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United states constabulary

Official Constabulary Website    Lineage    Insignia

Red is for artillery and the lightning suggests firepower. 

Blue is the color of  infantry.

Yellow represents cavalry. 

The letter "C" represents "Constabulary."

During W.W.II, Germany was destroyed.
Following the end of the war the people of Germany had no leadership, no law or order, and there were many displaced persons.  The country was in desperate need of help.  The United States Constabulary along with the 1st Infantry Division formed the deterrent to Communism in Germany and Austria.  
These were our first "Cold War Warriors".  These soldiers performed many of the functions that the German and Austrian governments could not perform.
The United States Constabulary was phased out in December 1952 having accomplished its mission.  It had been truly one of the elite forces of the U. S. Army and lived up to its motto,
"Mobility, Vigilance, Justice".

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     Bill Tevington remembers the games the Russians played just after W.W.II when he was on occupation duty in Germany.  One of their favorite tricks was to move the markers that designated the line between the U.S. and Soviet zones and wait  to snare unsuspecting American troops patrolling the border.
     Julian McCalla remembers too.  He was held at gunpoint by Russian guards in the Soviet sector of Berlin for the crime of accidentally crossing the demarcation line.  A member of the 16th Squadron, U.S. Constabulary, the U.S. Army's police and border patrol force in postwar Germany and Austria.   McCalla and his partner were pursuing a Russian soldier for theft in the U.S. zone.  As McCalla's jeep neared the Russian zone, he noticed that the warning signs had been moved.  Before he had time to react his jeep was surrounded by armed Russian guards and he was looking down a barrel.
     McCalla need not have worried.  The Russians had grabbed him for ransom.  His release was assured, the grim features of his captors turned to smiles once McCalla's superiors sent over cigarettes and whiskey.  Tevington remembers this was the standard fare at the time for the release of "captured" Americans.
     The year was 1946.  The Cold War was just beginning along the Iron Curtain.  But a year after the end of W.W.II no one quite knew or understood the Russians intentions.  Their behavior was annoying but not yet completely Machiavellian.
     By 1948, however, relations between the Americans and Russians were ugly.  The Soviets blockaded Berlin and the demarcatino between East and West from the Baltic to the Adriatic, and in Berlin, became a no man's land of barbed wire fences and minefields.

Unique Unit
First on Curtain
     In 1946, the men who patrolled the borders of the American sectors in Germany, Austria and Berlin, particularly those contiguous with the Soviet zones, were part of the U.S. Constabulary, one of the more unique forces ever assembled by the U.S. Army.
     Named for a similar force that brought order to the Philippines after the insurrection of the early 1900's, the Constabulary in occupied Europe became officially operational in July 1946.
     It was designed both for border patrol and internal police duties in the U.S. zone of Germany, an administrative area of some 43,000 square miles, rough the size of Pennsylvania.  Its jurisdiction also included the U.S. zones in Austria and Berlin, as well as the Bremen enclave.
     Leading the Constabulary in 1946 was the blunt and growling  Maj.Gen. Ernest Harmon, the W.W.II armored commander who whipped the Constabulary into shape from a smattering of disbanding and generally undisciplined units.
     Harmon dressed his Constabulary troops in blue and gold striped helmet liners, Sam Browne belts over dress blouse or Eisenhower jacket, golden neckerchief made from parachute silk, yellow gloves and paratrooper boots, with yellow laces, polished to a gleam.
     Their shoulder patch was a large blue C on a circular yellow shield, pierced by a red lightning bolt.  The men of the U.S. Constabulary became known affectionately and sometimes not so affectionately, as the "Circle C Cowboys" Germans called them the "Blitz Polizei", or "Lightning Bolt Police".
     The Constabulary's peak authorized strength was 35,000 men organized into three brigades and 10 regular regiments.  Each regiment had three patrols squadrons and each squadron had five troops.  One regiment, the 4th was assigned duty in Austria.  One of its squadrons, the 16th, served in Berlin.  The units were seldom at full strength since men were constantly rotated home.
     The Constabulary also employed horse cavalry units, arguably the last ever used in the Army.  Some 10 platoons of 30  horse soldiers each patrolled the borders of Germany, Austria and Berlin.  They carried their rifles in "scabbards," and wore britches and cavalry boots.  They may have made old cavalrymen proud, but the horse soldiers of the Constabulary often were a grand amusement to the  mechanized GIs of 1946.  Nevertheless, horses were ideal for riot control in refugee camps and on border patrol, particularly in heavily forested frontier areas and supplemented jeeps and armored cars forming most of the patrol units.

