Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Staff Sergeant W. G. Hills, Military Provost Staff Corps

Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (22559006 S/Sgt., M.P.SC.) official correction to service number, suspension slack; U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed, minor edge bruising, good very fine, rare £200-240

Ex D.N.W. 25 September 2008.

The Military Provost Staff Corps, formed in 1901, is one of the smallest Corps in the British Army. Its task is to provide the guards for military prisons. During the Korean War two prisons were established, one in Kure, Japan and one in Pusan. The latter was a joint Commonwealth unit run by Canadian, Australian and British Provost and known as the Canadian Provost Prison Unit. The aim of the prison was to “Turn bad soldiers into good soldiers” and in Korea was universally recognised as imposing a very harsh regime. In 1950 prisoners were required to dig their own prison cells 10x10x8 ft deep, which were covered by barbed wire. (Note Details of life in this unit are given in the book “Chinese Hordes and Human Waves” page 59, by B.A.H. Parritt)
 
S/Sgt W.G.Hills transferred to the Military Provost Staff Corps in 1947 and served in Shepton Mallet before being posted to Kure and then Pusan. Before being accepted into the Corps he would have already been qualified to be a sergeant, been interviewed by two Boards, including one by a Brigadier, and would have to attend a 13 week Induction Course.
 
Korea Medals to the MPSC are very rare as only 15 members qualified.