THE PROVOST TRAFFIC CONTROL COMPANIES
AND
THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION
PROVOST COMPANIES
1945 - 1946

SHORT HISTORY

4 Provost Traffic Control Companies and 4 L.of C. Provost Companies were raised.

The mission of the Provost TC Companies was to observe, to control
and to help all military traffic in a designated area.

They also controlled civilian traffic when necesaary.

Companies 1 - 3 came under the operational command of the 21st Army Group and received
a subarea
in occupied Germany where they worked for the 21st Army Group.

Germany, 1946, section of the 2nd Provost Traffic Control Company.

The 4th Company stayed in Belgium.

Each company consisted of a Staff platoon and 6 Traffic Control sections.

2nd Belgian Provost Traffic Control Company. Authorisation for carriyng a pistol.

The missions of. the L. of C. Provost Companies were :
- control of military traffic
-guarding isolated military, such as military who had to appear before a Court Martial
- searching and apprehending wanted nazis and collaborators.

Hamburg, April 1946. Scoutcar Daimler of the Staff Section of the 2nd L of C Prov Coy.		Hamburg, Tierpark, March 24 1946. Cpl HERNOTTE and Cpl WEBER of the 2nd L of C Prov Coy.

Companies 1 & 2 came under the operational command of the 21st Army Group and received a subarea
in occupied Germany where they worked for the 21st Army Group.

The 3rd Company went to the Netherlands, and the 4th Company stayed in Belgium.

Hamburg, beginning 1946, the 2nd Belgian L. of C. Provost Company. The man in front with the black béret is the C.O. Capt DE CALLATHAY.

Each company consisted of a Staff platoon and 3 Provost sections.

Christmascard 1945 of the 2nd L of C Prov Coy.

BADGES

Arm titles

All companies wore 2 very distinctive arm titles.

The first was the arm title of the British "Corps of Military Police".

A red curved arm title with the black capital letters "C.M.P.".

It was worn on both arms.

"C.M.P." arm title

The second one was a very specific "BELGIUM" title.

It is the smallest known version of the "BELGIUM" title.

White capital letters on a khaki rectangular background, 4cm on 1,8cm.

It was worn on the left arm, beneath the "CMP" title.

The "BELGIUM" title of the MP's

The Belgian national colours were worn on the right arm beneath the "CMP" title.

All Companies also wore on both arms the MP strip.

Right arm - Left arm

The 4 Prov TC Companies wore on both lower arm sleeves a blue diamond with the yellow capital letters "T.C.".

Thus they could be recognised as Traffic Control units.

Traffic Control badge worn on both lower sleeves.

Formation badges.

5 of the 6 units assigned to the 21st Army Group wore the formation badge of the L. of C. troops.

A dark blue cross on a red shield.

The 3rd Prov Traffic Control Company wore the formation badge of the 30th British Corps.

A black charging wild boar in a white circle, the whole on a black square.

Formation badge of the 30th British Corps

Formation badge L of C Troops of the 21st Army Group

Cap badges.

The Belgian heraldic lion, brass version, had to be worn on the MP Cap.

The Belgian Lion cap badge.		Cpl HERNOTTE of the 2nd L of C Prov Coy wearing the Belgian cap badge.

Two other cap badges were also worn.

The first is the cap badge worn by the NCO's and officers of the Belgian Colonial Army.

A Belgian lion in a wreath of leafs, with a Belgian crown above.

Colonial Cap badge worn by the Belgian MP's.		Sgt CARPENTIER of the 1st L of C Provost Coy wearing the colonial cap badge.

The 1st Provost Traffic Control Company had its own cap badge.

A Belgian lion in a wreath of leafs, with a Belgian crown above, and the words "MILITARY POLICE" beneath.

Cap Badge 1st Provost Traffic Company.

MP armband.

The well known "MP" armband was worn on the right arm.

Dark red capital letters "MP" on a black background.

"MP" armband