As part of it's commitment to the United Nations Korean force, Canada raised a Brigade Group with an authorised strength of 8,000 men. The Canadian 25th Infantry Brigade (Special Force) consisted of 3 infantry battalions, an armour squadron, artillery, and a full compliment of arms and services. The Provost element, 25 Provost Detachment, consisted of a Headquarters and two provost sections and was formed at Camp Borden. Canadian troops began arriving in Korea in November 1950.
1 Commonwealth Division was formed in July 1951. The Commonwealth Divisional Provost Company was made up of 5 British Royal Military Police sections, 2 Canadian Provost Corps sections and 1 Royal Australian Army Provost Corps section. Each section had a strength of 1 Sergeant, 2 Corporals and 12 Lance Corporals. Canadian Provost operated No 25 Field Detention Barracks near the capital city of Seoul with a capacity of 50 detainees.
The primary duties of the Military Police Company were route signing, traffic control and disciplinary patrols. The Canadian use of reflective tape for route signs was much admired and supplies of this tape were made availible to other Provost sections.
A total of 264 all ranks of the C PRO C served in Korea, and the last Canadian Provost left Korea in July, 1955.
Korea proved to be an excellent testing ground for the new uniforms then being introduced into Canadian service. The primary uniform was battledress. A mixture of Second War and postwar patterns appear to have been worn concurrently. Canadian Bush and British KD uniforms were worn in hot weather. American shirts, sweaters and boots were highly prized. Photographs of Provost in the field show a rather motley mixture of clothing in wear, uniformity appears to have been reserved for parades and inspection.
The standard King's Crown Provost Corps cap badge was worn on a red backing on the khaki beret and winter cap. A mixture of Second World War and post war pattern Canadian Provost Corps cloth shoulder titles were worn on the battledress or bush dress armlet.
The 25 Brigade patch was worn on the right sleeve of the battledress jacket or on the bush dress armlet. Gold wire embroidered versions of this patch and the Commonwealth Division patch were produced in Japan and availible for purchase as souveniers. These were sometimes worn on best "walking out" battledress. After the end of the Korean war, the 25 Brigade patch was retained and used as a national identifier for Canadians on UN duty.
 Standard Issue |
 Japanese Manufacture |
All members of the Commonwealth Division wore the Divisional patch. It was worn by Canadians on the left arm of the battledress. A number of variations exist most of local Korean or Japanese manufacture. The King's Crown on the original version changed to a Queen's Crown on the accession of Queen Elisabeth II in 1953. The British Commonwealth Forces patch was worn by a small number of Provost
 Original 1950-53 issue |
 Queen's Crown Version |
 Local Manufacture |
 Japanese Manufacture |
 British Commonwealth Forces |
The standard patrol vehicle for Provost units was the MB or GPW Jeep. On route signing tasks, a trailer containing the required stores was towed. Vehicle markings were very similar to those of the Second World War, as a Divisional Provost Company, the Unit Number was white 79 on a black square.
