Page 213 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
Wearing a new look of disgust that was difficult to disguise, Cpl Hart managed to arrange for a four-tonner and driver to move the team off the barren airfield but the Croatian Customs official was less obliging when it came to ‘baggage’ allowance and, much to everyone’s annoyance, refused to allow six-months’ worth of bagged dog food to travel with the handlers. As the four-tonner trundled off the airfield, the dog food sat where it had been dumped off the Hercules and that’s where it had to stay until Rob Hart made a return trip to rescue it. After scaling the perimeter fence under the cover of darkness he grabbed several bags to take away for six very grateful MWDs.
Plenty of blue UN berets were donned, red tape unravelled, UN ID cards, pay cards more ID cards issued and internal briefs delivered before a decision was taken to move the dogs and handlers to Divulje Barracks near Split, and for the team to report to the HQ UK National Support Element (NSE). The Croats then relented and provided the rest of the feed and supplies to the handlers and by late afternoon, the next day, the exhausted teams arrived at the NSE. There, Rob Hart was briefed that the RAVC team was no longer required and must be loaded onto the next available aircraft returning to Germany. Was this said, ‘tongue in cheek’? No one knew for sure but determined not to be beaten or sit on their laurels the RAVC JNCOs decided that, in the circumstances, the most sensible course of action would be to make a conspicuous contribution – they suggested dog patrols around the camp.
This was the prime opportunity for Cpl Hart to advise and influence the Staff Officers at NSE of the benefits of the RAVC providing security patrols to support the Force Protection Squadron at DJ Bks and anywhere else. An agreement was made – two handlers remained at Split while Cpl Hart and LCpl Duke moved to Ploce. Logistics presented the team’s first problem. The Ops Officer clearly thought that the RAVC had arrived with Land Rovers, rather than a borrowed four-tonner. In fact, given the attitude of the loadmaster, they were lucky to have made it there with dogs at all.
The patrols were an instant winner at Split. The efficiency of the dogs was obvious and very soon hordes of NSE Officers wanted a part of the dog team to protect their own sites. One early example of the team’s value occurred one night when LCpl Garratt’s dog, “Flac”, indicated on personnel within the UN armoured vehicle park. It transpired, that weapons were being taken
from the parked vehicles and Garratt challenged the three thieves attempting an escape, while Flac pinned one intruder against a wall. Another attempted to kick Flac, which didn’t work so well as the dog pulled his assailant to the ground. And when the third intruder ran towards LCpl Garratt, threatening and brandishing a rifle, Garratt dodged the hostile move and struck the man with a six cell trusty Maglite torch. Garratt and Flac rounded-up the thieves before noticing that they were wearing Croatian uniforms. Once arrested and questioned the men admitted to stealing UN weapons and other equipment and a follow-up search of their billets revealed a larger quantity of the stolen weapons.3
In Ploce, Cpl Rob Hart and LCpl Paul Duke had the task of finding British personnel who needed assistance in this shifting environment. Ploce was deserted – the Ops Room was being demolished as the team arrived. However, they were directed towards a Colonel from the Royal Anglian Regiment who assigned them a large vehicle park, known as Camp November, to patrol. The stark and austere site was crammed with vehicles which the Corps members decided could be handy source for picking and choosing their own mode of transport, but maybe this could only be in theory. It transpired that they were limited to VOR (Vehicles Off Road), which came under an incredible tangle of bureaucracy surrounding poor roadworthiness. Undeterred from their good idea, the team persisted in using the transport to move from location to location.4
Of the eight infantry soldiers who supported Cpl Hart and LCpl Duke as patrolling sentries in Ploce, five of the men were later trained as handlers. This was a positive outcome for the troops working together but the novelty of having RAVC handlers to administer in the FRY (Former Republic of Yugoslavia), and their own troops, was too much for some to handle. This attitude resulted in a few equipment essentials going missing; for instance, the handlers’ much promised and eagerly expected cold weather clothing was ‘mislaid’. Ironically, the office clerks and officers were well catered for.
The positive attitude of the handlers and their subsequent successes on patrol led to a massive reduction in the disappearance of UN equipment. Having the RAVC there also released Force Protection manpower from mundane guard duties back to their normal routine.
Days very quickly turned into weeks, and both LCpl Garratt and LCpl Rivers were summoned to
3 Oral testimony WO2 (SSM) Darren Garratt 101 MWD Sqn, dated December 2019.
4 Oral testimony Major Robert P Hart RAVC dated 22nd January 2021.
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