DEPOTS, SCHOOLS

 &

TRAINING ESTABLISHMENTS

OF

THE MILITARY POLICE

1897-1939 It can almost certainly be said that the Military Police Depot originated when their first permanent home came into being - Stanhope Lines being specially built to house the military police stationed in the cantonment of Aldershot in 1897. Here the Provost Marshal, Major JL Emerson, who was also Commandant, had his office and kept the Records. While the Depot itself moved to Gibraltar Barracks before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, it is interesting to note that Stanhope Lines remained permanently in Provost occupation until the time of its demolition in 1968 when it was occupied by 169 Provost Company. The road on which it stood had by then acquired the official name of “Provost Road”. This building was replaced by another specially built building on adjacent ground to house all RMP units in Aldershot, including SIB and WRAC Provost and to bring together mounted and airborne, the oldest and youngest in the Corps. The Depot moved from Gibraltar Barracks in 1920 to Mytchett Hutments, Ash Vale. It is recorded that the Corps strength in 1926 was 508 all ranks and the Provost Marshal was also Commandant of the Depot and Officer-in-Charge of Records as well. He was assisted by an APM (Major) responsible for instruction and by the Quartermaster. From 1928 until the outbreak of the Second World War, one Probationers’ course of 16, one Junior NCOs’ Refresher Course of 16 and one Senior NCOs’ Refresher course of 16 men were held at the Depot every 6 months. The Probationers’ course lasted 6 months and the Refresher courses one month. The maximum under training at any one time was 48. Probationers had to have at least 2 years’ service, a second-class certificate of education and character of at least ‘very good’. The training consisted of foot drill, pistol drill, map reading, police duties, first aid, swimming and life saving. In 1932 HRH the Duke of Connaught, who always took a keen interest in the Corps (‘Provost-minded’ as we would say today), inspected the Depot and the Aldershot Detachment. In 1937 the Corps was mechanised, and all horses withdrawn. Prior to this, probationers for the Military Mounted Police, who were largely from mounted regiments, were trained at the Depot under one Squadron Sergeant-Major and 4 instructors. Until 1939, NR training was carried out at Bordon and Woolwich. In those days great emphasis was placed on the ‘Best Book’ recording the whole police course and great pride was taken in having a document worthy of inspection at the end of training. 1939 - 1946 To understand the importance of the Depot at Mytchett and of the subsidiary Command Depots during the Second World War, it is necessary to appreciate three things. Firstly, the Provost Service relied on a high and even standard of basic training in reinforcements who, on joining military police units, were at once fully employed under active service conditions in the UK and overseas. Secondly, this standard satisfied not only the Corps, but also the rest of the Army who, for many years, had looked to the military police to set an example in dress and conduct. Thirdly, this unique responsibility vested in junior ranks in Provost - particularly the Lance Corporal. In turnout and discipline these men had to set an example to all; on duty they had to act, often singlehanded, with cool judgement when harassed on traffic routes, and with discretion and determination when enforcing orders on discipline. In all this they had to deal tactfully and incorruptibly with officers and NCOs of every rank. During the courses, shortened to 3 months by the exigencies of war and without the means of extensive field training, the depot was not expected to turn out the finished article; that was the subsequent job of units. The Depot’s task was similar to that of a steelworks, which takes in selected and graded raw material, works upon it to eliminate faults and impurities and supplies the manufacturer with well-tempered and high-grade metal from which the finished article may be produced. The business, of the Depot, therefore, was to ensure an exemplary level of drill, turnout and deportment, a solid knowledge of police powers and duties, report-making, and the rules of evidence, first class motorcycle riding, the all-important role of helpfulness and, finally, that all reinforcements should leave the Depot with the high morale which comes from self-confidence and self-respect. To produce these results, a Depot of an unusual character was needed. Alongside good organisation and sound instruction it was essential to create an ‘atmosphere’. The tone and character of any institution is invariably set from the top. The Corps owed a special debt to the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel NCM Sykes, Commandant at Mytchett from January 1941 to August 1942 and to the no less solid and vigorous qualities of his successor, Lieutenant Colonel EFL Wright, Commandant from August 1942 to July 1946. But, although much credit for the work of the Depot must go to these two officers, the support they received from first-class staff must not pass unrecorded. Lieutenant Colonel Wright’s slogan, aptly reflecting the spirit of helpfulness taught at the Depot was: ‘Guide the responsible, check the irresponsible, incarcerate the incorrigible!’ Tribute should also be paid to the work of the Command Depots who, as will be seen later, acting in relief of Mytchett, successfully copied the example of their parent depot. At the outbreak of war, the Provost Marshal was faced with two problems: recruiting and training. Provision for expansion of the Army had already been made but not for the highly qualified and highly trained men needed to police it. Immediate steps had, therefore, to be taken to find the right men and to train them. To meet the first requirement, a recruiting officer with the appointment of DAPM (Captain) was appointed to obtain recruits on a volunteer basis. His duty was to fill the new Training Establishments with a steady flow of volunteers; his equipment was an office, a clerk and a motorcar. He had authority to interview every recruiting officer in the country and to employ whatever publicity in the way of poster and newspaper advertising that the Public Relations Branch of the War Office thought proper. It was soon clear that potential military policemen could be found all over the country. Volunteers poured in, but Mytchett Hutments was inadequate to train large numbers as geographically it was badly placed. It became apparent that duplication was necessary. Although Mytchett had been the Military Police Training Centre since 1920 there was no lecture hall and the probationers had lectures in their own barrack huts. There was no gymnasium and no swimming pool but there was a NAAFI - a fine new building - and about the only place at Mytchett which could accommodate all the probationers at one time. Life for them was strenuous for, if the Depot was small, it had a proud tradition to maintain. Most of the instructors in the early days were ex-Guardsmen who had joined the Civil Police and then re-joined from the Reserve; discipline was up to Brigade of Guards standard. Mytchett received civilian volunteers who fulfilled the peacetime standards of height, weight and conduct. Many of them were soon commissioned and later achieved distinction as Provost officers. A Corporal Instructor at Mytchett in 1940 was called before the APM of his formation in France in 1944 on a disciplinary matter. To his astonishment he found that his angry field officer was none other than a probationer who had been in his squad at Mytchett. But another Depot had to be found, preferably in the North. It was eventually discovered that at Northallerton, a country town within easy distance of Leeds, York and Newcastle, there was a civilian prison unused since 1922. Forbidding as the building was, with its high walls, its cells and enclosed yards, it possessed all the requirements for an up-to-date, lively training establishment; and so it became. Major NCM Sykes was appointed Commandant of this establishment, which was provided with instructors who were all ex-civil policemen and who had served their time with the Brigade of Guards. There was a regular intake and output of 50 men per week. The north-country men volunteering during these months for Provost played their part in the ‘build-up’ of the Corps - for example, the clerk who compiled the document was, towards the end of the war, met by his former Commandant when this ex-corporal had become DPM Ceylon. Many other inmates of the ‘prison’ at that time gained promotion to high rank. During the period up to January 1941, the establishment trained between 500 and 530 men. In January 1941, a reorganisation of Mytchett took place. Major Sykes was appointed Commandant there with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, relieving Lieutenant-Colonel RTS Kitwood and was himself succeeded at Northallerton by Major Dunkerly. To Mytchett from Northallerton went half-a-dozen key members of the staff, including RSM Baker who afterwards became Chief Instructor at the new postwar Depot at Inkerman Barracks, Woking. In April 1941, with the reduction of the intake allowed by the War Office providing insufficient numbers to justify two Depots it was therefore decided to amalgamate them, and the Depot at Northallerton then became a military prison. The trainees at Mytchett during July 1941 rose to the record number of 1400. Early in 1942, as no more CID men could be spared for the army, a wing for training selected military policemen in SIB duties was started at the Depot. Major JG Ellis, one of the ex-CID officers in the original members of the SIB with the BEF in 1940, was the first Officer-in-Charge and organised a first-class school which turned out some excellent material. Early in 1941, small Command Depots were formed to tra9in men for the new Vulnerable Points Wing. These Command Depots soon expanded. First to include Traffic Control Wing recruits, later to train in Provost Duties selected men transferring from the TC and VP Wings and to run refresher courses for all personnel. They swiftly entered into a healthy rivalry with Mytchett and proved an indispensable addition to the Corps. These Depots were located at Watton-at-Stone and Gatton Park in Eastern Command and at Gosforth, then at Burniston Barracks, Scarborough, in Northern Command and all were closed by the end of 1947. To cope with the Corps’ overseas commitments, Training