Page 202 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
use them. Instead, he lent them to a fellow Major – a situation that displeased John Corbin no end, especially as he had spoken to the Major on this subject several times. Frustrated and angered by the arrangement, Sgt Corbin contacted his Operational Officer who swiftly understood the situation and summed it up in one statement: “as you are Brigade Sergeant, do as you wish!” That was all the encouragement he needed. The next Saturday morning he acquired two four-ton lorries and a Land Rover and proceeded to McCrory Park where he promptly loaded the dogs, their kennels and all the other kit ready to move out. As the convoy was about to leave, the Royal Anglian Major stormed out, demanding to know what was happening to ‘his’ dogs. To which Sergeant Corbin promptly replied that they were, in fact, his dogs: “...and I have told you to use them and you have not.”
At a glance, all soldiers serving in NI during the Troubles looked the same – wearing identical Operational dress. The only way a dog handler could easily be identified was if they were carrying a lead or, more obviously, if they had their dog alongside them. Of course, for the men and women of the Red Paw, none of that is true. Their badge of honour – the red bloodied paw – is a mark of distinction. It is a legacy of Operation BANNER, the longest continuous active Operational commitment in the history of the British Army and the RAVC. The Red Paw lives on, as the official emblem of 1st MWD Regiment – in recognition of its forebears.
Cpl 'Quas’ Robinson RAVC - Specialist Dog Handler working a MWD (VS) at HQ NI circa late 1990s.
ADU NI RAVC Headquarters at Ballykelly circa 2001.
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