Page 212 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
Implementation Force (IFOR) and subsequently the Stabilisation Force (SFOR), the latter being provided with an ambitious and broad mandate, ranging from the traditional conflict prevention to the modern roles of institution building and reconstruction tasks. And so, in December 1995, as 24 Air Mobile Bde withdrew from Croatia and its duties providing security of the bridgehead and supplies at Ploce, the handlers and dogs of the Corps stepped into the breach.
RAVC – Expeditionary Deployment to Croatia:
Lt Col Dougie Macdonald was told when he arrived in Germany at the start of his posting, his task was ‘to pull the Corps out of Germany and switch the lights out when we left’. This was a consequence of the ‘rebranding’ of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and the start of the withdrawal of British Troops from Germany. Also the withdrawal of working dogs from the (Mixed Service Organisation) MSO protected sites across BAOR. It was evident to the DASU that the Corps was in danger of not having any role with dogs in Germany. At the same time the conflicts in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia were gaining momentum. Op GRAPPLE as stated previously was well under way with troops deployed to Split in Croatia and also to Bosnia. The RAVC did not take part in the initial deployments because it had been decided that the Order of Battle did not require any working dog support. As Op GRAPPLE progressed it was the increasing theft from the logistic supply bases, particularly from Split was very much a concern to all. When this news filtered back to DASU the Commanding Officer, Lt Col Dougie Macdonald, arranged meetings with representatives from United Kingdom Support Command Germany (UKSC(G)), and HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) to promote the value of working dogs for the security of the logistic depots and nodes. The utility and value of the dogs was quickly recognised and subsequently the DASU was tasked with sending troops to support the growing deployed operation. Lt Col Macdonald may have completed the initial groundwork through the Headquarters in Germany, but it is no exaggeration to recognise that the ‘knights in shining armour’ for the Corps were the handlers, Cpl Robert Hart, Cpl Percy Rivers, LCpl Darren Garratt and LCpl Paul Duke.
They had been forewarned in June 1995 of the probable deployment to Bosnia as part of the UN Protection Force on Operation GRAPPLE 6 and, as predicted, in the summer of 1995, the selected
MWDs began their retraining to fulfil the terms of the UN engagement which necessitated less aggressive dogs. All keen trainers were placed on standby from September 1995, at 48 hours-notice to move. Two other handlers – Cpl Andrew Lewis and LCpl Cheryle Simmons – were held in reserve in case a surge capability was required.
DASU command elements continued to liaise with 24 Air Mobile Bde to determine when, where and how the handlers would be deploying and as expected, and the dates moved several times creating an almost palpable air of uncertainty. There was also an additional unease to do with the deployment of aggressive Protection dogs as part of a UN peace keeping force.2
When the deployment finally got underway, the young soldiers’ departure to RAF Brüggen was the first of many challenges that the JNCOs had to overcome. It began on arrival at the base where the RAF appeared to have other priorities – in the shape of a short wheel-based Land Rover. However, three days, six long nights and many flights later, the decision was finally made that the four RAVC trainers along with their six MWDs, plus all their essential dog supplies and equipment, must take priority on the flight to the Former Yugoslavia.
Despite the handlers arguing that the dogs would be secure within air portable kennels, the RAF insisted the dogs must be sedated. Despite much counter argument to this by the RAVC JNCOs, RAF rank prevailed; the dogs were sedated and soon collapsed around the handlers as the loadmaster gave his flight brief. The handlers, not keen to listen, lifted their ‘dead weight’ dogs and placed them, in as comfortable position as possible, in their aluminium boxes.
Later that evening, under the cover of darkness, with adrenalin fast-flowing – as were the contents of the dogs’ stomachs – the RAVC teams, led by Cpl Rob Hart, landed on Croatian soil at Split airport. The dogs, along with all their equipment, were off-loaded and the teams watched and ‘gestured’ as the Hercules C-130 transport aircraft, and the loadmaster, roared rapidly along the runway and soared into the night sky.
All the RAVC saviours had to do then, was wait to be picked up. They waited and waited for the expected transport to their onward location but their hopeful patience began to wear thin. Rob Hart took the initiative and set out to find out what was happening only to return much later to inform the others that the lack of transport was down to the fact that they had not been expected!
2 Oral testimony provided by WO2 (SSM) Darren Garratt RAVC 101 MWD Sqn circa December 2018.
204