The following personal histories were taken from various years of the Corps Newsletters, Magazines

Murray, or as he is known throughout the Corps, 'Sahib', had a long and distinguished military career.

He served a total of 37 years, starting in the British Army in 1940 as an Officer Cadet with 162 Honorable Artillery Company. Subsequently he was commissioned into the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). In 1942 he went to the North West Frontier of India - now Pakistan - and in 1943 to Burma as second-in-command 26 Indian Division Provost Company. Captain Symington stayed with the Division on combined operations against the Japanese until the end of the war in August 1945.

During 1946/47 he was Staff Lt to the Deputy Provost Marshal Ports Provost (UK), then 2IC of 177 Ports Provost Company, RMP. For the following three years, Captain Symington was OC of the British Independent Provost Company in Hong Kong then, returning to Europe, was Staff Captain Provost, Hook of Holland. In 1951 and for the next three years, Captain Symington was 2IC 2 DIV Provost Company, BAOR.

Now a Major, he was appointed OC British Commonwealth Base Provost Company, Japan and Korea. In 1955, Major Symington became OC 200 Provost Company, in Singapore and then DAPM Singapore in 1956/57. His last appointment with the British Army was with 43rd Division Provost Company from 1958 - 1961.

His service with the Australian Army commenced in 1962 when he joined Eastern Command Provost Company as a Captain, 2IC. He later served with Northern Command Provost Company in Brisbane. Following that posting he commanded an integrated Australian, New Zealand and United Kingdom military police unit in Malaysia, the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Provost Unit. His last overseas posting was as OC AFV Provost Unit and Provost Marshal of the Australian Force in Vietnam in 1970

On return to Australia he spent the remainder of his service in Sydney, firstly as the Commandant of 1st Military Corrective Establishment and then as Provost Marshal, 2nd Military District; the appointment he held until retirement in April 1977.

After leaving the Army, 'Sahib' settled at Balmoral in Sydney. He worked in an administrative appointment at the University of New South Wales and served as a Justice of the Peace.

In the late 1930s Eric Hovell Curphey joined the CMF on full-time duty.

In 1942 Eric took the oath and became V330780 PTE E.Curphey doing basic training with 10 BDE GP in Seymour and then posted to 37 Battalion Seymour. It was during this time that Eric changed from CMF(FTD) to the AIF, being subsequently posted to Independent Company AIF in Northern Command, then to 2/3 Cavalry Squadron, where he saw service in New Guinea in 1943, before returning to Queensland.

From 1943 to 1946 Eric served with 7th Australian Division Provost Company and 1 Armoured Division Provost Company in the Pacific Region at Morotai and Balik Papan and later with the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces, 34 Infantry Brigade Provost Company, in Japan. He remained in Japan until 1953, with only a break from April 1952 to May 1953 with the British Commonwealth Forces KOREA. It was during this stay in Japan that Eric got married.

He returned to Australia in 1953 and proceeded on leave until he was posted to Eastern Command Provost Company before heading home to Victoria in January 1954, to take up residence with the Bandiana Detachment, as NCO in charge.

In February 1967 Eric again left Australia to serve in South Vietnam with the AFV Provost Unit. Whilst there, Eric was named in the 1967 Queen's Birthday Honours List and was awarded the Biritsh Empire Medal.

3913 CPL E.H. Curphey BEM returned home in February 1968 and again took up residence in Bandiana, posted to Southern Command Detachment 1 CommZ Provost Company, loaned back to Southern Command Provost Company Albury Detachment, as Detachment I/C.

To meet an establishment increase in the Bandiana Detachment, Eric attended a SNCO Course and was subsequently promoted SGT in 1969.

Eric passed away on 7 February 2002 at 1730 hrs.

Prior to joining the Australian Army in 1952, he had served with the British and Indian Armies during and after the Second World War.

As an officer in the Royal Indian Army Service Corps, he was seconded to the Military Police in 1945. After attendance at the Military Police School , he saw service on the North West Frontier and eventually raised the 1st Indian Armoured Brigade Provost Unit before leaving India in 1947.

In his 22 years with the RAA PRO Corps he occupied most appointments in a number of units. His first appointment was with 1 MCE. In 1955 he raised 28 Independent Infantry Brigade Provost Unit and took it to Penang. He commanded the unit for two years then returned to Australia to raise yet another unit, this time, 1st Infantry Brigade Provost Platoon. Unfortunately , the enterprise was short lived and, in 1960, the unit was disbanded.

