, when 173 Provost Company based at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn in Northern Ireland was expanded into a full regiment. Prior to 1971, all provost companies were independent and if grouped were commanded by a 'Deputy Provost Marshal', however the deteriorating situation in Northern Ireland caused this tradition to be dropped. As a result, the first battalion sized unit of the Royal Military Police was created as 173 Provost Company was quickly reinforced within months to become a regiment of seven companies.[a][2] The regiment was the first of its type, soon after being joined by the 2nd Regiment during the looming Troubles which would occupy the British Army until 2007.[2] The regiment's initial organisation on formation was as follows:[3][4]

  • Regimental Headquarters, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn[2]
  • 174 Provost Company, at Ardmillan House, Belfast – supporting 39th Infantry Brigade
  • 175 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn
  • 176 Provost Company, at Ebrington Barracks, Derry – supporting 8th Infantry Brigade
  • 177 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn – providing close protection escorts
  • 178 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn – investigations unit
  • 179 Provost Company, at HMS Hartland Point – formed on 16 January 1972
  • 180 Provost Company – formed for Operation Motorman, in June 1972 but disbanded in November of the same year

After a short time in Lisburn, the regimental headquarters moved to Alexander Barracks in Aldergrove on 5 December 1972. In June 1973, 180 Provost Company was reformed bringing the regiment's strength to about 700 personnel. On 1 July 1973, the duties of the regiment was split with the formation of the 2nd Regiment, Royal Military Police with 175, 179, and 180 Provost Companies joining shortly thereafter. However, on 1 April 1978, 2nd Regiment RMP was disbanded and its companies disbanded except for 175 Provost Company which re-joined the 1st Regiment.[3]

In 1978, the regiment was now organised as follows:[3][4]

  • Regimental Headquarters, at Alexander Barracks, Aldergrove (until September), then at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn
  • 174 Provost Company, at Drumadd Barracks, Armagh – supporting 3rd Infantry Brigade since 18 February 1972
  • 175 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn
  • 176 Provost Company, at Ebrington Barracks, Derry – supporting 8th Infantry Brigade
  • 177 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn – providing close protection escorts
  • 178 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn – investigations unit

From 1981 till the regiment's disbandment in March 1985, the strength of the unit gradually decreased. On 31 December 1981, 174 Provost Company was disbanded alongside 3rd Infantry Brigade; on 30 September 1983 177 Provost Company was reduced to 177 (Support) Platoon and became independent under Headquarters Northern Ireland; on 12 February 1985 175 and 176 Provost Companies became independent while 178 Provost Company was re-designated as 173 Provost Company; finally in March 1985, 173 Provost Company became independent and the regiment was disbanded.[2][3]

On 12 February 1985, the regiment was officially removed from the Army's order of battle due to financial reasons following the 1981 Defence White Paper.[5]

Second formation

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A military policeman of 1st Regiment RMP while deployed in Germany in 2012.

As a result of the Options for Change reforms announced in 1991 following the End of the Cold War, the old 1st Armoured Division was redesignated as the 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division and its provost companies reorganised. As a result of the reorganisation, the 1st Regiment, Royal Military Police was stood up at Wentworth Barracks in Herford to oversee these companies with each supporting one of the combat brigades.[2][3][5][6][7] The regiment's structure after formation on 1 April 1995 was as follows:[3][5][6][8][9][10]

  • Regimental Headquarters, at Wentworth Barracks, Herford[7]
  • 110 Provost Company, at Normandy Barracks, Sennelager – supporting 20th Armoured Brigade and Paderborn Garrison[11]
  • 111 Provost Company, at Haig Barracks, Bergen-Hohne – supporting 7th Armoured Brigade and Hohne Garrison[b][12][13]
  • 115 Provost Company, at Roberts Barracks, Osnabrück – supporting 4th Armoured Brigade[14]

In later 1996, elements of the regiment deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR). On the regiment's return from Bosnia, during a parade in Herford, the regiment was granted the Wilkinson Sword of Peace.[2][3]

According to the 1999 Staff Officers' Handbook, the establishment for 1st Regiment RMP was 18 officers and 343 other ranks. The regiment was also equipped with 4 x Leyland 4-tonne trucks, 109 x B-class vehicles including Land Rover Defenders, and 34 x Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles.[15] Following the reformation of the regiment, the commanding officer of the regiment held the position of 'Provost Marshal, 1st (UK) Armoured Division', and was assisted by three other officers at the armoured division headquarters: Staff Officer (SO)2 (Operations/Plans) – rank of Major, SO3 (Investigations) – rank of Captain, and SO3 (Ops/Plans) – rank of Captain.[16] If mobilised, the Special Investigation Branch detachments in Germany would form the nucleus of the Investigations Section of the regiment.[10]

