Military Provost Staff Corps

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Soldier Details:
Surname: Wilkinson
Initials:   K.E.
Rank:   Captain
Army No.:  335721
Notes:   Provost Officer, Durham Light Infantry. OC No.2 Dog Company, RMP. Extract from the Coventry Evening Telegraph, 22/1/1948. COVENTRY OFFICER LEADS PALESTINE DOG FORCE. Formerly an apprentice at the Coventry factory of Alfred Herbert, Ltd, Captain K E Wilkinson in now commanding No. 2 Dog Company of the Royal Military Police, the only dog company in Palestine. Captain Wilkinson is the 25 year old son of Mr and Mrs Stanley Wilkinson, of 48, Banks Road, Coundon. A native of Sunderland he was educated at Bede College and at the age of 17 came to Coventry as an apprentice. He was one of the first to join the Home Guard in Coventry in which he attained the rank of lieutenant and in 1944 he entered the Durham Light Infantry. Captain Wilkinson joined the Military Police when his Commando unit disbanded early in 1945, and he has now had two years experience in handling war police dogs in Greece, Egypt and Palestine. it was he who conceived and built up the "Melville Force" - the latest experiment in crime detection now operating in Palestine. Lightning Raiders. A large number of stores dumps are scattered throughout the country, and many men are needed to guard them, whereas a small section of war police combat dogs can police a very large area with great efficiency. Although Captain Wilkinson has under his command 150 men and dogs, all classified as "soldiers" he found it impossible to meet the ever increasing requests from units to combat the spate of petty pilfering by natives of neighbouring villages. He decided therefore that his problem would be solved if he could form a mobile, independent force to make lightning raids all over the country, and immediately he set about the task of building up such a team. Six well tried combat men who had served under him since early 1946 in Greece were chosen and these men now form 2 "D" Section, No. 2 Dog Company, Royal Military Police, Mobile Combat Team. As a tribute to the late Colonel D Melville, who until his death last September was Provost Marshal in the Middle East these men called themselves the "Melville Force. Capt Wilkinson who is married will be demobilised shortly. See No. 5909 Colonel D W L Meliville OBE, MC regarding "Melville Force".

Decorations/Medals/Awards (1)
  1. Decoration:   General Service Medal 1918 Gazette Date: 1948-04-08 Gazette Issue: WO 100/531 Gazette Page: 4
Citation:   Clasp: Palestine 1945-1948.