Schools were established in India, Ceylon, the Middle East and Europe. Like the United Kingdom schools, they were all finally closed. FROM MYTCHETT TO INKERMAN Mytchett, from July 1946, was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel AR Forbes. There were 3 wings - Police Duties, MT and Depot. Intakes arrived from Infantry Training Centres and the weeding out of unsuitable material started within 24 hours of their arrival. The Commandant, Second-in-Command and Chief Instructor, would walk down the ranks scrutinising each man closely and those who failed to stand such close inspection were fallen-out on the spot and within a matter of hours returned whence they came. It is surprising how effective this method was, and the resultant saving in instructors’ time and effort was considerable. Over and above the intakes were the drafts that were continually arriving in the Depot, either en-route for some overseas theatre or on their way home for release or posting to a UK company. This constantly changing population was, more often than not, far too great for the inadequate accommodation Mytchett could provide. In 1947 came the decision to move the Depot to a more suitable barracks and eventually Inkerman Barracks, Knaphill, Woking was selected. Whether the War Office had overlooked the fact that the Military Provost Staff Corps had been, for over 70 years, a separate Corps, or for what other reason, RMP were once more to make a Depot out of a prison. The buildings had been erected and opened in 1895 as the Knaphill Convict Prison. Invalid convicts were housed in the main block and the buildings opposite were used as a women’s prison. The Prison Act of 1877 vested the control and administration of prisons in the Prison Commissioners instead of the local authorities and, as a result, Knaphill became redundant and was taken over by the War Department in 1892 and converted into a barracks by 1895 when it was occupied by the 2nd Battalion the Royal West Surre6 Regiment (The Queens). The barracks were named ‘Inkerman’ after the famous ‘Soldiers’ Battle’ in the Crimea fought on 5 November 1854. The Royal West Surrey Regiment moved in in 1895 and thereafter it became a normal garrison barracks, being occupied in turn by many line regiments and, in 1939 was allotted to the 1st Canadian Division. The winter of 1946-47 had been very severe and when, in March 1947, the first survey took place to determine how the various wings of the Depot were to be fitted in, the barracks presented a sorry spectacle. Pipes had burst everywhere, plaster from fallen ceilings lay thick on the ground and every inch of woodwork needed painting. These, then, were just some of the problems that faced the Depot staff when it was announced that Mytchett would be vacated in the Spring of 1947, that HRH the Duke of Gloucester would visit Inkerman on 23 July 1947 in order to take the salute at a parade to mark the granting of the Royal prefix to the Corps, and that the Depot would provide men and material for the running of the Aldershot Horse Show, the opening of which would coincide almost exactly with the Duke of Gloucester’s visit!” Add to this the formidable task of creating an Officers’ Mess with no funds, no silver, no crockery, no linen, no furnishings and, above all, no establishment and the picture was complete. It seems incredible that so ambitious a programme could succeed, but succeed it did, although the effort required on the ‘Q’ side was a severe strain on the harassed Quartermaster. One more effort must, however, be added to those already described and that was the running of the first Provost Marshal’s Study Period. Not only was the training side well organised, but prodigies of administrative ingenuity were performed in order to paint, decorate and furnish all the single officers’ quarters so as to accommodate not only those attending, but a course of 14 officers as well. At the same time that these problems were being tackled, the main barrack blocks were being redecorated and made habitable, while the old prison block was rapidly transformed into the Depot HQ. Only the bare essentials of decoration and maintenance were carried out by the Royal Engineers and their contractors. No outside painting of any kind was even considered, and every kind of artifice and cunning had to be employed to bring Inkerman up to the standard demanded by the Provost Marshal. INKERMAN BARRACKS: 1947 - 1964 In 1950, training was at its peak. Twelve courses were run concurrently with a constant turnover of 900 students, with special refresher/promotion course for junior and senior NCOs, officers’ courses and the annual Provost Marshal’s Study Period which was attended by officers who could be spared from overseas theatres, officers of the TA and AER and most of those in the UK. But the accommodation at Inkerman Barracks became saturated and the MT Wing had to move out to Warburg Barracks in Aldershot in August 1950, when it was renamed ‘B’ Company. In the next 7 years it won many awards in the Army motorcycling world, including the Army Team championship, Southern Command and Aldershot District Best Individual and Team championships and many other cups and championships. During 1953, 3 best individual, 20 first-class and 9 second-class awards were