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The uniform on the left is an example of a 2nd Cavalry officer's dress uniform.

The uniform on the right is a trooper in the field service uniform.

Click to enlarge

The Constabulary School

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The United States Constabulary Squadrons
1946-1952

When World War II in Europe ended in 1945, the U.S. Army was faced with the difficult task of providing an occupational force to enforce military government in Germany, while the American public was clamoring for the quick demobilization of the armed forces now that hostilities had ended.  A large traditional occupation force was out of the question; the solution arrived at which was to become the United States Constabulary, an elite mechanized police force which possessed a significant combat capability.  The Constabulary became operational on July 1, 1946 and the command was active until 1950, with some individual Constabulary units remaining active until the end of 1952.

Troopers were selected for their military efficiency, intelligence and exemplary conduct, and the Constabulary maintained those standards in obtaining replacements for personnel who departed the organization through discharge and reassignment.

The backbone of the Constabulary was the Squadron.  As initially organized, each squadron was authorized a headquarters, three mechanized troops and two motorized troops.  The mechanized troops were designed to conduct mounted patrols and were equipped with M-8 Armored Cars and 1/4 ton Jeeps with or without mounted.30 caliber machine guns.  The motorized troops had a limited amount of transport and were used to conduct dismounted patrols in urban areas and to man static positions.  Another operation of the Mounted Platoons was the colorful Horse Platoon.  This was believed to be the only mounted group in the U.S. Army and was a feature of numerous military ceremonies since its activation on 1 October, 1945.  Mounted platoons each had a complement of thirty horses.  The Horse Platoon became part of the 16th Constabulary Squadron {Separate} on 1 May, 1946 the day the 16th Squadron was activated, in the reception of Lt. Gen. Lucius D. Clay, Deputy U.S. Military Governor.

Lt. Col. Samuel McClure Goodwin assumed command of the 16th Constabulary Squadron {Separate} on the day of the squadron's activation.  Major Owen E. Woodruff was the squadron's Executive Officer. Maj. Gen. Frank A. Keating, Commanding General, Berlin District, presented the squadron with the National Standard on 6 May, 1946 at Patton Barracks, Lankwitz, , Germany.  However, as there was, already a Patton Barracks, the squadron's billets at Lankwitz was changed to Oliver Barracks.
On 25 April, 1947, Lt. Col. Goodwin relinquished command of the squadron to Lt. Col. George C. Benjamin.

The squadrons were assigned to the Constabulary Regiments, on a basis of three per regiment.  Nine Constabulary Regiments were stationed in Germany and comprised the U.S. Zone Constabulary.  These regiments were organized into three Constabulary Brigades which reported directly to Constabulary Headquarters.  A separate regiment, the 4th, was headquartered in Austria and had its subordinate units in Austria and West Berlin.  In addition to the thirty 'line' squadrons in the ten regiments, two special squadrons existed and were assigned to the Constabulary Signal Squadron was created by the redesignation and conversion of various mechanized units on occupation duty in Europe.  Most of the 1st and 4th Armored Divisions became Constabulary units, along with elements of the seven mechanized cavalry groups and various other armored, tank destroyer and self-propelled anti-aircraft units in Europe.

Technically, these squadrons were attached and not assigned to the Cavalry Groups; however, they served with their parent group throughout the campaign in Europe.  Note that for the majority of the cavalry squadrons, official sources disagree as to whether they were designated "Mecz"  before their redesignation as Constabulary Squadrons.

The United States Zone Constabulary began a one month test period on 1 June, 1946, and became fully operational on 1 July.  The Constabulary units in Austria and Berlin, also became operational at about the same time.
The biggest problem faced by the Constabulary were the shortage of personnel and the high rate of turnover.  By early 1947, the personnel shortage had forced a reorganization which included a deactivation of one "line" troop per Constabulary Squadron.  In the Spring of 1947, the european Theater experience a troop cut and, as a result, the Constabulary was greatly affected by the reorganization, which began on 1 July, 1947.  In addition, within the squadrons, all motorized troops were eliminated and each squadron reorganized to consist of a headquarters and headquarters troop and four mechanized troops.  When the reorganization was complete, eleven o the thirty-two Constabulary Squadrons had been eliminated.

On 15 August, 1947, Lt. Col. Benjamin relinquished command of the squadron to Lt. Col. Robert C. Works.  During 1947, the 16th Squadron operated the Autobahn Patrols on the International Autobahn which lead through the Russian one of occupation.  The Nahmitz Outpost on the Autobahn was operated by the 16th Squadron as well as a tour of guard duty at Spandau Prison.
On 12 January, 1948, the Squadron Colors wee presented at a squadron parade by Col. Robert A. Willard, Commanding Officer, Berlin Command.  Sixteen months later, Col. Willard became the fourth squadron commander.

