Page 274 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
Bleby and also Captain Peter Dalton who visited BAOR to rationalise the TA’s administration of the Unit, develop links with CVHQ and further build the Continental TA (see later). Actively involved in all training and exercises the RAVC TA Officer Pool was admitted to corporate membership of the Reserve Forces Association (RFA) during 1988. TA officers were also active with the Reserve Forces Association.
Team Sports and Training Opportunities
Once the TA Pool had been taken on strength with 2nd Medical Brigade (2 Med Bde) reporting and training became much more formalised, as did many of the opportunities for sport and adventure training. RAVC TA personnel featured prominently in these activities, often carrying off awards and competition trophies and, as always with the RAVC, this small cadre impressed by consistently punching above its weight.
Capt Iain R B Rose RAVC (V) competed with the RAVC team for two successive years in the Bellizona Military Patrol Competition in Switzerland. The competition was designed to test the military skills of the Swiss Army against foreign soldiers and the RAVC team performed well and maintained the honour of the Corps. Lt Col Peter Koder attended the RFA conference in Wurzburg, Germany with Officers from other NATO countries. The RFA also gave Capt Laura J Bowen RAVC (V) the opportunity to participate in the Saumur Challenge equestrian event in France where she also became the first female Veterinary Officer at the Kings Troop RHA on an attachment providing cover for the Regular Officer.
Other Officers with equine experience provided cover for the Troop (especially during the Royal Tournament at Earls Court), the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in Knightsbridge and the DAC Veterinary Hospital. The Pool also received invaluable Pack Horse training at the DAC. It is worth mentioned here that during October 1994, Captain Graeme Cooke took the opportunity to fulfil a long-held ambition when he successfully passed the Officer level of ‘P’ Company at the Depot of the Parachute Regiment. Later, during May 2007, Captain Angela Tyrell and two other RAVC Officers, Rachael Lockhart and Mike Simpson took part in the annual AMSTAP Competition at Wathgill Camp, North Yorkshire. The RAVC made up a third of the team, the part combined team taken from 306 Field Ambulance and 335 Medical Evacuation Regiment. The competition consisted of one-week training on Military Annual Training Tests (MATTs), Section
battle drills, weapon handling, Chemical, Biological and Radiological Nuclear (CBRN), Operations in Built Up Areas (OBUA), navigation, patrolling skills, Battlefield First Aid and patrol harbour skills. Captain Tyrell’s team were placed 6th overall, out of twenty-five teams, and were awarded the Shortis Cup for the best team.
TA Contribution to Cold War Exercises
During the Cold War period (1946 – 1991) RAVC Officers served on several Exercises, in particular Exercise LIONHEART in September 1984 in BAOR. It was a realistic attempt, within the necessary constraints, to test Britain’s ability to reinforce BAOR. At home, Exercise EASTERN SHIELD which took place in January 1989, and later, Exercises BRAVE DEFENDER and DRAKE’S DRUM involved the RAVC in either a veterinary officer role or TAOR watch keeping employment.
Several TA Officers found the time to take up a Short Service Volunteer Commissions (SSVC). Both Lt Col Koder in 1989 and, later, Major Ann Wood were, at different times, OC and VOs at the RAVC Support Group, Aldershot. In 2011, Major Ann Wood spent a busy few months on attachment to, what was the then, 101 MWD Sqn at Aldershot as the Unit prepared, trained and inspected dogs moving through for roulement to Afghanistan. She was the first RAVC Reserve Officer to receive the new Volunteer Reserves Service Medal instigated in 1999 as an efficiency reward for all ranks. Lt Col Peter Koder was the last to be awarded the former Territorial Decoration (TD) with the higher long service requirement of twelve years instead of ten.
The achievements of TA members were visibly mounting. Nevertheless, it remained an Officer-only Unit, despite on-going interest and efforts being made to set up a full TA Regiment.
The Home Service Force
and Policy for Army Dogs
While John Nott’s 1982 Defence White Paper proposed the expansion of the TA, the Home Service Force (HSF) was established in that same year, as a Home Guard Defence Force. Closely linked to the TA, the HSF recruited volunteers with military experience, either Regular or TA, from all three Services. The Force was introduced to guard Key Points (KPs) – installations likely to be the target of enemy forces and saboteurs and to facilitate the release of military Units for ‘mobile defence duties’.
One of the RAVC Corps’ policies in the late 1980s was to exploit opportunities in order that ‘the RAVC’s skills and experience may effectively
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