Page 135 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
the 1968 competition were as follows:
Young Cup – ‘C’ Group C/DH Nelke and Veisbuks
with dog “Ivan”.
Bishop Vase and prize – ‘B’ Group C/DH Bukic, v
Koniczek K Tanaskovic, M and S/DH Makochon with dogs “Nipper,” “Davy” and “Rudolf”.19
In 1973, 1 Army Dog Training Unit reported in Issue 2 of the duplicated Chiron Calling20 that the Unit continued to prosper. By that it meant that it was near its full establishment (five hundred and eighty-seven) with regards to its British and MSO complement (five hundred and fifty). The report reflected:
Our Portuguese handlers have all proved to be very worthy men and have pleased the most discerning critics including Staff Supt Vukmanovic, Chief Supts Skadins and Kostic and Supts Prica and Nikolic who are currently looking after the re-organised B and D Groups 1 ADTU RAVC. The other twenty-one nation- alities employed, continue to give good service as the ‘front line troops’ in the defence of security of NATO in
The above MSO Daily Duty Report sheet shows that there were twenty-two MSO locations across West Germany, sub-divided into detachments A – D, C Det having the largest number of dogs and the largest unit at Bracht. A total of one hundred and seventeen dogs would have been on patrol each night, which included Depot 90 at Sennelager.
19 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 39 No 2 Summer 1968. 20 Duplicated Chiron Calling Issue No 2 dated 29th September 1973.
21 Duplicated Chiron Calling Issue No 7 dated circa 1976/1977.
22 Duplicated Chiron Calling Issue No 5 dated 2nd April 1975.
western Europe. Those of you who might not appreciate it, is that the latest estimated number of foreign agents in West Germany is sixteen thousand and should know that two of them were caught at Monchengladbach by an 18-year-old Yugoslav Dog handler, Dragan Radakovic and his Guard dog “Lido”, who knocked one intruder down, leaving him to be disarmed of his knife by young Dragan. The pair apprehended the other intruder within 30-yards.
The MSO went from strength to strength ably led by Staff Supt D Vukmanovic MBE, who retired in circa 1976.21 During the 1970s the MSO passed the six hundred strong mark, and with new commitments coming up over the following twelve months it was destined for a head-count of seven hundred before the end of 1975.22 As one of the MSO members commented: “Our contingent of fifteen MSO Superintendents remain as loyal as ever despite the inevitable problems associated with a polyglot amalgam of thirteen Nationals
The above shows the MSO handler strength, estab- lishment and actual dog strength as at 1st April 1992. The lower tabulations indicate other dog holding units in BAOR at the time.
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