History of MP School
Reference: History of Provost Marshal Directorate HQ AMF 1939, AWM
54 803/1/1 and current Australian MP School (Defence Policing Training Centre -
DPTC) 2005
Researched by Antony Buckingham, MP History Website
Prior to 1968 the
Australian Army Military Police never had a permanent training school or
facility as a Corps home and for training of Military Police. However, during
WW2, with the raising and expansion of an Australian Military Police Corps
(Australian Army Provost Corps) the need for formal and structured Provost
(Military Police) training was required.
As a result, a
Provost Wing of the Services Training Regiment was opened in Palestine in 1941
for the training of personnel who volunteered for service with Australian
Provost Units serving in the Middle East. Personnel were drawn chiefly from
Base Units and the intake was most irregular, but the Wing proved of great
value in keeping Provost Companies approximately to strength. Heavy losses in
Greece and Crete and the raising of two additional L of C Provost Companies
absorbed all personnel trained.
In Australia
during 1939/40 APM laid down a syllabus of training which was rarely carried
out owing to pressure of duties and MP were performing duties with little
knowledge of what was required of them.
In 1941 Training
Cadres were opened in Victoria and New South Wales and whilst helpful it was
found that many volunteers were not the right type. In 1942 the LHQ Provost
Training School was opened and on its movement to Darley, VIC, the Cadres in
Victoria and NSW were disbanded and a Training Wing was attached to the LHQ
Provost Training School.
Early in 1943 the
LHQ Provost Training School was reorganised into HQ and No.1 and No.2 Wings.
Students for No.1 Wing were drawn from Officers and SNCO of the Provost
Companies and the six weeks course of higher training did much to raise the
standard of Company training on their return to their Units. Attendance and
qualifying at this course was a pre-requisite for NCOs selected for attendance
at OCTU. Students for NO.2 Wing were drawn from the Provost Companies and
comprised men who had been enlisted directly into Provost Units, then as
courses commenced were drafted to the School for more intense training. Junior
NCOs in need of refresher training also attended this Wing.
This Wing also
trained the volunteers obtained during the recruiting drive of 1943 when 535
Provost personnel were drafted to the Corps. The standard of training at the
School was very high. The assistance given by lecturers from other Arms of the
Service, and MR Fredericks of the Melbourne University on teaching methods was
of the greatest value to students.
For a period of
15 months USA Military Police attended each Provost Course and derived great
benefit. The attendance of USA Officers and NCOs greatly assisted in
co-operation between these two Provost Services. The training received by all
ranks at the School was invaluable to the efficiency of the Provost Corps and
its raising 2 and a half years after the opening of hostilities is to be
deplored.
At the end of
WW2, the LHQ Provost Training School was disbanded in line with the run down of
personnel and the transition to peace and there was no permanent training
school raised or maintained inside Australia for training of post war Military
Police.
With Australia's
contribution to the Occupation of Japan (BCOF Japan), and lack of suitably
trained MPs a Provost Wing of the BCOF Training School (Japan) was established
in 1947 for training of BCOF Provosts of Australia, Britain, New Zealand and
Indian Provosts. The School was maintained for about 2 or 3 years before the
wind down of Australian troops to BCOF in 1952.
After WW2 and
during the 1950s, training of Provost personnel was undertaken by individual Provost
Units based within Australia. During the 1960s, the home of the Corps was
considered to be the training establishment based on Eastern Command Provost
Company at Watsons Bay or 'South Head' as it was known to Corps members. In
1968, the Royal Australian Army Provost School was established at Gallipoli
Lines, Holsworthy, NSW, Australia.
In January 1974, the Provost Training Centre
was renamed the MP School and relocated to Ingleburn to form part of the MP
Complex (co-located with 2 MP Coy and 1st Military Correction Establishment).
This coincided with the renaming of the Royal Australian Army Provost Corps to
the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police (RACMP). The MP Complex was
opened as Coral Lines by the Colonel Commandant RACMP, Major General C.M.I.
Pearson, AO, DSO, OBE, MC in June 1974.
On 12 June 1983, Coral Lines was renamed to Lamia Lines. 'Lamia' being a small
town in Greece through which the 16th Australian Infantry Brigade, 7th
Australian Division conducted a fighting withdrawal in April 1941. During this
action MP performed their duties under fire with the courage and
professionalism to which all MP should strive. It was during this action that
Captain J. W. Grimshaw, Australian Army Provost Corps, was awarded the Military
Cross for leadership and bravery.
