Page 307 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
CHAPTER 19
The RAVC in Melton – Camp Events
“with bayonets fixed, drums beating and colours flying.”
Melton Mowbray, as the home of the RAVC, is the hub of the Corps’ activities and there is no better way of presenting the many events and person- alities that have entwined to create the history of the past six decades than in the personal accounts and Journal records that have been discovered in our archive.
The following is a calendar of Melton events telling the story of the men, women and Military Working Animals who, since 1962, have helped to tell our Melton story.
1960s:
1962... The end of National Service and a reduc- tion in establishment created a shortfall in person- nel at the Melton Depot. Fortunately, the impend- ing arrival of the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) in the summer of 1962 was about to make the difference. The one WRAC Officer alongside thirty-four Other Ranks were made more than welcome, providing a helping hand at the stables and in the kennels. “Incidentally,’ it was noted in the Journal in 1962, ‘this is by no means the first time that girls have handled War Dogs, as former members of the Corps will recall the ATS1 at Pot- ters Bar, at the end of the Second World War. And, of course, the Remount Depot had always carried a large female staff since the war time days.” Hav- ing the female presence may not have been new to the Remount Depot but the 1960s brought them a newly-built School of Farriery plus a new Harness Room for the School of Equitation.2
The range of buildings that made up the RAVC Depot in Melton Mowbray at this time reflected the changing history of this military estab- lishment. Unsurprisingly, any change to the fabric of this hallowed ground warranted a mention in the Journal.
In 1961, the 80 foot tall water tower was demolished. It was affectionately recorded as ‘Our Tower’ in the write-up which included some
concern for the local hunting fraternity who used the Tower as a landmark. The writer added, wistfully: “...no petitions have yet been filed to retain the historic monument. The Tower gone, work will start on the new operating theatre.”3 And that is exactly what happened.
“The Veterinary hospital at last has an up-to-date Equine Operating Theatre, which is a joy to work in,” reported the VO. “All sections have a show piece for visitors, except Remount, but then that section can look forward to the day when it has new stables and its own riding school.” So much to look forward to in the way of new buildings went hand-in-hand with a rush of new recruits: “All served a probationary period to gauge their suitability, as we are looking for future NCOs,” recorded the Journal, “all of whom must be future tradesmen of one grade or another. It is our policy that eventually, the basic trade of the Corps shall be that of Dog Trainer as purely General Duty (GD) appointments are becoming few and far between.” Of course, any potential farriers or trainees for other specialist trades were given the necessary training. The object was to ensure that the future members of the RAVC would be versatile.4
The War Dog Training School (WDTS) had two main tasks – the recruitment of dogs and their despatch overseas. By March 1962, the Training School had sent ninety-four dogs abroad and there was still a demand for a further eighty-six. This placed a strain on the School which had suffered due to the limited number of trained staff. It was said that it had been hard pressed to ensure that the dogs received sufficient exercise and care, and that’s why the future looked so much brighter with the arrival of that first contingent of WRAC personnel reporting on Wednesday 8th August 1962.
The WDTS also saw the first draft of dogs leave by air – as opposed to sea. This maiden flight left
1 The Auxiliary Territorial Service was formed in 1938 and was succeeded by the Women’s Royal Army Corps in 1949, which was in turn fully integrated into the British Army in 1992. About 57,000 women joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, performing non-combatant roles such as clerical and mechanical work.
2 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 33 No 2 Autumn 1962.
3 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 32 No 2 Autumn 1961.
4 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 33 No 2 Autumn 1962.
299