Military Police in WW1 in Québec

[Robert Bergeron]

will post later a complete story and try to find references.

Thanks.

[Robert Bergeron]

I am not going to write a long essay.

All i am going to say is that during WW1 my grandfather's job was to escort draft dodgers and deserters from Sherbrooke Québec to the brig or military prison in Montréal .

All the travel was done by train and the prisonners were handcuffed to the policeman.

There is a similar scene in an american film with Jack Nicolson where two SP ( Shore Patrol or Military Police ) escort him to the Navy prison in Porthsmouth.

In WW1 draft dodgers were emprisoned and deserters were shot . My grandfather was 18 at the time but measured over 6'2'' and was around 230 lbs so he fit the bill.

He told me his stories when i was his plumber's apprentice in the 70's . That was his trade after the war until his death in 1979.

Fascinating. He did not like escorting fellows to the brig and / or to the gallows. 60 years after the fact it still bawdered him.

Any one else with similar family stories before they get lost to time?


Robert

[maple_leaf_eh]

There are tales of MPs hunting (in the purest sense) draft dodgers in the backwoods of Quebec. Not everyone liked the idea of three hots and a cot.

There was an oldtimer who lived in the deep woods of Nova Scotia in a tumbledown log cabin. IIRC, he jumped a train to not go overseas. But his cabin was on Crown Land and there was a new national park going in. The rangers had a hard time getting him out.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Robert

Remember seeing a pretty good history of Military Police in Canada, was one of those web searches that went sideways. So don't remember what the search phrase was, may have been CMP.

Think a HUP photo from the website got posted on MLU which might have a link to the site.

Cheers Phil