On 10- February, 1948, the 16th Squadron was reorganized and redesigned as follows: Headquarters and Headquarters Service Troop and A, B, C, and D Troops were formed.  As a result of reorganization, E Troop was lost from the squadron.

On 16 June, 1948, the "Iron Curtain" reached out and closed Berlin to the outside world by blocking the city, leaving it with the threat of communism.  Considering the terrible hardship in a city desperately short of life essentials; food, clothing, housing, and fuel, and considering the depletion of American forces, the officers and men of the 16th Squadron still performed their duties efficiently and exceeding well as security troops.  It was then when the Berlin Airlift was formed and progressed to become one of the most successful events in America's strive for freedom throughout the world.  The 16th  Constabulary Squadron [Separate] assumed a special commitment in the airlift for blockaded Berlin.  This commitment required three hundred and twelve enlisted men and twelve officers every forty-eight hours.  This duty was rotated every month with the 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment.  By December, 1948, the officers' duty was decreased to six due to the efficiency and supervisory capacity demonstrated by the non-commissioned officers of the squadron.

In 1948, the final, major, reorganization of the Constabulary took place.  Up to this point, the Constabulary had been strictly an internal security force.   However, by early 1948, it was becoming obvious that the U.S. S. R. posed a threat to the West and , to reflect this, the role of the Constabulary troops began to change.  In April, 1948, the Constabulary troops began to reorganize as tactical units equipped with M-8, the 2nd, 6th, and 14th Constabulary Regiments began to reorganize as Armored Cavalry Regiments [ACR's]/  By the end of 1948 this reorganization was complete; the three ACR's were assigned to the Constabulary and provided the majority of its combat power.  The ACR's were responsible for guarding the border a providing a mobile reserve while the few Constabulary Squadrons left continued the mission of  internal security.  There is some doubt as to whether the 53rd. Sqdn. was still active as of 3 January, 1949, although it is listed that way in official sources.

On 1 February, 1949, the 16th Constabulary Squadron [Separate] was relieved from assignment to the 4th Constabulary Regiment and assigned to Berlin Military Post.

On the Spring of 1949, the 4th Constabulary Regiment was deactivated and its 4th Squadron was redesigned as a reconnaissance unit.  The 22nd and 53rd Squadrons had, already, been deactivated, while the 15th Constabulary Squadrons, which had been deactivated earlier, was reactivated.   On 1 July, 1949, three years after the Constabulary had become fully operational, the command consisted of two brigade headquarters, three ACR's, a Field Artillery Group, several combat engineer, ordnance, transportation, etc., units, and only four Constabulary Squadrons.  All of these units were assigned to Headquarters, U.S. Constabulary.  The Headquarters, United States Constabulary was deactivated in November, 1950 and provided personnel for the newly activated Headquarters, U.S. Seventh Army.

On 10 November, 1950, Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor, U.S. Commander of Berlin, Col. Maurice W. Daniel, Commanding Officer, Berlin Military Post, and Lt. Col. Charlie Y. Talbott, the fifth and last Commanding Officer, 16th Constabulary Squadron [Separate], passed the colors while trooping the line as the 16th Squadron held its last parade at McNair Barracks.  Although the 16th Squadron was deactivated that year to become the 1st Battalion of the newly formed 6th Infantry Regiment, it will long be remembered throughout the Berlin community as the fines unit in that city.

With this reorganization, the U.S. Army in Europe concluded its period as an occupational force an reoriented itself as a defensive army protecting  its sector of West Germany.  However, the requirement for Constabulary units still remained; the last of two soldiered on for two years after the deactivation of Constabulary Headquarters until the final Constabulary performed their special mission as the mechanized police force in occupied Germany and admirably lived up to their motto, "Mobility, Vigilance, Justice."

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Major General Ernest N. Harmon, Commanding General,
 United States Constabulary
 Organizer and first CG

 In January 1946 he took command of the VI Corps,
 which became the U.S. Constabulary.

Click for History

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To Join the U S Constabulary Association 
contact:
National Recruiter 
    Ernest A. Cologne
3468  Mendon Rd
Cumberland, RI  02864-2135
Email:  constabulary@juno.com

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The links below will direct you to pages on the Official Constabulary Website - an award winning site that details the chronicles of the U.S. Constabulary. Photos, rosters, lineage, and even more great links!