U.S. Air Police Guidon - 1948-1966.
This heavy cotton guidon from the Air Police Detachment 9632 is finished with a pole sleeve and tabs, and although it bears the winged propeller first used on US Army Air Service and Army Air Force Guidons of World War II, it dates from the Korean War era.
When the United States Air Force (USAF) separated from the United States Army the ground security responsibility for air bases was transferred to the new service. In 1948 the Military Police attached to the United States Army Air Forces became the Air Police, a name they would use until 1966 when they were renamed the Security Police. The early brassard colors of the Air Police were blue and yellow before being changed to silver and dark blue. This is a field expedient, theater made guidon dating from early in the organizational history of the Air Police.
The Korean War (June 1950 - July 1953) would be the first foreign conflict in which the USAF would participate as an independent service. At the commencement of hostilities the nascent Air Police had only 10,000 personal with which to begin urgent operations focused on air base defense. By December 1951 the Air Police had grown to almost 40,000 airmen. These USAF Air Policemen were under-trained, under-equipped, under-manned, working long shifts for base security, and in haste, outfitted with a hodgepodge of issued and locally acquired brassards, guidons, and uniform accouterments.
This guidon dates from this period when, during the Korean conflict, the Air Police Detachments were usually the only armed fighting force on an Air Force base. The skills learned in Korea were refined during that conflict and helped make the Air Police, in effect, the infantry of the USAF.
ZFC Important Flag
Sources:
Wetherington Barry, Captain Barth Von Heer1st provost new Marechausee Corps, Rootsweb, May 29,2012, From: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/HEER/2003-01/1043475290
Air Police History Pages, United States Air Force's, Law Enforcement & Security, May 29,2012, From: http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/AirPoliceHistory/
Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
