Page 111 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
for remaining in Aldershot by stating that staffing issues, and the general undermining of the RAVC worldwide, had contributed to the problems at Aldershot. Regarding the Stores element, he maintained that this would not result in a reduction in manpower because a Veterinary Officer and Senior NCO would be required at DMED in order to supervise the procurement, maintenance and issue of specialised veterinary drugs. He also suggested that HQ DAVRS (Droitwich) relocate to Aldershot.20
The Directorate of Army Quartering had no objections to the ‘School’ remaining in situ and made note that, although the accommodation was adequate at the time, a rebuild would be necessary in the future.21 In a letter domiciled Headquarters London District, home of the Household Cavalry and KT RHA, there was full support for the RAVC presence in Aldershot along with a pithy hand-written comment at the base of the letter, which read: “...you may feel, as we do, that vets are like muck: they do a lot of good when spread around – but the effect is not so pleasant when gathered into a heap.”22
It was not until September 1976 that a decision finally fed through. A loose minute, emanating from Lt Col Morgan-Jones, read: “... (in a) meeting at Northumberland House at 1100 hrs on 7th July 1976, MOD AVR agreed that the rebuilding of the RAVC Laboratory and Stores should take place.” However, once construction was complete, “... the Laboratory and Stores staff were to relocate to MM.”23 It was agreed that a small military element was to remain in Aldershot namely a Major, Captain and three soldiers. Their remit was to provide all animal veterinary support for the Southern Sector and the maintenance of Operational and Technical efficiency of all dog handlers (Royal Marines, Army, Ministry of Defence Police and Patrolman Service) and dogs issued from the RAVC Training Centre to the Southern Sector.24
While these debates took place in the boardrooms and the offices of the decision makers it was business as usual for everyone else. For Aldershot based Captain Rick Carver RAVC, 1978 was the year he undertook some official ‘monkey business’ when a deadly lung virus struck the resident colony of Barbary apes on the Rock of
20 Minute dated 21st May 1976 From Lt Col K R Morgan-Jones to AG Sec
21 Letter dated 18th May 1976 From Director Army Quartering to AG Sec
22 Letter from HQ London District dated 17th May 1976 in D/DAVRS/6/7, Planning. Rebuild of RAVC Training Centre.
23 Loose minute dated 10th September 1976 From Lt Col Keith R Morgan-Jones ADAVRS in D/DAVRS/6/7, Planning. Rebuild of RAVC Training Centre.
24 Ibid.
25 Soldier Magazine ‘People’ dated 21st September 1987.
26 Chiron Calling dated November 1978.
Gibraltar. It was his job to administer antibiotics to both packs.25
In the November 1978 issue of Chiron Calling, Captain Carver’s article Monkey Business in Gibraltar26 gave a colourful account of his time on the Rock:
There are many theories as to how the apes got to Gibraltar but the most likely one is that they were introduced by sailors who brought them across from North Africa. As most people are aware, there is an old legend which says that Gibraltar will remain British while there are still apes on the Rock. During the Second World War Sir Winston Churchill took this legend very seriously. He decided that there should be a minimum number of thirty-five apes.
Since then, nature has taken its course and there are now sixty-three apes which form two troops. Both troops are on the ration strength of the Gibraltar Regiment which provides two soldiers (a ‘Keeper of the Apes and an ‘Assistant Keeper of the Apes’) whose full-time jobs are to feed and look after the apes.
The Queen’s Gate colony is the more famous pack as this is the one that the tourists see. The Middle Hill pack live at the top of the Rock around the RAF Radar Station. The two troops are separate and do not mix. Occasionally one of the packs decides to head into Gibraltar City where they indulge in minor vandalism (collecting car aerials and wiper blades) but usually they keep to their own territory.
As the apes are ‘Army’ animals it falls to the RAVC to look after them. The unit responsible for them is the RAVC Support Group, Aldershot. In August of this year the Queen’s Gate pack fell ill with a virus that they caught off the humans that they have so much contact with. A number died of pneumonia and the rest developed bad coughs.
I was flown out to treat them. This was done by putting antibiotics in their drinking water. The most unwell monkeys were caught and sedated using a blowpipe; then they were caged and treated with injectable antibiotics. They were released after four days. Within seven days they were well on the road to recovery so reluctantly, and slightly browner than when I arrived, I flew back from sunny Gibraltar to sodden Aldershot.
RAVC Museum
Considering successes in the 1970s in Aldershot, it is right to include the RAVC Museum which opened circa 1974. Featured in Soldier Magazine (June 1975) the Museum tells the RAVC’s story:
in D/DAVRS/6/7, Planning. Rebuild of RAVC Training Centre. in D/DAVRS/6/7, Planning. Rebuild of RAVC Training Centre.
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