Page 196 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
Frank Holmes (the latter who went on to be the final Sergeant Major with ADU seeing through the closure of the Unit in July 2007). Based at BK, the partnerships supported Royal Military Police (RMP) operations all across the Province and proved so successful that an additional resource was added to the team. Cpl Cheryle Simmons worked and lived with the Drug Investigation Team (SIB/RMP) based in Lisburn for a year. She worked and trained with the Belfast Customs and Excise, and Dumfries and Galloway Police undertaking joint search operations at the port. This proved so successful that it resulted in a permanent post being established.
1998: Moving to an Ending
Early in 1998, during the monthly meeting with his SNCOs, OC ADU NI Major Phil Hobson BEM RAVC asked for suggestions on how the Unit should celebrate its forthcoming 25th Anniversary. An idea was accepted by all as a fitting way to mark this moment in the RAVC’s history and that was to erect a memorial at HQ in Ballykelly to honour those who had given their lives during the NI conflict. It was agreed and representation made to HQ NI for funding.
Just weeks later, in March 1998, Major Hobson received a ‘phone call from a civilian building contractor who had heard of the proposed memorial and wanted to offer his support. He was based in Armagh and the Unit AES dogs often carried out routine searches of his building yard, a service for which he was extremely grateful. After asking what the Unit had in mind with regard to a design, he offered to erect the memorial on the chosen site and supply the engraved marble stones at zero cost. For all of this, he insisted on one, understandable, condition – that no mention of him or his building company was made in any future publicity.
This was a generous offer from a man who appreciated the value of the dogs and handlers in his community and the offer was gratefully accepted by Major Hobson who had plenty on his plate, particularly at this time of political evolution. The previous year, eager to secure the Unit’s identity in relation to its role in Operation BANNER, Major Hobson had requested HQ NI give permission for a “Battle Recognition Symbol” – a Red Paw on a green background which would be worn as a shoulder flash by all ADU NI RAVC personnel. HQ NI put the case up to the Army Dress Committee (ADC) who initially refused the request. However, the GOC NI, Lieutenant General Sir Rupert Smith KCB DSO OBE QGM,
pushed the case on the Unit’s behalf and eventually the ADC agreed. The first embroidered Red Paw, on a bright green background, was presented to Cpl Jay Rowlinson RAVC in October 1997. Subse- quently all ADU personnel were issued the new ‘flash’ of recognition, which, like the badge in their beret, was worn with great pride – at least that’s how it was until a new directive was issued four years later.
In 2001, the Unit was directed to wear HQ NI shoulder flashes on their left shoulder which, consequently, forced the removal of the ADU NI RAVC Red Paw flash to the right. The case submitted to the ADC for the shoulder flash, referred to the miniature Red Paw badge that the Unit had been wearing in their berets since 1974. For some reason this was ‘news’ to the ADC who decided that, as they had never given their permission for the badge to be worn in the first place, it should be removed. The uproar created by this decision was likely to have been heard over on the mainland. Considering that the small badge had been in use for 27 years, and the relevance to the Corps, the ADC eventually, agreed to authorise it retrospectively. Much to the relief of all concerned, including the man who started it all, Major Hobson.
Establishing the identity of the Red Paw and the contribution of the ADU NI was a message stamped all over public events and private dedications over the years leading up to the cessation of Operation BANNER in July 2007.
The 25th Anniversary memorial was dedicated and unveiled at HQ in BK on the 1st May 1998. It was attended by a healthy turn-out of VIPs and Unit personnel past and present. During the ceremony, all handlers were presented with a bespoke certificate, recording their membership of the Unit at the time and a group photograph of over sixty ADU NI personnel was taken. This was no mean feat, given how widely spread their deployment was at the time.
In addition to the memorial, a painting entitled Search and Secure by military artist David Pentland was commissioned for the quarter-century anniversary. The oil painting depicts the four different classifications of dogs employed in NI in the four main locations around the Province at that time: an AES dog in front of Belfast City Hall, a Tracker dog being lifted into a Lynx helicopter with the twin spires of Armagh Cathedral in the background, a VS dog working in front of the famous ‘YOU ARE ENTERING FREE DERRY’ mural and a Guard dog patrolling the walls of the Maze, Long Kesh. This wonderful painting
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