won by members of ‘B’ Company and that November they moved back into Inkerman Barracks. Three ‘B’ Company instructors, Captain AJ Betty, Sergeant V Monk and Sergeant F Gamwell, represented the Army in the International Six-Days’ Motorcycle Trial. During the short life of ‘B’ Company, instruction had always been at a very high level and at the end of its life, the percentage of probationers passing their driving test was higher than ever before due to the effort of the instructors and the individual methods employed. ‘B’ Company finally became the MT Section in Courses Wing in 1957 and joined the other specialist parts of the Depot in that Wing. The Depot organisation underwent a number of major changes in those years. Firstly, the appointment of Commandant was upgraded to the rank of Colonel in July 1957, with Colonel CF Read as the first such officer, and at the same time a new establishment was approved which made sweeping changes. Before that date, a probationer, after spending an initial period of training in ‘A’ Company, moved to ‘B’ Company for MT training, then to ‘C’ Company, whence he finally passed out of the Depot via Depot Company for posting. The new establishment provided for 2 training companies, ‘A’ and ‘B’, each receiving intakes, and probationers remained throughout their training with the one company until passing out. In addition to ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies, was a new Courses Wing commanded by the Chief Instructor, Major RJR Whistler, and consisting of Courses, MT and Signals Sections. Courses Wing also ran all Provost Officers’ courses and took on a further commitment of running Regimental Provost courses for outside units. Depot Company carried out the administration of the permanent staff, drafting and releases. In addition, HQ Army Emergency Reserve (AER) and the SIB Training Wing were located in the Depot. The probationers’ training then consisted of 16 weeks, which were divided into 7 weeks of basic training, followed by 3 weeks of MT and 6 weeks of continuation training and operational exercises. The SIB Training Wing took all squads in 67 periods of military law, criminal law and investigation procedure, in order to improve the Lance-Corporals’ knowledge in these subjects. In March 1961, the last National Service intake passed off the square and, a fortnight later, the first all-regular squad was posted to duty. Prison or not, Inkerman Barracks held pleasant and affectionate memories for countless military policemen who passed beneath the Memorial Arch. It was there that thousands of National Servicemen were trained and sent out at the age of 18 to play a man’s part in the post-war world and to add very greatly not only to the respect in which their Corps was held but also to that of their country. Inkerman was also the scent of many post-war landmarks in the history of the Corps, starting with the Inspection by the HRH The Duke of Gloucester, already described. For the grant of the Royal prefix, the ‘Royal Corps of Military Police’ would have been perhaps the logical title to adopt in conformity with British Army nomenclature, but the initial letters could have been confused with those of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Military Provost Staff Corps already monopolised the word Provost in their title. Many other combinations and variations were considered and a short-list was submitted to HM King George VI by the Provost Marshal, Major General ID Erskine, who had done so much to bring this about. On 30 September 1946, the Provost Marshal was informed that the King had approved the title, ‘The Corps of Royal Military Police’, by which title the Corps would henceforth be known, but he preferred, as an abbreviated title simply ‘RMP’. A special Army Order was then published giving effect to the King’s decision to take effect from 28 November 1946. The Corps of Royal Military Police then took its place in the Army List, 18th in the order of seniority and on 13 March 1947 a very distinguished soldier, General Sir Miles Dempsey, was appointed to be the first Colonel Commandant of the Corps. With more recent alterations to the order of precedence of Regiments and Corps, RMP now ranks 16th in the list. The next requirement for the Corps was a March. Sir Miles Dempsey suggested a tune which he had heard played by the massed bands at the Aldershot Tattoo in 1936 called ‘The Watchtower’. On 2 May 1949, he took Major General Erskine (who had originally proposed a Corps march), the then Provost Marshal, LFE Wieler, and the DPM, Colonel HV McNally, to the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall to hear a special arrangement of this tune played by the Kneller Hall band. Following this, it was at once adopted to become the RMP Corps March and notified as such in Army Order No 137 of 1949. The ‘Watch Tower’ is an arrangement of an old German march composed by Rudolf Herzer called ‘Hoch Heidecksburg!’ and is, undoubtedly, one of the best regimental marches in the Army. FROM WOKING TO CHICHESTER Inkerman Barracks was 100 years old in 1959 and could no longer provide the standard of accommodation expected in 1960; so once more a new home for the Depot was sought. The reorganisation of the Army and the amalgamation of infantry regiments made the Depot of the Royal Sussex Regiment at Roussillon Barracks, Chichester, available and there the Depot moved on 1 March 1964, under its Commandant, Colonel AC Rawlings. There was no repetition of the move to Inkerman. Virtually, a new purpose-designed Depot was created with modern buildings, architect-designed, to meet the needs of the times. The Corps Chapel and Museum were re-established. The Officers’, Sergeants’ and Other Ranks’ Messes were housed in purpose-built accommodation, with new, well-designed married quarters. Barrack blocks and training rooms provided a perfect home for the Depot and Training Establishment and for Regimental HQ. There was, however, much preparatory work first to be done and much of the credit for the successful move was due to the 2 Quartermasters who visited Chichester in 1962 to check earlier plans made for the move and it was as well that they did so, having been led to believe that everything had already been arranged The Clothing Stores at Woking was grossly over-crowded; that being constructed at Chichester was found to be one-fifth the size. A disused RAOC Supply Depot immediately adjacent had been leased to the Ministry of Agriculture! No provision had been made for the Signals Wing. Rooms designed as soldiers’ bedrooms had been allocated to other purposes, leaving a reversion to double-bunking as the only alternative for sleeping quarters in what was considered to be a model of new barrack accommodation. The Second-in-Command, Major FS Jeffreys, and both Quartermasters then prepared a case based on synopsis scales and arguments to prove that, in certain instances, these were unrealistic when applied to the many branches of the Depot and Training Establishment RMP. On 13 October 1962, the 3 officers attended a conference at the Ministry of Defence where they proved their case and had the satisfaction of having every point conceded, with very few modifications. The battle that was fought and won on that day may not have been appreciated, but the present Corps home at Chichester exists as the result of it. Appropriately, one of the roads in Roussillon Barracks is now named ‘Jeffreys Avenue’. With effect from 1 April 1968, the Depot and Training Establishment RMP was redesignated ‘RMP Training Centre’, thus bringing the title into line with those of other training units in the Army. ROYAL MILITARY POLICE TRAINING CENTRE The home of the Corps of Royal Military Police is Roussillon Barracks, Chichester, West Sussex, and it is here that the recruit will go on first joining the Corps and stay for the next 24 weeks. From time to time during his service he will come back to Roussillon Barracks, perhaps on a Junior or Senior NCOs’ course in preparation for promotion, perhaps on a specialist course such as SIB or a Photography course, perhaps as an instructor when he has gained his experience. Finally, he will most probably come back to be discharged at the end of his service. Even that, however, will not be the last he will see of the Training Centre for it is, in every sense of the word, the “Home” of the Corps - once an MP, always an MP - and he will find a warm welcome at the Training Centre whenever he drops in; moreover, the Training Centre is the headquarters of the RMP Association activities, and every alternate year is the scent of their Annual Reunion The Officers’ Mess at the Training Centre is a ‘Corps’ Mess, that is to say it is maintained not only for the benefit of those officers on duty at the Training Centre but for all officers of the Corps wherever they may be. The Sergeants’ Mess is run on similar lines, and any Warrant Officer or Sergeant of the Corps is always welcome and will find many friends there. The Corporals have their own Corporals’ Club and a well-run NAAFI canteen is provided for the Junior Ranks. Within the Corps Chapel is deposited the Vellum Book containing the Roll of Honour. The RMP War Memorial is situated in the Barracks and the Corps Museum contains exhibits illustrating the many aspects of Police Duties from almost every part of the world. There is a C of E Chaplain, an RC and an Other Denominations Padre from Chichester who pay regular visits. The moral and spiritual, as well as the physical welfare of all ranks is treated with the highest degree of importance, and any rank seeking advice or guidance is encouraged to ask for a confidential interview with his officers. It is the policy of the Commandant to establish a personal touch between his officers and the recruits’ parents, and to welcome parents and families whenever they are able to visit the Training Centre. A great contribution to the welfare of the Training Centre is the Roussillon Barracks Ladies’ Club, which is presided over by the wife of the Commandant. The Club provides an opportunity for the wives of all married men who live at Chichester to meet monthly. The activities of the Club are interesting and varied and include outside lectures, outings to the sea and visits to theatres. Entertainment at the Depot is to be had in good measure, in addition to that found in the City of Chichester. Dances are held frequently and these are mainly in the ‘Disco’ fashion, and are very popular. The Television room is open every evening and NAAFI recreation room provides billiards, darts