An
"Epoch" in History of Danish Military Police.
It was actually the start, although nobody at that time understood what was
happening, and maybe not, that it would implicate the establishment of the Danish
Military Police.
It is always good to know your own background or the background of what you are
doing right now.
The background for what you are doing right now - reading this document - is of
course, that you are not only interested in your own background, but also in
this particular corps, - the Military Police.
The following tells some facts about something, that made something else
happen.
It all started one late hour the 4. May 1945, 6:30 pm, when fieldmarshall B. L. Montgomery
issued the decree you can see on the following pages, - namely the
decree about the unconditional surrender of the German forces.
See a copy of
the original document in coarse resolution(30kb).
See a copy
of the original document in fine resolution(180kb).
Nothing happend immediately with the Danish Armed Forces, - they had been
closed down during the German occupation, but soon after the Armed Forces were
back on their feet again.
18.February 1947 the Chief Command issued an order to all Danish forces to
detach personal to form a Military Police force. 80 men, some officers and
non-comissioned officers.
As You can see in the order of the Chief Command, the demands made on the picked
men, were quite tough, both concerning political observans, personal qualities,
manner and apperance.
4. June 1947 His Majesty King Frederik IX signed a law, that authorized the Ministry of War to issue an order to the Armed Forces to form an occupying force for duty in foreing countries. The law is announced in the Danish Radio 11. June 1947.
All of us, who volunteered for duty in the Danish Military Police in North Germany, gathered in March 1947 on Lundtofte airport, and were quartered in a camp of huts.
When I use the word "volunteer", it is not meant litterally. We had of course, got some information about the Military Police from our conversation with our commanders. We knew that our regiment should detach three men, but else we knew nothing before that day, we could read in the order that:" Corporal E. Loevenvig, Corporal F. Jackson and Corporal J. Petersen report to duty 8. March 1947 at the Military Police School on Lundtofte airport".
It was a terribly weather with lot of snow. Trains were out of order, but we had to go, and therefore we were transported to our new place of duty in an armoured vehicle.
It did not last long time, before our education was in full speed. Our first impression was, that it was a tough training, we had to go through, and that we had come from the ash to the fire. We were already some very tough guys, - at least we thought so, but our belief disappeared very quick into the blue sky.
We had a lot of theoretic stuff besides the practical training, and often we had to use our spare time and even Saturdays and Sundays.
Parts in the theoretic education were civil and military law, and how to write reports.
Erik Løvenvig.