On 10 November 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War (WW2), Proclamation 276 of Government Gazette 2699 was published. This proclamation changed the name of the South African Corps of Military Police (established on 1 November 1938 as a unit of the Permanent Force) to that of Military Police Corps (MPC). It brought all Military Police detachments under the control of one commanding officer, Lt Col (later Col) R.D. Pilkington-Jordan E.D. This step improved discipline and assured uniformity in procedure. The Military Police was to maintain discipline by measures like the establishment of examining piquet's at vital centres such as Defence Headquarters; institution of day and night patrols; investigation of complaints against military personnel when unit enquiries were unsuccessful; and, apprehension of absentees from the Union Defence Force (UDF). Duties like the responsibility for the guarding of unit lines, or the preliminary investigation of minor offences, were to be undertaken by the units themselves, which usually possessed their own Regimental Police.

Three Provost Companies of the Corps rendered valuable service in North Africa and one in Italy during WW2.

The title of the MPC was returned to that of its original formation, namely the South African Corps of Military Police, on 18 October 1946.

Sources:

Books:

Kalley, J.A.; Schoeman, E. & Andor, L.E. (eds)(1999). Southern African Political History: a chronology of key political events from independence to mid-1997, Westport: Greenwood.

Links:

http://home.mweb.co.za/re/redcap/frames.htm