1st Regiment, Royal Military Police

A Land Rover Defender utilised by the Royal Military Police while in Northern Ireland. The RMP is one of the few corps (units) which still uses the Land Rover.

The first time of the 1st Regiment, RMP was formed was on 5 November 1971, when 173 Provost Company based at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn in Northern Ireland was expanded into a full regiment. Prior to 1971, all provost companies were independent and if grouped were commanded by a 'Deputy Provost Marshal', however the deteriorating situation in Northern Ireland caused this tradition to be dropped. As a result, the first battalion sized unit of the Royal Military Police was created as 173 Provost Company was quickly reinforced within months to become a regiment of seven companies.[lower-alpha 1][2] The regiment was the first of its type, soon after being joined by the 2nd Regiment during the looming Troubles which would occupy the British Army until 2007.[2] The regiment's initial organisation on formation was as follows:[3][4]

• Regimental Headquarters, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn[2]
• 174 Provost Company, at Ardmillan House, Belfast – supporting 39th Infantry Brigade
• 175 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn
• 176 Provost Company, at Ebrington Barracks, Derry – supporting 8th Infantry Brigade
• 177 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn – providing close protection escorts
• 178 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn – investigations unit
• 179 Provost Company, at HMS Hartland Point – formed on 16 January 1972
• 180 Provost Company – formed for Operation Motorman, in June 1972 but disbanded in November of the same year

After a short time in Lisburn, the regimental headquarters moved to Alexander Barracks in Aldergrove on 5 December 1972. In June 1973, 180 Provost Company was reformed bringing the regiment's strength to about 700 personnel. On 1 July 1973, the duties of the regiment was split with the formation of the 2nd Regiment, Royal Military Police with 175, 179, and 180 Provost Companies joining shortly thereafter. However, on 1 April 1978, 2nd Regiment RMP was disbanded and its companies disbanded except for 175 Provost Company which re-joined the 1st Regiment.[3]

In 1978, the regiment was now organised as follows:[3][4]

• Regimental Headquarters, at Alexander Barracks, Aldergrove (until September), then at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn
• 174 Provost Company, at Drumadd Barracks, Armagh – supporting 3rd Infantry Brigade since 18 February 1972
• 175 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn
• 176 Provost Company, at Ebrington Barracks, Derry – supporting 8th Infantry Brigade
• 177 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn – providing close protection escorts
• 178 Provost Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn – investigations unit

From 1981 till the regiment's disbandment in March 1985, the strength of the unit gradually decreased. On 31 December 1981, 174 Provost Company was disbanded alongside 3rd Infantry Brigade; on 30 September 1983 177 Provost Company was reduced to 177 (Support) Platoon and became independent under Headquarters Northern Ireland; on 12 February 1985 175 and 176 Provost Companies became independent while 178 Provost Company was re-designated as 173 Provost Company; finally in March 1985, 173 Provost Company became independent and the regiment was disbanded.[2][3]

On 12 February 1985, the regiment was officially removed from the Army's order of battle due to financial reasons following the 1981 Defence White Paper.[5]

A military policeman of 1st Regiment RMP while deployed in Germany in 2012.

As a result of the Options for Change reforms announced in 1991 following the End of the Cold War, the old 1st Armoured Division was redesignated as the 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division and its provost companies reorganised. As a result of the reorganisation, the 1st Regiment, Royal Military Police was stood up at Wentworth Barracks in Herford to oversee these companies with each supporting one of the combat brigades.[2][3][5][6][7] The regiment's structure after formation on 1 April 1995 was as follows:[3][5][6][8][9][10]

• Regimental Headquarters, at Wentworth Barracks, Herford[7]
• 110 Provost Company, at Normandy Barracks, Sennelager – supporting 20th Armoured Brigade and Paderborn Garrison[11]
• 111 Provost Company, at Haig Barracks, Bergen-Hohne – supporting 7th Armoured Brigade and Hohne Garrison[lower-alpha 2][12][13]
• 115 Provost Company, at Roberts Barracks, Osnabrück – supporting 4th Armoured Brigade[14]

