Page 406 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment in 1994. Unfortunately, the soldiers given instruction in Pack Transport were not released for this duty so responsibility for the animals fell to the afore- mentioned Corporal Birch. Following several unfortunate events, the horses bolted, the entire incident being observed by the Commanding Officer of 1 Royal Irish who made some pithy comments to Birch insinuating that the ‘Operational capability of horses in Cyprus were zero’. Corporal Birch was blamed for the debacle to which he retorted quickly and added to his report: “RAVC personnel are there in an advisory capacity and that it is the ‘user’s unit’s’ responsibility to ensure
the correct use of Pack Animal Transportation.”51 However, as the years passed the issue was never truly resolved as stated by Major R J Norris OC CDASU: “Inherent difficulties exist due to the severe limitations to CDASU manpower both in capability and availability. The primary role of this unit is Operational support through its dogs.”52 Thankfully this view was not supported and the training of Pack continued on the Island at a later
date.
RAVC expertise:
Soldiers of the RAVC are often called upon for their expertise in many challenging situations. A letter53 from Colonel John Blashford-Snell OBE of The Scientific Exploration Society54 to Brigadier Andrew Roache, in September 2000, requested a veterinary surgeon and veterinary technician to be part of Phase 1 of the Kota Mama III Project. The Kota Mama Project entailed the seeking of previously undiscovered archaeological artefacts in the jungle covered Andean foothills in order to test the theory that the ancient peoples could reach the ocean, using boats manufactured from reeds, via the navigable rivers of the region. The RAVC personnel were required for the first phase of the project which was to seek the ancient city of Paititi in the Bolivian Andes.
Supplies were to be transported by Pack Mule through mountainous jungle terrain to a base camp which had no access roads. It was envisaged that the thirty ponies and mules were to be utilised with the muleteers recruited from the local population. In essence these men were good at their job, as understood from previous expeditions, but they lacked veterinary knowledge and good animal practice in order to maintain the
Pack animals in prime condition for the arduous terrain. Keith Morgan-Jones had accompanied two tough expeditions in 1968 and 1972 when his veterinary expertise proved indispensable.
Captain Kate Gledhill RAVC and Lance Corporal Vanessa Hamilton RAVC were the two members of the Corps eventually selected for the project. Their duties included the provision of veterinary cover for the Pack ponies and to provide communal aid focusing on livestock and pets to the local population along the way. The most significant problems they had to deal with were infections in the ears of the Pack ponies due to tick bites as a result of the height of flora in the area and the vampire bats who drew blood from the unsuspecting animals during the night. Unfortunately, the site of the bites often became infected. The success of the trek was confirmed by Colonel Blashford-Snell in a letter addressed to Brigadier Andrew Roache: “They certainly played an important part in the first phase of the expedition. When the promised mules failed to materialise, they had to make do with rather indifferent ponies. However, they got the supplies through and thanks to them we were able to achieve our aim.”55
In the UK the use of Pack Transport aided civil power as was shown fourteen years earlier in Exercise MOUNTAIN GOAT. The Exercise, conducted in Snowdonia in Wales, in August of 1986, became an annual weekend adventure training exercise, to assist the National Park Warden in the renovation of the many paths throughout the park. MOUNTAIN GOAT was sponsored by 224 Squadron RCT (V) who requested the assistance from the RAVC TC in the form of two Pack horses and RAVC personnel to care for the animals as they ferried shale and cement. The team included Warrant Officer Class 2 Peter Breeze, Sergeant Alec Bradley, Farrier Lance Corporal Louis and Farrier Ivan Bell. However, by the time the team were in location that summer the Operational remit had altered considerably – they were to now assist 224 and the Park Warden in ferrying tools and equipment to work on the repair of a dam 450 metres up a mountainside. As the dam was about to burst its banks, time was of the essence.
A team of fifty soldiers and council workmen ferried the kit using Land Rovers over the first 300 metres; the Pack horses carried loads (77 kilograms including the pack saddle) of sandbags from the second to third stage, a distance of 450 metres of
51 Report on exercise assistance from pack horses to 1st Bn The Royal Irish Regiment 20th – 21st January 1994’ by Corporal John A Birch RAVC.
52 Letter from Major R J Norris RAVC OC CDASU to MoD (AVR), Aldershot. Reference CDASU 314 dated 9th May 1994.
53 Letter from Colonel Blashford Snell to Brigadier Roache dated 15th September 2000, D/DAVRS/5/9/1 Kota Mama Project.
54 The society was set up in Sandhurst in 1969 to provide pack for large scale Army expeditions.
55 Kota Mama Project Letter dated 27th September 2001 from Col Blashford-Snell to Brigadier Andrew H Roache, Reference D/DAVRS/5/9/1.
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