When the 1st (UK) Armoured Division was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2003 for the impending 2003 Invasion of Iraq (codenamed Operation Telic), the regiment was deployed and involved in provost duties throughout the campaign.[2][3][6]

In 2003, as a result of the Future Army Structure programme announced following the Invasion of Iraq, the regiment was effectively reduced to an administrative command and its provost companies moved under the operational control of the 1st (UK) Armoured Division's armoured brigades.[3][5] The regiment's structure in 2006 was as follows:[3][8]

Army 2020

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In 2012, following the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010, the radical Army 2020 programme was announced which (among many things), would see the reorganisation of the provost forces and return of all troops based in Germany. As part of the A2020 programme, the three provost regiments alongside the three specialist police groups would be consolidated into the 1st Military Police Brigade.[2][19] In addition, the Royal Military Police would be consolidated into three regiments, the 1st Regiment: providing support for the 1st (UK) Division based in York; 3rd Regiment: providing support for the 3rd (UK) Division based in Bulford; and the 4th Regiment: providing support for UK operations and Force Troops Command. The structure of all three regiments was also altered, so that there were no longer entirely regular regiments, with each regiment having at least one integrated Territorial (Army Reserve from 2015) company attached, thus making each unit a 'Hybrid' regiment.[17][21][22][23]

The 1st Regiment RMP became an 'Integrated RMP Regiment' as a result of the changes, and transferred from 1st (UK) Division to the 1st Military Police upon that brigade's formation on 1 December 2014.[19] After 2015, the regiment returned from Germany and has been based at Gaza Barracks, Catterick Garrison in the North Riding of Yorkshire ever since.[17][22][23][24]

111 Provost Company was disbanded in June 2014 following their return from Afghanistan.[2] Later 114 Provost Company was also disbanded before the regiment left Germany.[19]

By January 2015, the regiment now oversaw 243 Provost Company, which was formed in January 2015 by merging the former 243 (Scottish) Provost Company based in Livingston with 252 (Northern) Provost Company based in Stockton-on-Tees. The new 243 Provost Coy was now based in Livingston and maintained 252 Platoon in Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham.[22][23][25][26]

In 2015, the regiment was now organised as follows:[23][27]

  • Regimental Headquarters, at Gaza Barracks, Catterick Garrison[2][28]
  • 110 Provost Company, at Leuchars Station[29] (detachment was based in Bergen-Hohne until mid 2015)[2][19]
  • 150 Provost Company[8][30]
  • 243 Provost Company (Army Reserve), in Livingston[4]
    • 252 Platoon, in Stockton-on-Tees[4]

Today and future

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In 2017, a supplement to the Army 2020 programme was announced entitled the Army 2020 Refine which reversed many of the unit-level changes of the former. Under the 'Refine', the 4th Regiment RMP was disbanded in late 2019 and its companies dispersed to the other two remaining regiments, including 1st Regiment RMP. The regiment gained the Army Reserve's 116 Provost Company based in Cannock and Gorton, in addition to the regular 174 Provost Company based in Donnington.[31] The regiment is currently organised as follows:[27][32]

In addition to the internal reorganisations, the regiment was transferred to 101st Logistic Brigade, but this decision was reversed during the 2019 Field Army reorganisation.[40]

Under the Future Soldier changes, the regiment will restructure by March 2025, though its future sub-units are unknown at this time.[41]

Footnotes

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Since the creation of the first regiments in the 1970s, the term 'Regiment' in the Royal Military Police refers to a battalion sized unit commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel.
  2. ^ Until 2013, (when the Bergen-Hohne Garrison was reduced to station), the garrison comprised three 'stations': Bergen-Hohne, Celle, and Bad Fallingbostel. The provost company maintained a small detachment at each of these during this time.
  3. ^ Gütersloh Garrison comprised four stations: Gütersloh, Herford, Bielefeld, and Dülmen. 114 Provost Company provided detachments to each of these stations until 2008, when the company was moved to 1st Regiment RMP from 5th Regiment RMP. From this point, the company also provided support for 102nd Logistic Brigade.
  4. ^ Under the Future Army Structure, the 4th Armoured Brigade was reorganised as a mechanised brigade, thus became the 4th Mechanised Brigade. Until the brigade's conversion in 2008, 115 Provost Company provided support to the brigade, but this was discontinued that year. In 2008, 150 Provost Company took over the 4th Mechanised Brigade support role under 3rd Regiment, RMP.