In later 1996, elements of the regiment deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR). On the regiment's return from Bosnia, during a parade in Herford, the regiment was granted the Wilkinson Sword of Peace.[2][3]

According to the 1999 Staff Officers' Handbook, the establishment for 1st Regiment RMP was 18 officers and 343 other ranks. The regiment was also equipped with 4 x Leyland 4-tonne trucks, 109 x B-class vehicles including Land Rover Defenders, and 34 x Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles.[15] Following the reformation of the regiment, the commanding officer of the regiment held the position of 'Provost Marshal, 1st (UK) Armoured Division', and was assisted by three other officers at the armoured division headquarters: Staff Officer (SO)2 (Operations/Plans) – rank of Major, SO3 (Investigations) – rank of Captain, and SO3 (Ops/Plans) – rank of Captain.[16] If mobilised, the Special Investigation Branch detachments in Germany would form the nucleus of the Investigations Section of the regiment.[10]

When the 1st (UK) Armoured Division was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2003 for the impending 2003 Invasion of Iraq (codenamed Operation Telic), the regiment was deployed and involved in provost duties throughout the campaign.[2][3][6]

In 2003, as a result of the Future Army Structure programme announced following the Invasion of Iraq, the regiment was effectively reduced to an administrative command and its provost companies moved under the operational control of the 1st (UK) Armoured Division's armoured brigades.[3][5] The regiment's structure in 2006 was as follows:[3][8]

• Regimental Headquarters, at Wentworth Barracks, Herford[2][17]
• 110 Provost Company, in Paderborn[18] – supporting 20th Armoured Brigade
  • Non-established Police Post, in Hameln
• 111 Provost Company, in Bergen-Hohne[19] – supporting 7th Armoured Brigade[19]
  • Non-established Police Post, in Fallingbostel
• 114 Provost Company, at Princess Royal Barracks, Gütersloh – supporting 102nd Logistic Brigade and Gütersloh Garrison[lower-alpha 3][20]
• 115 Provost Company, at Roberts Barracks, Osnabrück (disbanded in June 2008) – supporting 4th Armoured Brigade[lower-alpha 4][14]
  • Non-established Police Post, in Münster

In 2012, following the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010, the radical Army 2020 programme was announced which (among many things), would see the reorganisation of the provost forces and return of all troops based in Germany. As part of the A2020 programme, the three provost regiments alongside the three specialist police groups would be consolidated into the 1st Military Police Brigade.[2][19] In addition, the Royal Military Police would be consolidated into three regiments, the 1st Regiment: providing support for the 1st (UK) Division based in York; 3rd Regiment: providing support for the 3rd (UK) Division based in Bulford; and the 4th Regiment: providing support for UK operations and Force Troops Command. The structure of all three regiments was also altered, so that there were no longer entirely regular regiments, with each regiment having at least one integrated Territorial (Army Reserve from 2015) company attached, thus making each unit a 'Hybrid' regiment.[17][21][22][23]

The 1st Regiment RMP became an 'Integrated RMP Regiment' as a result of the changes, and transferred from 1st (UK) Division to the 1st Military Police upon that brigade's formation on 1 December 2014.[19] After 2015, the regiment returned from Germany and has been based at Gaza Barracks, Catterick Garrison in the North Riding of Yorkshire ever since.[17][22][23][24]

111 Provost Company was disbanded in June 2014 following their return from Afghanistan.[2] Later 114 Provost Company was also disbanded before the regiment left Germany.[19]

By January 2015, the regiment now oversaw 243 Provost Company, which was formed in January 2015 by merging the former 243 (Scottish) Provost Company based in Livingston with 252 (Northern) Provost Company based in Stockton-on-Tees. The new 243 Provost Coy was now based in Livingston and maintained 252 Platoon in Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham.[22][23][25][26]

In 2015, the regiment was now organised as follows:[23][27]

• Regimental Headquarters, at Gaza Barracks, Catterick Garrison[2][28]
• 110 Provost Company, at Leuchars Station[29] (detachment was based in Bergen-Hohne until mid 2015)[2][19]
• 150 Provost Company[8][30]
• 243 Provost Company (Army Reserve), in Livingston[4]
  • 252 Platoon, in Stockton-on-Tees[4]