20th Hussars Regimental Police.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Hussar100

My own experience is from the modern army too however, albeit not post Options for Change. But as a cavalryman I am very cognisant of the fact that we did things differently; sometimes in a way which would have seemed unusual to those from the General Service Corps.

As for the Victorian age: I haven't made a particular study of RP in that era but as you can see from one of my answers above I'm not entirely ignorant of military practice both pre and post Cardwell. so I don't think I'm absolutely wide of the mark in my opinions. It's always nice to learn something new though so if you've got anything to share I'd love to see it. I always find I can never learn enough from others.

Cough....splutter 'General Service Corps'...I don't think a unit exists under that title outside of wartime, although it's cap badge does. Joking aside, my original comments related largely to the Victorian period & WW1 because that was the OPs photo. I expanded a little to the modern army in the next post as that principle that I had outlined did not change in the conservative infantry battalion that I first served with. All RPs had to have at least 2-years in a rifle company.
The photos I will show are all much older though.

[Hussar100]

Originally Posted by Toby Purcell

Cough....splutter 'General Service Corps'...I don't think a unit exists under that title outside of wartime, although it's cap badge does. Joking aside, my original comments related largely to the Victorian period & WW1 because that was the OPs photo. I expanded a little to the modern army in the next post as that principle that I had outlined did not change in the conservative infantry battalion that I first served with. All RPs had to have at least 2-years in a rifle company.
The photos I will show are all much older though.

Replace GSC with "all other corps".

[Toby Purcell]

Spot the young shavers?....and notice the good conduct badges of those below full Corporal. The two larger groups are Garrison Police, who were formed by each regiment (all arms) providing a detachment.

[Cruachan]

Originally Posted by Toby Purcell

I understand your point, but all I can say is that it was my experience at lengthy regimental duty and later when on the staff when visiting a unit that steady, older soldiers were used, not least because of the experience needed on garrison night patrol at turfing out time...

Aye, most of our RPs had done at least one "tour" in Colchester.

But maybe that was just an Argyll thing.


J

[Hussar100]

Originally Posted by Cruachan

Aye, most of our RPs had done at least one "tour" in Colchester.

But maybe that was just an Argyll thing.


J

Nope, it was other outfits too. I well remember attending a wedding as part of the honour guard. It was at the Garrison Chapel in Munster. The incumbent unit was 3LI. My mate and me went into the Naafi for a pint before the ceremony. We commented when we went in that we'd never seen such a poorly decorated Naafi in many years. The walls were bare, just bare bulbs hung in the ceiling - no shades, bare 3 x 3 tables and plastic chairs; in fact no attempt at comfort anywhere.

We set our SD caps and swords on the table nearest the bar and asked for two pints. A minute later the canteen cowboy came in and demanded to know who owned the swords. A question we found baffling as we were the only two customers. Nevertheless we replied that they were ours. He demanded we picked them up and kept them in our hands at all times because he didn't want people picking them up as he might be the one who finished up with one stuck in him.

Of course we laughed. The barman educated us; telling us how he was the sixth barman in two years, the last one was apparently still in BMH Munster having the broken pint glass removed from his face - we picked the swords up!

So no, not just the Argylls although I did see them at work in Catterick during the nightly battles with the Black Watch (and any poor English bloke who happened to inadvertently walk in) at the Walkerville Hotel.

Then there was the running animosity in Tidworth between 2 Royal Irish and 3 Para which led to the Tidworth Riot - but that's another story.