Citations

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  1. ^ a b King, Hannah (5 February 2016). "Treasure Hunting With The Royal Military Police". Forces Network. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Olver, Rob (26 November 2014). "RMP Regiment Marks End of Germany Stay". Forces Network. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "British Army units from 1945 on - Major Units". british-army-units1945on.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "British Army units from 1945 on - Provost Companies 170 to 260". british-army-units1945on.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Mackinlay, pp. 362–363
  6. ^ a b c Watson & Rinaldi, p. 137
  7. ^ a b Blume, p. 8
  8. ^ a b c "British Army units from 1945 on - Provost Companies 101 to 169". british-army-units1945on.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Royal Military Police – RMP Units". British Army. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  10. ^ a b 1999 Handbook, p. 141
  11. ^ "110 Provost Company, 1st Regiment Royal Military Police" (PDF). British Army Website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Freedom of Information Act request regarding Garrison reductions and expansions under Army 2020" (PDF). What do they know?. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  13. ^ "111 Provost Company, 1st Regiment, Royal Military Police" (PDF). British Army Website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  14. ^ a b "150 Provost Company, 3rd Regiment, Royal Military Police" (PDF). British Army Website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  15. ^ 1999 Handbook, p. 39
  16. ^ 1999 Handbook, p. 34
  17. ^ a b c d King, Hannah (29 June 2015). "Royal Military Police March Across Europe". Forces Network. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  18. ^ Matthews, Amy (11 February 2016). "Migrant Security Concerns At British Army Bases". Forces Network. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Olver, Rob (18 June 2014). "The Disbandment of 111 Provost Company". Forces Network. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  20. ^ "114 Provost Company, 5th Regiment, Royal Military Police" (PDF). British Army Website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Transforming the British Army: An Update" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications. British Army. 10 January 2014. p. 13. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  22. ^ a b c Brooke-Holland, Louisa; Rutherford, Tom (26 July 2012). "United Kingdom Parliament International Affairs and Defence Committee Report on the Army 2020 programme" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliament (SN06396). International Affairs and Defence Committee: 12.
  23. ^ a b c d "Royal Military Police – RMP Units". British Army Website. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  24. ^ "Regular Army Basing Matrix by Formation and Unit" (PDF). Army Families Federation. British Army. 29 July 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  25. ^ "Summary of Army 2020 Reserve Structure and Basing Changes" (PDF). British Army. 3 December 2013. p. 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  26. ^ British Army, British Army Official Reserves Order of Battle following Army 2020 programme. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  27. ^ a b "Freedom of Information Act request regarding the sub-units of the Royal Military Police and Intelligence Corps under Army 2020" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  28. ^ a b "Written Questions, Answers, and Statements: Question for Ministry of Defence (Army): Order of Battle by manpower and basing location" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliament. Ministry of Defence. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  29. ^ "Typhoon aircraft relocate to RAF Lossiemouth". GOV.UK. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  30. ^ a b "Royal Military Police Re-Adapt For The 21st Century". Forces Network. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  31. ^ "Freedom of Information Act request regarding the Army 2020 Refine changes by unit" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications. Ministry of Defence. 10 March 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  32. ^ "RMP Reserves". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  33. ^ a b King, Hannah (8 March 2016). "Military Police Put Soldiering Skills To The Test". Forces Network. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  34. ^ "110 Provost Company Host the 1 RMP Commanding Officer's Cup at Leuchars Station". Facebook. 1st Military Police Brigade. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  35. ^ "A Batter Defence Estate Publication" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications. November 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  36. ^ "Shropshire base flying the flag for military future". www.shropshirestar.com. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  37. ^ "Army Reserve Centre, 156 Walsall Road, Bridgetown, Cannock WS11 0JB". British Army Recruiting. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  38. ^ a b c d "Freedom of Information Act regarding changes to Army Reserve units under the Army 2020 Refine" (PDF). What do they know?. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  39. ^ "Army Reserve Centre, Belle Vue Street, Manchester M12 5PW". British Army Recruiting. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  40. ^ "Freedom of Information Act request regarding Army 2020 Refine changes since 2017" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications. Ministry of Defence. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  41. ^ "Future Soldier Guide" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications. British Army. 30 November 2021. pp. 101–102. Retrieved 1 January 2022.

References

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