Page 264 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
In January 2001, I deployed to Kenya with LCpl Paul Duke to undertake a three-month training project to produce search dog teams to support the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) campaign against ivory poachers. In October 2000, we took delivery of a quantity of ivory at the Defence Animal Centre to enable us to train selected dogs in the normal proactive manner – as used in Arms and Explosive Search dog training – as ivory gives off a distinctive smell that makes it relatively easy for dogs to detect.
Four trained dogs accompanied us to Kenya to be married up with KWS personnel whom we were tasked to train.
Paul Duke and I found ourselves following much in the footsteps of SSgt Roger Tredwell and Sgt Ron Shergold who two years before had been to Kenya to train Tracking dog teams for the KWS. It was very rewarding to be told on arrival that the excellent work initiated by Roger and Ron had ensured that the tracking teams’ work had denied any elephant kills to the poachers in the past year.
This knowledge caused us to re-evaluate the training task and it was decided that the dogs we had delivered could be better utilised if we re-trained them to also search for rhino horn and weapons. Such dog teams could then be deployed in a more proactive role at airports, seaports, VCPs and border crossings. The training task was successfully completed in April when the four IRW (Ivory Rhino Horn and Weapons Detection) dogs were deployed with the KWS handlers.
Being selected to go to Kenya for this special duty was a fantastic experience and one that Paul and I will long remember. The wildlife and scenery have to be experienced in the flesh. Travel brochures and TV programmes are no substitute for the real thing. We hope that our involvement in the fight against those trying to destroy Kenyan wildlife will prove as productive as the work of those in whose footsteps we trod.17
Return to the USA – 2002
During early 2002 personnel from the DAC were invited to re-visit the USA Army, this time in Fort Leonard Wood Missouri to brief the USA Engineers on the training of Mine Detection dogs and handlers for Afghanistan.
The project involved much close liaison with the US Army and was, as it had been in 1966, a resounding success with numerous teams being trained and employed in Afghanistan. The project was so successful that the US Engineers set up their own School in Fort Leonard Wood and it was staffed by former members of the Corps, many of whom settled in the USA.
According to DAVRS (2003):
“The RAVC from the DAC during 2002 – 2004 provided much assistance to the United States of America’s Army by training twelve Mine Detection and AES dogs and handlers for Operations in the Middle East. Despite, at the time, under manning due other Operations and a taught SOTR, the RAVC gained much respect and kudos by training US Forces personnel. Much was due to the innovative work executed during 1998 – 2002 by CEG personnel. This international recognition gave the DAC, the RAVC, and the RAVC Dog Trainer something to be very proud of. Not only do we market our expertise to the US we share best practice with other countries.”
Successes with training from the DAC over recent years have meant that senior dog trainers were able to regularly visit the USA to evaluate personnel trained by the Canine Division.18
The Caribbean – 2004
The Caribbean Drug Atlantic Patrol Task (North) APT (N) approached the DAC in late January 2004 to see if it would be feasible for a Drugs Detection dog to be deployed as a part of the UK’s contri- bution to Counter Drugs Enforcement. The task, or aim of the trial, was: “To identify whether the use of a search dog will increase the operational capability of the Fleet during counter drugs operations.”
The trial almost never took place, as it was somehow agreed by the higher echelons in some part of the MoD, that a dog could not be deployed on a ship for a prolonged period of time as it would not be able to defecate! This was only found out when Major Chris Ham enquired of the Royal Navy why he had not heard anything from them about the proposed deployment. It was an opportunity to diplomatically correct the false assumption about the dogs and the trial went full steam ahead.
It was anticipated that the team would be used only on an infrequent basis to search merchant vessels, and possibly yachts, as required to assist the US Coast guard. All searches being intelligence led. LCpl Dan Fiddy deployed on HMS Monmouth, a type 23 Frigate, a powerful versatile multi- purpose ship with the ability to operate anywhere in the world.
On 18th March 2004, LCpl Dan Fiddy, and his dog Casper, flew to Trinidad and from there sailed on Monmouth to Barbados – just in time to watch the England cricket team beat the West
17 Chiron Calling article by SSgt Tam Nicol dated 2001.
18 DAVRS’ Study Period 16th – 17th October 2003 PowerPoint Presentation, notes by Major Chris Ham RAVC.
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