Page 373 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
sought to ensure, once again, that the Corps had the best possible apprenticeships open to all its personnel. Work is currently ongoing to update and review the Animal Trainer Level 4 qualification and to create a new apprenticeship standard for all Specialist Working Dog Handlers – seeking to ensure the standards are closely mapped to the RAVC Class 1 Dog Handler.
Subsequent Trade Training – that is, training received to maintain or enhance a soldier’s capability in the trade, i.e., trade upgrading courses such as Class 2 or Class 1 DH. Career pathways are set and are to be followed. This ensures personnel are trained for their specific RAVC career and, as the RAVC soldier progresses; they can attain high-level qualifications which are also valued by employers in civilian life. Soldiers have completed degree course in animal welfare, which fits the Corps’ commitment to constantly improving the welfare of its MWAs.
Training has been enhanced for all handlers, through conducting After Action Reviews and Post Exercise and Post Operational reports and making use of the ability to frankly highlight shortfalls so that any trends can be analysed and remedial action taken. Whilst many of the handlers are no longer actual Dog Trainers that are able to progress to become Dog Trainer qualified if they choose to, and if selected, they will undergo training at the Canine Training Squadron at DATR in order to gain the coveted qualification.
The Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, commented in 2021: “Members of the Armed Forces are recruited from civilian life and will return to it at the end of their Service. To ensure that they can make effective use of the skills and qualifications they acquire in the military, the MoD will undertake a review within the next twelve months into the professional accredi- tation of career courses.”32 On the same note, the MoD is currently also reviewing all career structures of the Army with Programme CASTLE. It aims to accelerate generational change in the Army’s personnel system to meet the fast-moving demands of the information age. It will design an attractive, modern and sustainable system of career pathways with appropriate learning and development interventions, to maximise opportunity and talent of current and future soldiers so that they are ready and skilled to
prevail in war.33
Maintaining battle readiness has remained a
priority for the Corps – and that will ever be so.
Pay for the RAVC:
Looking back over the decades covered in this volume of the Corps’ history would not be complete without reviewing the sensitive area of remuneration and the pay scales that came and went as careers were made and conflicts were fought. The following is a sample of the times and the context:
In 1964, the same year that saw the Vickers Armstrong VC 10 come into service, an RAVC Veterinary Officer was paid 53 shillings and 6 pence per day or an annual salary of £976 after one year in rank. An RAVC Brigadier was paid 176 shillings per day or an annual £3,212.
Back in 1966, a Captain, one year in rank as a Veterinary Officer of the AVRS and Household Cavalry, would have earned £3 and 5 shillings per day; a Lt Colonel, two years in rank, would have taken home £6 and 13 shillings per day. A Cpl in Group B Tradesmen on Scale B (serving six years but less than nine years) would have earned, as a Class 2, 32 shillings and 3 pence. A Sgt, 40 shillings and 3 pence. A Pte Class One WRAC Group B Tradeswomen, 20 shillings and 3 pence per day.34
During September 1973 the RAVC Corps stable belt could be purchased for £0.86 pence. By October 1980 the cost had increased to £4.00 and in 2021 rocketed to £34.00.
An RAVC Captain VO, in July 1975 on entry, would have earned £10.20p per day and annually £3,723. A Cpl Class 1, Band 2 (serving less than six years) made £8.03p per day. A Sgt on Band 4 (serving less than 6 years) earned £8.10 per day.35
From 1st July 1986 pay for a male Cpl on Band 1, Scale B (less than six years of service) who was a Class 2 DT was paid £22.92 and Class 1 Cpl was paid £24.53 per day. Pay rates for female Service personnel can be calculated by multiplying male rates by 0.9772727.36 Meanwhile, the New Food Charges for a single person stood at £15.68 per week.
In April 1987 – the year that MWD “Caesar” caught the ten thousandth Illegal Immigrant on the Border in Hong Kong – a soldier on Band 1 Level 4 Private was earning £5,512, while a WO1 Band 4, earned £12,698.
A Private on the Level 7 Lower pay band in
32 Extracted from, Defence in a competitive age: Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Defence by Command of Her Majesty, March 2021.
33 Taken from In Front British Army Newsletter Autumn 2018 and Programme CASTLE Brief dated 2019.
34 Soldier Magazine pay scales dated April 1966.
35 Soldier Magazine pay scales dated July 1976.
36 Soldier Magazine pay scales dated June 1986.
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