Next in succession came appointments as DAPM/OC Northern Command Provost Company; a Staff Officer with the Directorate of Manning at AHQ, after completing the short staff course at Queenscliffe; DAPM/OC Eastern Command Provost Company; OC AFV Provost Unit Vietnam; and again as DAPM/OC Eastern Command Provost Company in 1970. His final posting was with the Personnel Branch of HQ 2 MD.

Frank or 'Scotty' as he was known, was a former military policeman and well known to the older Corps members and ex-members.

He was a native of Darbyshire UK and arrived in Australia at the age of sixteen. He began work on a sheep station in the Deniliquin area and later worked as an inspector with the Fisheries and Game Department, operating mainly along the Murray River.

Scotty joined the Army in 1941 and was allocated to Engineers. He was posted to the Middle East, where in 1942 he transferred to Military Police. He also served in Morotai, Japan and Korea, where he was 'Mentioned in Dispatches'.

On return to Australia in 1953 he was posted to Southern Command Provost Company where he served until retirement. When he was discharged from the Army in August 1961, Sergeant F.W. Allwood was in charge of the Bandiana detachment of that unit.

Bobs service in the Army was a long and interesting one.

He joined the AIF in 1916 under age, was withdrawn by his mother but joined again in 1917 serving in France where he was wounded and gassed. He was discharged in 1919.

He enlisted in the Militia in 1930 and joined the PMF in 1939; was posted to 2/5 Infantry Battalion and promoted to WO1 the following year. He served twice in the Middle East, with 1st Australia Corps Guard Battalion and 2/5 Infantry Battalion respectively, and was commissioned as a LT in 1941.

In 1943 he was transferred to the Australian Army Provost Corps, HQ SIB and in 1944 was posted to New Guinea Details Depot. He also served in a number of appointments in Detention Barracks and assumed command of 1 MCE in 1952.

He retired on 7 March 1955. For his service at 1 MCE he was awarded the OBE.

WO1 Ron Dutton enlisted in February 1957, being allocated to Royal Australian Corps of Signals. On completion of Corps training he was posted to 1st Infantry Brigade Independent Signal Squadron in February 1958.

He transferred to RAA PRO later in that year and commenced his military police career with 1st Infantry Brigade Provost Platoon.

On disbandment of 1st Infantry Brigade in 1960, CPL Dutton was posted to 1st Division Provost Company located at South Head. From there he moved to 28th Commonwealth Brigade Provost Unit in Malaya, and served at Taiping, Penang and Malacca. Returning to Australia in November 1962, he joined the Northern Command Section of 1st Division Provost Company at Indooroopily. In 1965 he was posted to Northern Command Provost Company and promoted to the rank of SGT.

SGT Dutton again served overseas during 1968-69, this time with Australian Forces Vietnam Provost Unit, serving at Vung Tau, Long Binh, Saigon and Nui Dat. In November 1969 he returned to Australia to HQ 1 DIV Provost Company at South Head and was promoted to the rank of WO2. In February 1971 he was yet again overseas, this time with ANZUK Provost Unit in Singapore. Originally he was to be CSM of the proposed Tri-National/Tri-Service detention barracks; instead, during his two years at the unit he performed the duties of CSM, A/RSM, TPT WO, QMS, Admin WO, and finally CSM of the Brigade Platoon.

On return to Australia in February 1973, he was posted to Northern Command Provost Company at Indooroopily and from there in April 1974 he went to the MP School, being promoted to WO1 in October of that year.

He is retiring from the Army in February 1978 after 21 years service.

Tony Fenton began his 21 years of Regular Army service with Royal Australian Corps of Signals in 1956, transferring to RAA PRO two years later.

His first Corps posting was with 1st Infantry Brigade Group Provost Platoon and after that, Eastern Command Provost Company. From 1960 to 1962, CPL Fenton served in Malaya with 28 Commonwealth Brigade Provost Unit. Returning to Australia, he joined the ARA Cadre of 1 DIV Provost Company.

In 1965, Sgt Fenton went to PNG and, as a WO2, established Military Police detachments in Wewak (1967) and Lae (1968). Once more back in Australia, WO2 Fenton took up his first posting with the Corps School, then a Wing of Eastern Command Provost Company. In December 1969, aged 31, he was promoted T/WO1. His next posting was overseas service in Vietnam in 1970, as RSM AFV Provost Unit. Next followed tours of duty with Eastern Command Provost Company and Northern Command Provost Company. From 1975 until retirement in 1977 was posted to the MP School initially as WOIC Police Duties and Field Training Wing before appointment as Corps RSM.