Cigarette Lighter. Corps of Military Police.

I have been asked to research a cigarette lighter presented to Sgt D.J. Kilminster of Section P.23. C.M.P. The inscription on the lighter is dated 11th September 1940.

Whilst I have found the birth, marriage and death entries for a David James Kilminster, I cannot find anything regarding his military career.

Does anyone with a knowledge of the Military Police know anything about a section P.23 which may be a clue to further research. Section P.23 sounds exotic and sort of S.O.E. related but I am sure that it almost certainly isn't.

Any help much appreciated.

 

A member here cmp
Drop them a line
http://www.corpsofmilitarypolice.org/

 

Thank you Clive,

just what I was looking for.

 

Hi

I would expect your best chance of finding anything useful would be here.

https://www.corpsofmilitarypolice.org/

Closest match I can find online is a S/Sgt in Army Pay Corps who served in Palestine in 1945.



Hope this helps

Gus

 

Gus,

many thanks, that is almost certainly him. I am not sure how the R.A.P.C. works. I do not know if they have teams attached to different regiments or work from one main building. If attached, Section P.23 is probably just the name of the pay section allocated to the C.M.P., however, it might be something more exciting like helping with the detection of financial crime.

Simon.

 

Hi Simon

There is a slim possibility that he transferred into the Pay Corps in 1945.

There was a lot of movement of personnel soon after the war ended to fill in gaps in establishment created by soldiers returning to UK and demob.

I'd still contact the https://www.corpsofmilitarypolice.org/ as it might be the wrong chap.

Gus

 

I am pretty sure that he is the right man. Here is a list of all D. Kilminster births between 1900 and 1925. David James Kilminster is the only possible candidate.

Births Mar 1905
Kilminster Doris Emily Chertsey 2a 47
Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page
Births Sep 1911
Kilminster Dorothy M L Whileman Chipping S. 6a 430

Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page
Births Sep 1917
Kilminster Douglas H Hill Aston 6d 648
Births Sep 1918
Kilminster Doris M L Lewis Pontypool 11a 387
Births Sep 1919
Kilminster David J Wilde Maryleborne 1a 740
Births Sep 1922
Kilminster Deirdre L Collins Swindon 5a 34
Births Dec 1924
Kilminster Dorothy E Harbon Birmingham S. 6d 437