RAAF Provost Unit

Melbourne 9 Dec 1943 Provost Marshall, RAAF, Inspecting a parade of graduates of the RAAF Police School. AWM photo 140099

Brief History

The provost service within the RAAF began in a very small way during 1930, when service police were first established for unit duties. World War II found the RAAF totally unprepared for its provost requirements. Towards the end of 1940 the first Provost Marshal and Assistant Provost Marshal were appointed, but it was not until 6 April 1942 that the RAAF Service Police Unit was properly established and organised.

The headquarters of the Service Police Unit was formed in Melbourne with detachments established in each State and overseas. Specialist sections were formed: the Special Investigations Branch, to handle serious crime; the Port Detachment to prevent large-scale desertions; mobile patrols for traffic duty; street patrols to ensure good conduct by the troops in the streets; and the Compassionate Section to handle all matters within this field. Finally in November 1942, the WAAAF were enlisted as serv1ce policewomen. After 1942, the provost service grew rapidly and at the end of the War it numbered over 1,0OO members with some 50 officers. To provide an organisation capable of smooth transition from wartime to peacetime conditions, the RAAF provost service was re-organised and on 16 January 1961 was formed as the RAAP Provost Unit w1th the following establishments: • Headquarters • Victorian Section • New South Wales Sect1on • South Queensland Section • North Queensland Section • Northern Territory Sect1on • South Australian Section • Western Australian Section

Unit Personnel

Training Section

• Albert Walmsley 18 Oct 1942 - 17 Jan 1943 - No. 50 Service Police Course

Victorian Section

• Albert Walmsley 24 Nov 1943 - 14 Jun 1944 & 28 Jul 1944 - 13 Feb 1946

Western Australian Section

• Kenneth William McCallum 7 Apr - 25 Nov 1942
• Albert Walmsley 5 Apr - 23 Nov 1943