Page 125 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
No one expected perfection and so no one was disappointed, in fact the overall response was good and one first-class tribute, recorded by an agricultural consultant, praised the work, as follows: ‘the livestock development programme and its management is the best I have seen in any developing country’, he wrote. It had been, he said, despite it being an unaccompanied posting, ‘a privilege and an experience, to have served in a unique part of the world, as a member of an elite body of men; men who are trustworthy, self – reliant, expedient and whose esprit de corps is first rate, always working for the team and not oneself.’ As the pacification programme gained momentum, there was a thought that there might be a requirement for RAVC non-commissioned officers to serve in Dhofar, to offer their trusted knowhow and qualities too.7
Most of the time the BATT’s activities and therefore the presence of the VO, were virtually unknown to the British public. At that sensitive time the Omanis wanted to focus on moderni- sation and had no wish to announce to the world that they were receiving assistance from outsiders. The British government had to play a careful balancing act, reflecting the strategic importance of Oman at the entrance to the vital oilfields of the Gulf, and, at the same time, observing a real need to avoid any charge of ‘Imperialist meddling’ at a time when Britain was taking positive steps to withdraw from the region. Hence, the covert personality of the SAS was ideally suited for such a low-key role.8
Major Brian Thompson RAVC deployed in the early part of 1971 to Dhofar. His account of his time there, gives a full flavour of the time, the place and the challenge facing the BATT. He wrote: “Salalah,9 capital of the Dhofar province in the Sultanate of Oman borders the sea on a coastal plain of some 200 square miles, which runs in a narrow strip from east to west, between the Arabian Sea and the hills parallel to the coast. It is in the monsoon zone of the tropics and has an annual rain fall of some eight inches between July and September.
The cloud base comes down to some 300 feet and there is a fine mist, whilst the humidity is 96% and the temperature is in the 80s. The plain is covered with a thin layer of soil varying from sand to calcareous loam with limestone rock beneath. Vegetation is very sparse except where it is irrigated; the water table being some 20 feet below ground level and one well will irrigate five to six acres. Many of the houses have their own well in the courtyard for drinking and washing purposes.
The whole of Dhofar has been a land secluded from the outside world and the area under cultivation has contracted over the years. The Dhofaris descend from various ethnic groups and are a pastoral people, trading their animals, growing coconuts and other fruits and fishing for sardines. The cattle are small in size with markings similar to Channel Island or Friesian breeds. There are also cattle descendant from zebu stock. A census conducted by the VO and agricultural officer showed that there are some two thousand, five hundred families living on the Dhofar coastal plain, of which only half own cattle. Of the cattle owning families, 75% own three to four cattle, whilst the remainder keep between seven and ten cattle. The approximate number of cattle is therefore some six thousand head.”
Major Thompson’s account shows why the BATT Vet’s role had to be multifaceted with three distinct areas of responsibility: Firstly, the coastal plains in and around Salalah itself, which was, in real terms, a strip of land about 90 sq km bounded to the south by the Arabian sea, and to the north the fertile Jebal. And secondly, the veterinary role was providing animal health support on the Jebal via helicopter and thirdly the care of the Sultan’s own animals, which was a very sensitive duty looking after the monarch’s horses, camels, cattle, goats, and dogs.
No matter which area of responsibility the BATT Vet was called to perform, whether it be helping civilian authorities to establish basic animal health care policies or supporting military units on the Jebal, it often involved providing a rapid response to disease outbreaks or other animal health problems. The idea of ‘down time’ was non-ex- istent.
This was also explained in the exploits of the then Captain Geoffrey R Durrant, (who later became the Corps’s Director who retired during early 1991 as and was awarded the CBE for his achieve- ments). His reflections show the necessity for a VO to have a ‘be prepared for anything’ attitude. Captain Durrant was informed of his posting to Dhofar in March 1973 at very short notice giving him little time to prepare anything more than a small haversack of personal possessions to take on his seven-month posting. The area, said Durrant was on first appearance, “was remote and Biblical in ambiance.” It was a view of the landscape that he would be working in, but first he had to collect his veterinary kit which was stored in the Sultan’s castle. The castle was an opulent jewel in the dry, orange landscape and in being shown to the garage to collect his kit, Durrant was treated
7 Chiron Calling duplicated edition No 2 dated September 1973.
8 Andrew Higgins, With the SAS and Other Animals, ‘A Vet’s experiences during the Dhofar War 1974’ Pen & Sword 2011.
9 ‘Hearts and Minds in the Sand’ Major Brian J Thompson RAVC The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 42 and Last, Summer 1971.
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