On June 30, 1945 the AMG of Venetia-Giulia with an executive order signed by, US Army Colonel Nelson W. Monfort, dissolved all the existing police forces in the City of Trieste and other parts of Venezia Giulia, including the Popular Defense Corps or Difesa Popolare, created by the Yugoslavs during their forty-day occupation of the city, from May 1 to June 12, 1945.
In fact the contrast between the huge white helmet and the dark blue British Uniform, reminded to the population, the shape of a Wax Match.
It was organized into 7 divisions:[3] Administrative and Personnel, Uniformed Police Criminal Investigation, Transportation, Training, Quartermaster (supply) and Prison Service.
Fishery Police were given the tasks that nowadays are commonly carried out by the Coast Guard, such as Territorial Waters and Fishing boats protection.
The "Corpse Recovering Squad" was part of the forensic section and was led by the Inspectors Umberto De Giorgi and Oronzo Rizzo.
The long report drafted by Inspector De Giorgi, pertaining the operation of the corpses recovering from foibes, is available online, in Italian language.
After the graduation he spent 12 months on the beat, and then requested the assignment to the Criminal Investigation department; in August 1929 he was appointed Detective Constable.
From London he was initially sent to Tangier, and after the landing in Italy he was in Sicily and Naples where for 18 months, he was Chief Public Safety Officer.
It was during a period of rest on lake Maggiore, that an urgent telephone call summoned him, to report immediately, to the 8th Army HQ, where he received a new assignment as Director of the Public Safety of the City of Trieste.
Among the reasons which had made the allied to take the direct rule of the area was that of, avoiding future confrontation between Italy and Yugoslavia who were still struggling for the possession of the border regions and the Port of Trieste.
When creating the V.G.P.F, He abolished disciplinary code in use in the Royal Carabineer Corps, judging it too harsh and vicious, encouraged the development of, the new force traditions, personal responsibilities, and the concept of impartiality.
Police Force personnel welfare was one of his priorities; he made sure that they all received an adequate salary, appropriate lodging, family allowances, and sickness benefits.
As soon as he took up office, one of his first decision was to disband the Difesa Popolare, or Popular Defense, the uniformed People's Police Force the Communists had built up.
In addition all the evidences he collected, suggested that the Difesa Popolare, was financing itself with a protection racket system and looting.
Col. Gerald Richardson also find out that, their courts had no professional judges and that at the best, the trials were presided by some zealous young Law student, which in most of the cases, had forgotten everything he had studied.
From the opening windows, and roof British troops covered them with rifles, and machine guns; they had to surrender their own arms.
However some of them were also given the chance of joining the V.G.P.F., although Richardson's preference was for the former Royal Carabineers and Questura personnel whom he judged a better training material.
The Treaty established the border between Italy and Yugoslavia in the northern sections of the contended territory, as well as the border between Yugoslavia and the Free Territory of Trieste established as new independent, sovereign State under a provisional regime of Government and under the direct responsibility of the United Nations Security Council in its southern part.
The British Army's salute, with the right hand palm facing forwards with the fingers almost touching the cap or beret, was adopted.
On November 3, 1953, on the anniversary of the first annexation of Trieste to Italy in 1918, which is also the feast commemorating the patron saint of Trieste, Saint Giusto, the city mayor, Giovanni Bartoli, ignoring a ban of Maj. Gen. Sir Thomas John Willoughby Winterton, displayed the Italian National flag on the city hall.
On November 5, 1953, the students called a strike and started a demonstration in Sant'Antonio Square, in front of the local church.
A British member of the V.G.P.F., Mr. Edwards, got off the car and confronted the demonstrators, was greeted with a hail of stones, insulted and beaten.
Riot squad arrived on the spot, to support the superintendent of C.I.D, Villanti and his men, who had witnessed the scene of Mr. Edwards stoning and went to rescue him.
During the afternoon the city bishop Mons Antonio Santin decided to re-consecrate the church, according to the Roman Catholic tradition, as violent acts have been committed inside.
The police cordoning the government house opened fire, killing Francesco Paglia, Leonardo Manzi, Saverio Montano and Erminio Bassa.
Clement Attlee, at the time leader of the opposition, (by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Sir Anthony Eden, whether he could make any statement regarding the disturbances in Trieste.
Her Majesty's Government took a grave view of these events, and sincerely deplored the loss of life, the injuries suffered and the destruction of property in Trieste.
Approximately at 10:00 hrs of October 26, 1954 the Venezia-Giulia Police Force Commissioner, Col. Gerald Richardson, handed over responsibilities to Lt. Col. Diamante the acting Chief Public Safety Officer nominated by the Italian authorities.
Deputy Supervisor, Santo Del Piccolo was appointed as Commanding Officer of the "Civil Police Group".
Personnel, mostly those with English skills, took the chance offered by the Allied, to emigrate under a special program, in USA, Canada, Australia or United Kingdom.