Page 11 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

Foreword
by Lieutenant General Roly Walker DSO, Colonel Commandant, Royal Army Veterinary Corps
For over two and a quarter centuries, the work of the RAVC has covered the furthest corners of the globe in times of war, guarded our domestic security at home and underwritten the military working animals that are central to State Cere- monial and Public Duties. In this comprehensive and entertaining volume, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Ham has written an expansive account of the Corps’ recent history. Through the grimness of combat and the monotony of enduring cam- paigns, he describes very vivid animal and hu- man characters who would otherwise be lost to time. Their story proves the truth to those who know it first-hand, that behind all the uniform- ity and discipline for which our armed forces are known, a spirited vein of individuality and hu- mour sustains our soldiers in the face of unrelent- ing and dangerous challenge. Leaping from the pages throughout is a professionalism, interest in, and deep affection for, animals.
To the uninitiated, the idea of animals in modern warfare is a strange one. What place do they have in this era of increasingly lethal military-techno- logical development, hypersonic missiles and cyberspace? Chris Ham shows that animal capabil- ities continue to be a cornerstone to operations in almost every environment. Animals in war are as old as war itself, and this chronicle of the Corps’
most recent history charts the continued progress of one of the oldest military units in the world still dedicated to animals. Although now absent on the battlefield, the horses of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment are recognised internationally as a signature of British military exactness and composure. Likewise, their canine colleagues have saved hundreds of lives over the last 30 years; images of Military Working Dogs clearing a path for platoons in Afghanistan are as recognisable as any from that conflict.
Animals are the kit of the RAVC but they are also treasured companions to their handlers and the units to which they’re attached. Vets, handlers and trainers endure many of the same privations, risks and casualties as any of the arms they serve with. Chris Ham’s recollection of the RAVC’s role in the devastating Foot and Mouth epidemic highlights the humanity of our veterinary personnel, called upon to assist in the industrial culling of animals. So too, the anecdote of the haughty Adenese camel Salain typifies the primacy afforded to animal welfare, however thankless the task!
I am pleased to be able to introduce this volume of the Corps’ recent history recalling campaigns from the streets of Northern Ireland to mountains of the Jebel Akhdar, and the New Territories of Hong Kong. It will not be the last.
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