Page 326 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
“If they can satisfy this requirement, they come back here for another thirteen-week course for upgrading. It’s a formal course requiring extensive practical and theoretical study. Successful completion qualifies them as an Army Farrier Class II which carries the exemption of the Worshipful Company of Farriers.”
In the days before the Cavalry was mechanised, the Army needed two schools of farriery. The biggest was at Aldershot in a building, now demolished, on the corner of Shoe Lane and Forge Lane. Now, of course, instead of several thousand horses the Army has only six hundred. Consequently, farriers’ jobs are somewhat restricted.
There are six with the RAVC at Melton Mowbray, fourteen with the Household Cavalry at Knightsbridge and Windsor, five with King’s Troop, RHA, at St John’s Wood, and one with the Mounted Troop, 160 Provost Company, RMP, in Aldershot. There are in addition some thirty-five posts for farriers in Army Saddle Clubs scattered around the world.
The job isn’t all hot irons, anvils and smoking hooves. Army farriers are still soldiers and like everyone else they are obliged to keep pace with military training. In fact, WO1 Duerden says that farriers have even tried shoeing their horses in full NBC kit – gloves, masks the lot.
“As a means of mixing the past with the present, it was an interesting exercise, but not a pleasant experience,” he said, “apart from the difficulty of handling things there was the problem of seeing and hearing properly – two rather important considerations when you are working with animals.”31
1986... HRH Princess Anne Sees the Farriers’ Event
Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne visited the RAVC Training Centre at Melton Mowbray to watch the 1986 farriery competitions and present prizes to the winners. This annual competition was divided into classes for Army farriers, who are registered shoeing smiths and Army Apprentice farriers. Princess Anne also inspected the animal hospital and saw other training taking place.32
1987... Life in Art
The painter David Rowlands clearly visited prior to 1987 as he produced an incredible montage of various training events taking place at the RAVC Training Centre at that time. His work depicts Pack Transport training, dogs being groomed by WRAC Kennel Maids, a Tracker dog handler working his Labrador, a view of the Headquarters, a Veterinary Officer inspecting a dog, line baiting at Dog School and the farriers shoeing in the forge. Many will
31 Soldier Magazine dated 10th March 1986.
32 Solder Magazine dated December 1986.
be able to recognise who the personalities are in the painting entitled: Royal Army Veterinary Corps Melton Mowbray 1987. The montage is now part of the Corps’ art collection.
1988... The Animal Doctors...and a Lot More Besides at the RAVC Centre, Melton Mowbray by Jennifer Griffiths
A unique and unobtrusive hamlet deep in the English countryside is playing a prominent and increasingly important role in the Army’s fight against terrorism.
Houses in Rype Village are poorly furnished, the paint work is fading, and if you turn up unannounced you would not get a welcome. It could be as deserted as the Marie Celeste, but surrounding security fence gives a hint of its true purpose. It was built by the sappers in 1973 to simulate operational conditions in the early stages of Arms Explosive Search (AES) dog and handler training at the Royal Army Veterinary Corps Centre at Melton Mowbray.
It is certainly no Brookside, but there are touches of realism, such as a deliberately vandalised red telephone kiosk! Because it is a secure area, caches of explosives, inert weapons and drugs (including cannabis, cocaine and heroin) can be safely hidden – for several weeks if necessary – to test the expertise of man and dog.
In 1947, Army Dog Training School (ADTS), already under the RAVC command, was absorbed into the Centre which is responsible for procuring, training and issuing dogs for the use by the Army, Royal Marines and the Ministry of Defence Police worldwide.
Military, MDP and MoD civilian personnel are also trained at Melton Mowbray to handle Army dogs. Training of locally engaged personnel overseas is carried out, in situ, by RAVC instructors.
The ADTS is responsible for training the Army’s dog trainers and WRAC Kennel Maids and also provides a training and employment team to regularly assess the standard of dogs that have passed through the school and have been posted. Protection dogs – for guarding and security – are the Schools main training commitment. They “pass out” in about twelve-weeks. Specialist dogs – Arms and Explosive Search, Tracker, Sweep and Police duties – need considerably longer training.
Lt Col Brian Forgrave, Co-ordinating Officer, HQ DAVRS, said: “Over the years, AES dogs have been responsible for the detection of many caches of terrorist arms, explosives, ammunition, and so on, in particu- larly in Northern Ireland.
“AES dogs are used extensively to clear areas before Royal and VIP visits, as well as important military events. Tracker dogs are used to follow up the tracks of suspect terrorists and criminals, and even if they’re
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