Page 153 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
stature of the RAVC’s presence in the Colony. The kennels housed the Veterinary Hospital for routine surgery or more complex operations which were performed by the Unit’s VOs and VT. The kennels also had a ‘dog dip’, similar to a sheep dip, where the Service dogs were routinely ‘dipped’ to kill and prevent any ticks on the dogs’ coats.
The main kennels provided AES search dog teams for VIP search tasking and routine searches of areas as required by the QGE. Meanwhile the patrolling Guard dogs were also being used as Gripper Teams in external security situations. This snarling new deterrent was added to the options available to Units involved with internal security Operations in Hong Kong. According to SSgt Bob Norval: “the Gripper Dog Team provided Incident Commanders with an aggressive intervention force that falls somewhere between the rubber bullet and live ammunition.”
The eight man team, Commander, 2IC and six handlers with dogs, was a quick reaction force. In a riot situation the dogs were employed behind the Infantry section who fired baton rounds before parting to let the Gripper team advance against the hostile crowd. It was designed to create a shock wave and then move forward to disrupt and disorganise the crowd and then withdraw back behind the troops. Part of the team’s success lay in the character of the dogs and the method of their selection. Again, according to SSgt Norval: “Guard dogs are trained to attack and hold, the Gripper dog is a ‘multi-biter’ – rather than an individual biter. In other words, the Gripper is a dog that will face up to many people and want to bite every single one of them.”27
In addition to its primary tasks, the Unit also had a number of secondary tasks, including dispensing advice to Units who were responsible for slaughtering live animals and the supervision of all aspects of meat hygiene. It also operated a pet advisory service utilising radio broadcasts and Service publications to relay information on animal diseases to Service personnel.28 Hong Kong being an endemic Rabies area, personnel had to be consistently mindful of this and it was quite common to see signs warning that a particular area was considered at risk.
The Unit also administered seven soldier grooms who were employed at the Hong Kong Services Saddle Club. Regular visits were made to Nepal
27 Testimony of SSgt Bob Norval Soldier Magazine dated 6th August 1990.
28 Soldier Magazine dated 6th August 1990.
29 Chiron Calling dated May 1989.
30 Soldier Magazine dated 24th July 1989.
and included dispensing advice to the Royal Nepalese Police Dog and Police Horse units. The Unit also provided dog-related courses and re-set- tlement training courses in Guard dog handling and also trained the Prison Service and, later on, other handlers such as the Gurkha Reserve Unit handlers from Brunei.
The soldiers of HK DASU RAVC were not just accomplished dog handlers, as soldiers they were renowned for their 9mm pistol shooting skills. At the HKMSC Skill at Arms competition held on Stonecutters Island, Hong Kong DASU once again took the first prize in both the team and individual pistol shoot. Cpl Kan Wai Keung took first place in the individual pistol event.29
Cpl Fung Kin Man was triumphant at the 1989 Bisley Army Championships, where he proudly won the individual 9mm pistol title. This was his fifth consecutive year at Bisley, and the pistol championship was the first individual title to be won by a Hong Kong Chinese soldier. To cap it, the HK DASU RAVC won the pistol team champi- onship.30
The Unit under the command of Lt Col Paul G H Jepson, did particularly well in the arduous Four Peaks Sail, an annual Hong Kong event each February. Yachts of various sizes, organised into classes, competed over a set course covering approximately eighty-five nautical miles. The crew between them covering thirty-five km on land to reach the four peaks (Ma on Shan 702m, Lantau Peak 934m, Mount Stenhouse on Lamma Island and Violet Hill on Hong Kong Island 433m high). The assembled ‘Team Jepson’ comprising Sgts Chris Ham, Norman Taylor, John Zammit and LCpl John Waite and Pte Chris Wilsdon with the crew of White Dragon V, were placed 3rd overall in the entire race, and first in its class. A pleasing and worthwhile effort by all involved.31
Early in 1990, an illegal immigrant was caught carrying bomb-making equipment across the border. The incident supported the concerns of Major Marsh Revell who had already reported that those trying to make it into Hong Kong were becoming more aggressive, and he feared that some were armed. There was also concern surrounding the increase in crimes committed by people crossing into Hong Kong to deliber- ately carry out robberies before disappearing back across the border into China. “There is a problem,”
31 Chiron Calling ‘Four Peaks Sail RAVC by Sgt Chris Ham RAVC’ dated November 1989.
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