Page 230 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
The teams consisted of several Units comprising doctors, nurses, dentists, sanitary experts and veterinary surgeons. The RAVC contingent comprised Captain Andrew S Warde the Veterinary Surgeon and two Veterinary Assistants, Sergeants Ray J Angwin and T C Mash.
NAGARAJ had two main aims: Firstly, to practice the deployment and operation of SEATO’s medical civic action teams in remote areas and secondly, to provide practical assistance at provincial and district level in selected areas of Thailand. This was to demonstrate the concern of the Royal Thai Government and its SEATO allies for the care and health of people in remote areas.
The UK element was based at Udon Thani, a United States Airforce garrison town, deploying from this location to the remote jungle areas. The broad brief on Ex NAGARAJ issued to the UK team being the: ‘.... treatment and education within the capacity of the team.’ Thankfully, this remit allowed considerable freedom in the planning of veterinary activities. The RAVC team agreed, as a priority, to focus on the vaccination of buffalo and cattle against Haemorrhagic Septicaemia – a specific bacterial infection that is prominent amongst water buffalo, cattle and bison. And of poultry against Newcastle disease which was an acute respiratory disease that affects domestic poultry.
As the team went about their task, they inevitably encountered numerous dogs, all in a pitiful condition which, where possible, received the necessary treatment. Domestic cats were rarely seen at all although Ectoparasites (fleas) were a feature common to all the animals.
Once the Exercise was completed, the overall aims had been achieved – as far as this could be assessed at local level.5
The jungle of South America was a popular venue for Expeditions at this time. The Trans America Expedition – Through the Darien Gap – was documented in 1974, and again Major Keith Morgan-Jones was the Veterinary Officer responsible for animal transport. He purchased twenty-eight horses from a local source and from then on was responsible for their welfare during the expedition, through to their eventual disposal. Training the muleteers included instruction on the correct handling of the horses and the correct procedure for loading and unloading as well as instruction on essential First Aid. In all of this, the Major was ably assisted by Miss C Oxton and four local people.
5 A/BR 2107 AVR. Exercises in the Far East dated February 1974. 6 Ibid.
An added responsibility for the VO was that of Medical Officer for the expedition – in the event of the appointed Royal Army Medical Corps doctor being unable to fulfil his duties. Unfortunately, on this occasion the doctor was taken ill soon after the expedition got underway. Nevertheless, despite any of the setbacks, the expedition was a success with Major Morgan-Jones concluding that: “Horses can be used in jungle conditions though with time limitations, meaning they can be used for three months before replacement, provided that conditions for the animals were good, in that they had effective care and feed etc.” He also suggested: “...that due to defence cuts, in the future, the army should procure animals and saddles etc, locally.6
In August 1976, the popular Ex LONG LOOK got underway in Australia. This annual exchange programme between the British and the Australian Army demonstrates the high level of expertise evident in the Corps and the respect this continues to generate worldwide.
The experience of Sergeant Eric V Shaw stands as a succinct example of this Exercise in practise and the qualities it demands of the participants. It is worth mentioning here that prior to his involvement in the Exercise (10th August to 4th December 1976) Sergeant Shaw was conducting preliminary training at Northern Ireland Training Advisory Team (NITAT) at Lydd, in preparation for a tour of the Province. Sgt Shaw’s personal account of Ex LONG LOOK was captured in the following extract from DAVRS’ Historical Record:
Sergeant Shaw flew from South Cerney via RAF VC-10 to Singapore and from there he was flown by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Hercules to Australia. The Sergeant was then embedded with the Infantry Centre at Singleton in New South Wales whose dog element consisted of a Tracker Wing, this being a sub-section of the Infantry Specialist Wing. The Wing comprised a Warrant Officer, three Corporals and two dogs – one an ageing Labrador Tracker dog, the other a Guard dog. The Wing offered continuation training only. The Unit also trained Visual Trackers, there being two courses and an exercise. Sgt Shaw had experience of Visual Tracking which he gained at the Jungle Warfare School (JWS) in Malaya, experience of which he passed onto the Australians as the handlers had not served outside of their own country. The course in Australia was identical to the JWS.
Sergeant Shaw was tasked to present a thirty-minute talk (which turned into a full hour) to the Officers at the base. The main feature of this lecture relating to the
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