The RMP Heraldic Field

The Royal Military Police Heraldic ‘Field’

In heraldry, the background of a shield is called the ‘field’, which is usually composed of one or more tinctures (colours or metals) or furs.

Every Regiment and Corps of the British Army has its own distinct ‘field’ emblazoned with ‘bends’ (bands or lines), which is approved for use on such things as regimental flags and Unit signage and, when suitably adapted, for use as Tactical Recognition Flashes and on myriad things such as stable belts, regimental ties, watch straps and as the ‘field’ on a regimental plaque for example.

This field has been used exclusively and continuously by the RMP (and its forebears) certainly since 1936, with the accession of King George VI, however, an extensive and protracted search through the regimental archives and other sources, has failed to find evidence of a sealed-pattern, Army Order or Army Dress Committee decision approving the field’s adoption and use.

The field has “thick-thin-thin-thick”scarlet-red (Pantone Colour 485CP) ‘bends dexter’ (bands) running from the ‘upper dexter’ (the viewer’s top-left) to the ‘lower sinister’ (the viewer’s bottom-right) on a blue (Pantone Colour 289CP) ground.