Page 226 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
other Units in Kosovo were, firstly, that dogs are important. RAVC soldiers demonstrated once again the power of the Search dog to root out hidden munitions, when all other methods had failed, plus the tremendous manpower savings made when MWDs were used to provide security. Secondly, that Veterinary Officers and Veterinary Technicians have an important role in Operations too, whether caring for MWDs, controlling stray animals, advising on animal borne diseases or contributing to humanitarian efforts. The RAVC team provided more than dogs and personnel to other Units. The Corps was being seen as a force in its own right.
And finally...
Sgt Iain Carnegie had the honour of closing the Unit down. Most of the equipment and MWDs were sent to Iraq (Op TELIC 1) during early 2003. The UK Contingent of Op OCULUS drew down in mid-2003, with the last RAVC handlers leaving in May 2003 – the ISO kennel accommodation and facilities having already left for Iraq.
This saw the end of a hugely successful RAVC deployment which commenced in 1999. It was the first time that the RAVC had deployed forward on an initial expeditionary Operation with combat arms, proving that the Corps had the ability and flexibility to rapidly deploy on peacekeeping Operations – a role that the RAVC was inevitably to be a part of on future deployments.
Conflict rarely ends without loss and it was with great sadness that the Corps announced the death of Private James Phillip Southworth, RAVC, aged 18, who died as a result of a gunshot wound in Kosovo, Former Yugoslavia (Now Serbia and Montenegro), on 2nd September 2001. James was born in 1983 at Burnley Lancashire and was buried in the St Anne in the Grove Churchyard, Southowram, Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England.
Macedonia
Peacekeeping in Macedonia attracted considerable British involvement in the period of instability that almost broke into full-scale war between the government and ethnic Albanian guerrillas, who were still armed from the Kosovo crisis, in 2001. In March 2003, NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Macedonia was formally handed over to the European Union.
Lance Corporal David Blackmore RAVC flew
with three EDD and one AES dog to Kosovo from Bosnia, and then onwards to Macedonia. A couple of days later LCpls Matt Jones and Dan Gibson joined him. All were part of HQ 16 Air Assault Brigade’s overarching mission to restore stability in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Op BESSEMER (ESSENTIAL HARVEST) was a high tempo, high risk operation with the potential for threat levels to increase dramatically at short notice. The operation later developed into a fifteen nation multinational force to gather and dispose of the National Liberation Army’s (NLA) arms and munitions.
The handlers six week stretch from late August 2001 to 12th October 2001 saw them attached to 36 Engineer Regiment, HQ Task Force Harvest Brigade. The RAVC teams however resided at Camp Able Sentry, an American base, but the UK forces were still very dependent on the use of the EDDs and the AES dog for all the ‘harvest’ operations, essential route proving tasks and numerous other search operations. Within Camp Able Sentry the US occupants were very concerned, following the events of 9/11, and anticipated further violence; fortunately for them the RAVC’s dog teams provided plenty of reassurance. As a consequence, Dan Gibson and his AES dog Toby were excep- tionally busy searching everything that came in to the busy US complex.
The short deployment was an intense period of effort for the Corps’ handlers and in gratitude all three NCOs and one dog “Toby”, were invited to a presentation arranged by the Americans. Here they received commemorative plaques and Toby collected a prime steak for all his hard work and diligence.29 The UK’s Royal Engineers were in the same way appreciative of the team’s endeavors led by ‘Blacky’ Blackmore, the Regiment’s Commanding Officer later writing, “Each of the Engineer and EOD Teams were fundamental to the success of the operation and the EDDs and AES dog were a key component of that capabil- ity.”30
With no direct land-line for the RAVC personnel, Lance Corporal David Blackmore was reliant on a mobile phone for communications to organise operational taskings. In Macedonia his phone calls were required to go through a Whitehall operator leading to bills in excess of £700!
29 Oral testimony WO1 (RSM) David Blackmore RAVC taken 2nd October 2020.
30 36 Engineer Regiment Headquarters Task Force Harvest Brigade, Lt Col AC Sheppard MBE RE document dated 1st October 2001.
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