Page 33 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
Once, he took thirty mules to Hong Kong: this “mule train” went by sea! He returned to: “My beloved mules. You get more common sense out of them than horses.”
Cpl Woolley, his wife Shiu Ping and their two sons, Peter and Ian (then aged 41⁄2 and 18 – months respectively) lived in married quarters at Sennelager.10
Balancing the horses and the dogs:
As has always been customary in the Corps, to include lengthy accounts of equestrian activities in reports and in all the comments the Unit was seen to excel beyond all expectations in BAOR during the 1967 season, and a long list of successes followed.11
Sometimes, the competition between the canine and equine camps produced a healthy clash of excellence. One fairly dissatisfied Corps member has remarked: “I am bemused that given the Unit is 1 WDTU there is no mention of dogs and the focus continually is so often on equestrian events. I suggest the trainers were too busy to write up their contribution for the Corps journal at that time.” With no time to count column inches devoted over the years to the horse v the dog, it’s probably fair to say that more was written about the horses and equine activities simply because that’s where the focus still lay. This was, of course, to change due to finance and the changing face of warfare.
1968 was a time of financial stringency and cutback, giving the BAOR Directorate little in the way of exhilarating to report. The Inspector of Establishments has inspected the whole of the VR organisation in BAOR and given a good report, although he took a rather jaundiced view of Patrol horses on regimental Units. Nevertheless, he agreed that 1 War Dog Training Unit should retain, for the present, its horses, protecting the six riders on site. He found fault only with two dog detachments. The satisfactory conclusions he drew were heartening to the entire VR organisation, particularly the Mixed Service Organisation/RAVC.
The Unit report reflected the success of the Administrative Inspection and the useful benefits that were obtained for the MSO/RAVC at Schlangen. The Corps Commander’s Inspection, which included a large parade, went well. Listed in the event Pamphlet as the “Ceremonial 1950”, the parade involved RAVC trainers with dogs, WRAC kennel maids/grooms with dogs and a
mixed mounted section of RAVC/WRAC, and a squad of MSO personnel all taking part for the purpose of presenting 20 year-long Service badges and a further section of MSO which numbered some fifty strong. According to those involved, dressing for the parade presented something of a problem for the human contingent but the dogs were no problem at all. Most were fully trained young Guard dogs, ready for issue, therefore as the Inspecting Officer was to pass between the ranks, a safe distance had to be maintained at all times.
The parade involved a wide representation of personnel including: ten Officers, two Warrant Officers, twelve SNCOs and eighty-one rank and file. Drill was proving somewhat challenging as the RAVC and WRAC march at 120 to the minute, but the WRAC take a pace of 27 inches compared to men of 30 inches. The MSO should march at 120 to the minute, but being older men preferred a shorter pace. Unsurprisingly, plenty of practise hours were put in to inspire confidence and to attain a happy medium for the drill – with no band playing.
Meanwhile the usual work of 1 WDTU continued but with one change, as the Corps Journal recorded in its summer 1968 issue: “Opportunity has permitted routine to break away from the rather mechanised, almost conveyor system of training of dogs”. RAVC trainers now take on the dog, on joining, directly from the dealer and they remain, sometimes agreeably but alas occasionally unhappily, responsible for training that dog completely through to the issue standard. Some have remarked that it is as bad as taking the marriage oath – for better or worse... alas no divorce is recognised under the Deacon (and endorsed by the Bishop!).12 [Captain ‘Bob’ Chris Deacon was an RAVC LE Officer and Harry Bishop was the CO at this time].
This came just ahead of the re-designation of the Unit from 1 WDTU to 1 Army Dog Training Unit RAVC (1 ADTU) in December 1968.
The name change did not affect the role and business continued in the same vein. In the summer of 1969, a comment hinted at a landmark moment for the military working dog: “Most of you who know the kennels here, will know that it must be like a prison camp to the dogs. With that problem in mind all-night training was started. We now stage a demonstration almost every week, as most units visiting the Ranges seem to be extremely interested
10 Soldier Magazine dated 1966.
11 The Journal The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 39 No 1 Spring 1968.
12 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 39 No 2 Summer 1968.
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