British Gendarmerie facts for kids
The British Gendarmerie was a special police group created by Winston Churchill in April 1922. Its job was to help keep order in a place called Mandatory Palestine. This force was like a military police unit.
Churchill, who was a top government official, thought it was too expensive to use the regular British Army for policing in Palestine. He wanted a strong, special police force. He imagined it would be similar to the famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The main goal of the British Gendarmerie was to control large crowds and riots. It was not meant for solving everyday crimes.
What Was the British Gendarmerie?
The British Gendarmerie was a special police group. It was set up to help keep peace in Mandatory Palestine. This area was under British control after World War I. The force was created because using regular soldiers for policing was very costly.
Winston Churchill, a key British leader, wanted a different solution. He decided to form an elite police force. This new group was designed to handle big public disturbances. It was not focused on investigating smaller crimes.
Who Were Its Members?
The British Gendarmerie had about 43 officers and 700 other members. Most of these members had been part of the Royal Irish Constabulary. This was a police force in Ireland that had recently been disbanded. Many of them were also former soldiers from World War I.
There were plans for some of the force to ride horses. However, these plans were dropped to save money. The group was officially ended in June 1926. Its duties were then taken over by another group called the Transjordan Frontier Force.
See also
- Palestine Police Force
- Arab Legion
- United States Zone Constabulary