and table tennis. Finally, for those who wish to watch national or international sport, go to the theatre or see all that London has to offer, they can go from Chichester to Victoria by train, which takes only 90 minutes. Sport plays a big part in the Training Centre life. Opportunity is given to all to join in the seasonal games of cricket, football and rugby which are played almost daily on the large playing fields. There is a game for everybody, whatever his standard, in the inter-squad and inter-company games, whereas the really skilful player will find the Training Centre teams worthy of their best efforts. There is a Squash Court in the Training Centre and two hard Tennis Courts. Although there is no swimming bath, the indoor pool at Chichester is very popular. At the Training Centre are laid the foundations of that great spirit of comradeship which is such a distinguishing feature of RMP life. THE RMP TRAINING SYSTEM Corps is proud of its up-to-date and flexible training system. Constant validation ensures that our courses remain relevant and effective, from the basic course for recruits, through to our more advanced specialist courses for investigators. Training is based at the RMP Training Centre in a pleasant setting on the outskirts of Chichester. Roussillon Barracks is largely modern and purpose built; it boasts the latest in training technology, CCTV studio, indoor cine and outdoor ranges, a scenes-of-crime laboratory and photographic darkroom, an assault course, a large gymnasium and multigym, a comprehensive museum and library, a medical centre and ample relaxation and sporting facilities. The flint wall and red brick keep which houses the Museum and Duty Room date back to the Napoleonic Wars. The Initial Training Wing (ITW) primarily carries out the training of all recruits of the RMP and WRAC Provost: The Basic Provost Course (BPC), which lasts over 23 weeks. During Phase 1, RMP recruits are taught basic military skills, including signals, nuclear, biological and chemical warfare (NBC), map reading, drill, fitness, first aid, skill at arms and fieldcraft. In Phase 2 of the course, the recruits are joined by those who carried out their basic training elsewhere including Junior Leaders from Bovington and WRAC Provost from Guildford, to continue learning additional military skills and provost operations and police duties. In addition, all recruits must leave RMPTC as qualified car drivers and many also learn to ride motorcycles. The Advanced Training Wing (ATW) is primarily responsible for career promotion courses within Provost Officer training. This is a 12 week modular course made up of Administration and Management, Provost Operations, Police Duties, Service Funds Accounting and an Initial Investigation Course. The latter two modules are specialised. The former of these is undertaken outside the Corps, the latter is carried out by the Investigation Training Wing. This Wing is responsible for the training of the special Investigation and the Intermediate Scenes of Crime Courses, the former qualifying potential entrants into the SIB. The Close Protection Wing is another specialised training element. The courses are challenging and strenuous but can be enjoyable. They include tactical driving, weapon training, first aid and security. A final exercise looking after a senior officer is a telling test of real ability to cope. RMPTC uses the specialist facilities of the Environmental Training Wing (Tangmere House), where training is carried out in a realistic, yet controlled environment. Tangmere House includes realistic sets, including a bar, Duty Room, Barrack Room and a married quarter which are used to stage training situations. The directing Staff operate a control centre with video and microphones, which enables students to see and hear their own performance. Other advanced training is carried out at civilian establishments, especially Home Office Police Courses, eg, The Senior Initial and Advanced Detective, Sexual Offences, hostage negotiators, Computing, Drugs, Crime Prevention and Advanced Driving. The Training Development Wing (TDW) at RMPTC ensures that Provost training is reviewed, updated and validated, and that new training requirements are developed and introduced. Thus the RMP Training System meets the training requirements of all ranks of Provost using the most effective methods available. Through constant monitoring, pro-active management, development and practical application of training resources the system keeps pace with the needs of the Corps. Many readers, no doubt, will think their own particular part in the building up of the Depots and Schools ought to have more prominence. Many Officers, Warrant Officers and NCOs have been outstanding during their assistance in building the Corps tradition - this is appreciated. The important part of the many years the ‘Depots’ have been established is the modern way of the training. Something of which Records can be rightly proud. Ed: I think most of you reading this can relate to Woking or Chichester with memories good or bad.  

Addendum:

In 2007 the Royal Military Police Depot moved to Southwick Park outside Portsmouth and is now called The Defence School of Policing and Guarding.

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