In December 1989, the MP Complex was renamed
the MP Centre. On 13 April 1992, the MP Centre units, including the Defence
Force Corrective Establishment (DFCE), the Directorate of Military Police
(DMP), HQ Army Special Investigations Branch (SIB) Unit, 2 MP Coy and MP School
relocated to Green Hills, Liverpool Military Area. The MP Centre was opened as
Lamia Barracks by the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Major General A. J.
Fittock, AO on 1 July 1992.
In February 1994, as a consequence of the 1993 Review into the RACMP, the Army
SIB Unit was disbanded, the MP Central Records Office (MPCRO) formed part of
DMP and the MP School SIB Training Section was retitled the Investigations
Training Section.
On 16 December 1996, DFCE was transferred
from the Base Logistic Sub-Program to Training Command - Army (TC-A) and was
incorporated within the MP School.
On 1 July 1997, as a consequence of the Restructuring the Army Program DMP was
transferred to TC-A. On 1 December 1997, DMP elements combined with the MP
School (including DFCE) to form the Military Police Training Centre (MPTC).
On 15 December 1997, the Commandant (COMDT)
MPTC was appointed as the Provost Marshal-Army (PM-A) by the Deputy Chief of
the Army. MPCRO and the ACT MP Det remain under command to assist with the
performance of PM-A responsibilities.
On 6 January 1999, the MPTC was renamed the Army Military Police Training
Centre (AMPTC).
In Jan 2001 the 1st Military Police Battalion was formed and the MPCRO was
transferred to the Battalion to provide criminal investigative records support.
On 27 June 2003 AMPTC joined with SNPCS (Security and Naval Police Coxswain
School - Royal Australian Navy formerly known as Naval Police) to form the
Defence Police Training Centre.
The Defence Police Training Centre (DPTC) is located at Lamia Barracks, Green
Hills Road, Green Hills, Liverpool Military Area. The DPTC shares Lamia
Barracks with the 2nd Military Police Company (2 MP Coy) and 1 Sect 52 Military
Police Platoon (SIB), both from 1 MP Bn.
The following information details
Provost training and problems as identified in 1943 as the Australian Provost
Corps expanded and increased its knowledge and experience in preparation for
operations in New Guinea and surrounding Islands during WW2.
Provost Training Info -
1943
Reference - Minute dated 23
January 1943 from Provost Marshal, Colonel Murphy, (File 32/701/1004). Courtesy
RACMP Museum.
The training of Provost personnel is at
present carried out by:
The number of students in (b) and (c) is at
present short of the estimates, viz NSW estimates 240, in training 109 and VIC
estimate 240, in training 44.
The WE for Army Provost School is 2 Officers
and 27 ORs and for each Provost Training Company is 2 and 43, giving a total
combined staff of 6 Officers and 113 ORs.
It is considered that one central LHQ
Provost Training School should be set up in Victoria with wings for training.
There are 29 Provost Companies, 3 Brigade
Group Platoons and 1 Provost Section (Torres Forces) in the Commonwealth,
together with 9 Sections as Train Security Guards. There are also 3 Provost
Companies in the Middle East ( 9 Div, 2 and 3 L of C). The standard of training
and efficiency of these units varies greatly particularly in L of C areas.
Assuming that the Officers and NCOs passing
through LHQ Provost Training School represents the more highly trained
personnel of their units, experience leads to the conclusion that practically
all units would benefit by being withdrawn for a period of say 4 weeks for
intensive training.
It was anticipated that a reasonable
proportion of the personnel passing through LHQ Provost School would return to
their Units fitted to act as skilled instructors, but the conclusion has been
forced upon me after closely observing the Cadres engaged on 6 weeks course,
that their lack of knowledge has obliged the CI to direct practically all his
energies to imparting essential instruction, and methods of teaching has
perforce taken a secondary place.
It is felt that the only real solution of
the training problem, so far as it applies to personnel at present with the
Provost Units, is to devise some scheme under which a Company will be withdrawn
as suggested. To enable this to be done consideration might be given to
withdrawing one Company from Middle East to act as a relief Company.
An alternative proposal not possessing the
same degree of merit, is to withdraw say 3 or 4 from each Provost Unit to form
a relief Company under selected Officers. The Company withdrawn for training
will pass into the Provost Training School, and not be trained under L of C of
Formation arrangements.