Exporting British Policing during the Second World War : Policing Soldiers and Civilians

Exporting British Policing is a comprehensive study of British military policing in liberated Europe during the Second World War. Preventing and detecting thefts, receiving and profiteering together with the maintenance of order in its broadest sense are, in the peacetime world, generally confided to the police. However, the Second World War witnessed the use of civilian police to create a detective division of the British Army's Military Police (SIB), and the use of British civilian police, alongside American police, as Civil Affairs Officers to restore order and civil administration. Part One follows the men of the SIB from their pre-war careers to confrontations with mafiosi and their investigations into widespread organised crime and war crimes during which they were constantly hampered by being seen as a Cinderella service commanded by 'temporary gentlemen'. Part Two focuses on the police officers who served in Civil Affairs who tended to come from higher ranks in the civilian police than those who served in SIB. During the war they occupied towns with the assault troops, and then sought to reorganise local administration; at the end of the war in the British Zones of Germany and Austria they sought to turn both new Schutzmänner and police veterans of the Third Reich into British Bobbies. Using memoirs and anecdotes, Emsley critically draws on the subjective experiences of these police personnel, assessing the successes of these wartime efforts for preventing and investigating crimes such as theft and profiteering and highlighting the importance of historical precedent, given current difficulties faced by international policing organizations in enforcing democratic police reform in post-conflict societies. "Exporting British Policing is a comprehensive study of British military policing in liberated Europe during the Second World War. Preventing and detecting thefts, receiving and profiteering together with the maintenance of order in its broadest sense are, in the peacetime world, generally confided to the police. However, the Second World War witnessed the use of civilian police to create a detective division of the British Army's Military Police (SIB), and the use of British civilian police, alongside American police, as Civil Affairs Officers to restore order and civil administration. Part One follows the men of the SIB from their pre-war careers to confrontations with mafiosi and their investigations into widespread organised crime and war crimes during which they were constantly hampered by being seen as a Cinderella service commanded by 'temporary gentlemen'. Part Two focuses on the police officers who served in Civil Affairs who tended to come from higher ranks in the civilian police than those who served in SIB. During the war they occupied towns with the assault troops, and then sought to reorganise local administration; at the end of the war in the British Zones of Germany and Austria they sought to turn both new Schutzmñner and police veterans of the Third Reich into British Bobbies. Using memoirs and anecdotes, Emsley critically draws on the subjective experiences of these police personnel, assessing the successes of these wartime efforts for preventing and investigating crimes such as theft and profiteering and highlighting the importance of historical precedent, given current difficulties faced by international policing organizations in enforcing democratic police reform in post-conflict societies."--Bloomsbury Publishing. 4e de couv. indque : "Exporting British Policing is a comprehensive study of British military policing in liberated Europe during the Second World War. Preventing and detecting thefts, receiving and profiteering together with the maintenance of order in its broadest sense are, in the peacetime world, generally confided to the police. However, the Second World War witnessed the use of civilian police to create a detective division of the British Army's Military Police (SIB), and the use of British civilian police, alongside American police, as Civil Affairs Officers to restore order and civil administration. Part One follows the men of the SIB from their pre-war careers to confrontations with mafiosi and their investigations into widespread organised crime and war crimes during which they were constantly hampered by being seen as a Cinderella service commanded by 'temporary gentlemen'. Part Two focuses on the police officers who served in Civil Affairs who tended to come from higher ranks in the civilian police than those who served in SIB. During the war they occupied towns with the assault troops, and then sought to reorganise local administration; at the end of the war in the British Zones of Germany and Austria they sought to turn both new Schutzmñner and police veterans of the Third Reich into British Bobbies. Using memoirs and anecdotes, Emsley critically draws on the subjective experiences of these police personnel, assessing the successes of these wartime efforts for preventing and investigating crimes such as theft and profiteering and highlighting the importance of historical precedent, given current difficulties faced by international policing organizations in enforcing democratic police reform in post-conflict societies." "Exporting British Policing is a comprehensive study of British military policing in liberated Europe during the Second World War. Preventing and detecting thefts, receiving and profiteering together with the maintenance of order in its broadest sense are, in the peacetime world, generally confided to the police. However, the Second World War witnessed the use of civilian police to create a detective division of the British Army's Military Police (SIB), and the use of British civilian police, alongside American police, as Civil Affairs Officers to restore order and civil administration. Part One follows the men of the SIB from their pre-war careers to confrontations with mafiosi and their investigations into widespread organised crime and war crimes during which they were constantly hampered by being seen as a Cinderella service commanded by 'temporary gentlemen'. Part Two focuses on the police officers who served in Civil Affairs who tended to come from higher ranks in the civilian police than those who served in SIB. During the war they occupied towns with the assault troops, and then sought to reorganise local administration; at the end of the war in the British Zones of Germany and Austria they sought to turn both new Schutzmñner and police veterans of the Third Reich into British Bobbies. Using memoirs and anecdotes, Emsley critically draws on the subjective experiences of these police personnel, assessing the successes of these wartime efforts for preventing and investigating crimes such as theft and profiteering and highlighting the importance of historical precedent, given current difficulties faced by international policing organizations in enforcing democratic police reform in post-conflict societies." -- Back cover Cover -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- List of Tables -- Preface and Acknowledgements -- List of Abbreviations -- Introduction -- Part One The Detective -- 1 The Origins of the SIB -- Campion's score -- After Dunkirk -- 2 The Mediterranean Theatre -- The Middle East -- Honoured societies, partisans and everything in between -- 3 D-Day to Berlin -- Landing, looters and the fiddles -- Antwerp to the Rhine -- Over the Rhine and the war's end -- 4 'Dickie' Hearn and 62 Special Investigation Section -- Dickie Hearn: A man at the sharp end -- 62 Section's war -- Part Two Administrators and Governors -- 5 Readying to Govern Europe -- Plans -- Selecting the men -- Training -- 6 The Italian Job -- Sicily: Stepping back in time? -- From the South to the North -- Venezia Giulia: Hot war to cold -- 7 The Greek Imbroglio -- 8 Northwest Europe -- Policemen, 'practicable wisdom' and Civil Affairs -- France and the Low Countries -- Restoring the 'first victim' -- Restoring the German homeland -- 9 Coming Home and Aftermath -- Resettling and moving on -- Lessons? -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index Cover Half-title Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of Illustrations List of Tables Preface and Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction Part One: The Detective 1 The Origins of the SIB Campion’s score After Dunkirk 2 The Mediterranean Theatre The Middle East Honoured societies, partisans and everything in between 3 D-Day to Berlin Landing, looters and the fiddles Antwerp to the Rhine Over the Rhine and the war’s end 4 ‘Dickie’ Hearn and 62 Special Investigation Section Dickie Hearn: A man at the sharp end 62 Section’s war Part Two: Administrators and Governors 5 Readying to Govern Europe Plans Selecting the men Training 6 The Italian Job Sicily: Stepping back in time? From the South to the North Venezia Giulia: Hot war to cold 7 The Greek Imbroglio 8 Northwest Europe Policemen, ‘practicable wisdom’ and Civil Affairs France and the Low Countries Restoring the ‘first victim’ Restoring the German homeland 9 Coming Home and Aftermath Resettling and moving on Lessons? Notes Bibliography Index