Page 145 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021
P. 145

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
the absolute world-first, state-of-the-art design. Another huge transformation that year was that all the Dog Coy were cap badged RAVC – marking another significant shift in the gradual, but significant increase in the RAVC’s responsibilities. The Unit was then providing lectures for Search team courses and the Queen's Gurkha Engineers (QGE), whilst it continued to support other Units and organisations across the territory whether it was the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, or at the five Gurkha Units and 29 Sqn RCT. The positives continued to benefit the RAVC Chinese, all the Ptes were promoted to LCpl and each of the HK ORs received a 12.5% pay rise.
By 1978, the duplicated October 1978 edition of Chiron Calling stated that the Hong Kong Dog Coy, by then in its third year of being RAVC, had enjoyed 12-months of growth and so successfully that Block 4 Borneo Lines, and the kennels, were filled to capacity. This was of greater significance knowing that it was at a time when cuts were being made elsewhere. Achievements included the only independent operational Chinese Unit in the British Army that had expanded when a further twenty-two soldiers, twelve dogs and three extra vehicles were added to the Unit’s establishment. This, in turn, improved the overall standard of efficiency and gave the personnel a chance to catch up on outstanding qualifications.
Considering all the changes involving the canine capability, anyone could have been forgiven for thinking that it was the Year of the Dog, but actually 1978 was the Year of the Horse and in that year some local barracks were released by the MOD: Lyemun Bks consisting of 72 acres, Sham Shui Po Camp another 12 acres making way for a number of improvements in the area’s town planning.
Also, on the theme of property expansion, work was well underway on the new HQ building for the British Forces on Hong Kong Island which, when completed at the HMS Tamar shore base, was a less than impressive 28 storeys tall and dwarfed by its towering neighbours. After 135 years, the British Army moved out of its Hong Kong HQ at Victoria Barracks and into the modern skyscraper block on the Island’s waterfront. It’s official opening ceremony, which was attended by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales on 4th March 1979, launched the use of the new complex (which was also known as the Prince of Wales Building), which was designed to provide offices, stores, living accommodation, messes, recreational facilities and car parking at a cost of £6.5 million.
Operationally the Unit’s motto might have been “Negative Success”, but that’s only because the role of any Guard Dog Unit is to deter intruders and apprehend anyone foolish or determined enough to break in. So, praise was due indeed to the highly successful Guard Coy as there had been no break ins at any of the ten locations which they were guarding – other than those accomplished in training by the in-house baiting teams. The Unit reported a happy relationship with RAF Sek Kong and this was further strengthened when the commitment at Victoria Barracks ceased in 1979. At that time the Unit’s unique hours of working – 24 hours on, 24 hours off and then 8 hours on, in a three day cycle, were necessary given the difficulties of travel to the New Territories from Kowloon and Hong Kong.
The Unit followed Army Policy in that the RAVC was mandated to keep the art of Pack Transport and most matters equine alive, and so the grooms at the Hong Kong Saddle Club were also re-badged to the ‘Centaurs and Laurels’. Day-to-day, the tight-knit Unit faced challenges that went beyond all that was expected from the military. For instance, the tropical heat brought with it, the need to contend with Agnes, Betsy, Elaine and Lola, a list of females who did not make life pleasant for man nor beast. Agnes was the worst of these tropical storms and typhoons, and the devastation she left in her wake created a huge amount of work for the damage control party in Borneo Lines. They had plenty of exercise cutting up blown down trees and raking the storm drains that had, ultimately, saved the local AEC (Army Education Centre) from being flooded out.
1979 – Illegal Immigrants
New challenges arrived for the Corps in 1979 and, in April, a new editor for the Corps’ Journal too. Captain Tony Rossell replaced Captain Peter Roffey during September 1979 around the same time that the Unit discovered that it would be responsible for the training of IP dogs to help control the frenzied influx of illegal immigrants crossing the border into Hong Kong. The challenge was accepted by Sgt Bob Davies and Cpl Glen Lopes and it was predicted that this would be a major step forward for the Unit especially as it already had a specialist kennel block under construction. Also, from a personnel point of view, some of the younger trainers would also get the opportunity to be posted in and work the IP dogs.
The scene was set for the IP dogs to move into action against a backdrop of an extremely overcrowded Hong Kong. Poor and cramped
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