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| Leamington-Spa,
October 7 1943. Gendarms of the Provost Detachment together with some Belgian military. |
THE
BELGIAN GENDARMERIE
PROVOST DETACHMENT
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
1940 - 1945
SHORT HISTORY
The Belgian Gendarmerie was the National Police Force.
It was military organised and had consequently military ranks.
As no
Military Police Force existed in Belgium before WW2,
the Gendarmerie had Provost Detachments which task it was to
police the Military Forces.
At the end of
the campaign in Belgium in May 1940, several gendarms were able
to embark at Dunkirk, France, and escaped to the United Kingdom.
They formed the core of the Belgian Gendarmerie Provost Detachment in the United Kingdom.
2 sub-detachments were formed : one in London, and one in Leamington-Spa.
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| Leamington-Spa,
October 7 1943. Gendarms of the Provost Detachment together with some Belgian military. |
Each sub-detachment consisted of about 20 men.
They fulfilled the Provost tasks with the Belgian Armed Forces in the United Kingdom.
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| London,
July 21 1943. Gendarms of the Provost Detachment attending the parade for the Belgian National Day. |
At the end of
1945 the Belgian Gendarmerie Provost Detachment in the United
Kingdom was disbanded,
and the men were reintegrated in the traditional Gendarmerie
Forces.
Commanding
Officer :
Senior Captain ENGELS
INSIGNIA
Rank Insignia.
As the Gendarmerie had a miltary stucture, the ranks were the same as with the Armed Forces.
Officers wore their rank at their collars, NCO and men wore their rank at their lower sleeves.
The
Gendarmerie ranks started from Gendarm up to Lieutenant-General,
but in the United Kingdom the highest ranking officr was a Senior
Captain.
Officers wore golden stars and a golden grenade with flame on a red collar tab.
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Colonel |
 |
Senior Captain |
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Sub-Lieutenant Gold
Adjudant |
The adjudant (Warrant officer 1st Class) wore a silver star and a silver grenade with flame on a red collar tab.
Other NCO's and men wore the red collar tab with a silver gendarmerie emblem.
The NCO's wore silver rank stripes on the lowers leeves.
The Corporal wore red stripes on his lower sleeves.
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Warrant Officer 2nd Class, Warrant Officer 3rd Class, Staff-Sergeant, Sergeant, Corporal |
Arm Title
All Belgian
Gendarms in the United Kingdom wore on their left upper sleeve
a white curved "BELGIUM" on a black background.
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| Gendarm Arm Title |
Arm Band
In London the gendarms who stood guard before the Belgian Embassy and the residence of the Prime Minister,
wore a yellow armband with the red capital letters "MP".
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| Armband worn by the Belgian Gendarmes |
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| Gendarm in front of the residence of Prime Minister PIERLOT. |
