Researched by Antony Buckingham, MP History Website

The badge above is the current Corps badge of The Royal Australian Corps of Military Police (RACMP) and the previous Corps, the Royal Australian Army Provost Corps (RAA PRO).

The Corps badge consists of crossed roman broad swords surrounded by a laurel wreath, surmounted by the Crown of St Edward.

Corps badges have been part of the Australian Army since 1949 and as with many of our traditions they were copied from the system of Corps and Unit Badges used by the British Army.

The design of many of the Australian Corps badges were taken from the equivalent British Army Corps or Unit. The badge of the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police is one of the few to be completely original in design using only the principles of heraldry as a guideline.

Prior to 1949 the Australian Military Police did not have a Corp badge. Military Police were only recognisable by the MP armband and white webbing that was synonymous with the MP from WW2 until 1949.

During the period 1947 to 1949 the Australian Army investigated the replacement of uniforms and embellishments for the 'Post war Army' which resulted in 1950 in the adoption of the battle dress uniform similar in style to the uniform worn by the British Army during WW2. To complement this uniform it was decided to adopt the embellishments similar to those worn on the British uniform which were embroidered shoulder titles and Corps or unit badges.

On the 15 July 1948 the Master General of Ordnance (MGO) in his memo B10159 (61/9/621) of 15 July 1948 called for recommendations to be forwarded for the design of the Corps badge and embroidered shoulder titles. In response to this the Provost Marshal - Army on 26 July 1948 forwarded to the MGO through the Adjutant-General a letter making his recommendations and included a drawing of the badge. There is no known copy of the original drawing.

It is not known who designed the Corps badge or why the badge included the crossed Roman broad swords inside the laurel wreath surmounted by the Kings Crown, the first official drawing of the badge was issued in late 1949 in MGO Specifications Aust/991 which showed the badge as drawn in July 1949 by A.Ward. The specifications called for two sizes, large and small, this allowed the badge to be worn on the hat/cap and beret, and worn as collar badges on the officers service dress. The fastening device varied from the normal fastening devices consisted of two sharpened tongues on the top and bottom rear of the badge. It is not known if any of these badges were manufactured as the examples available today feature a different fastening device which consists of two shanks and a brass spring pin, this fastening device is consistent with all other badges of the period.

The next documented change to the specifications of the badge occurred with the issue of a revised MGO specification Aust/991 on the 2 Oct 1955. The changes included a change of crown style to that of the St Edward's Crown as a result of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth the Second in 1954. This specification sheet also shows the standardised fastening device of two shanks and a brass spring pin.

In the late 1960s the Army decided for reasons of economy to change the specifications of all badges from gilt brass to gold anodised aluminium. At the same time the fastening device was changed from the standard two shanks to two titanium pins with clutch grips. These changes were made in Specification sheet Aust 5368 dated 9 April 1969.

In 1974 with application made to change the Corps title from Royal Australian Army Provost Corps to the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police, it was decided that it may be appropriate to change the corps badge to include the corps motto, a consensus of opinion was sought from Corps members with the majority electing to keep the badge unchanged, and so the badge remains unchanged from the 1969 specification sheet.