Page 473 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
long list of invited guests, including the Surgeon General, Lieutenant General Martin Bricknell, the RAVC Association, the RAVC Old and Bold group from Melton and the Army Dog Unit Northern Ireland (ADU NI) Association attended this day of celebration which began with a Service of Thanks- giving delivered by Reverend Brian McAvoy MBE, in his usual style. The Service was followed by the presentation of a Centenary Coin. The Colonel Commandant, the Chief Veterinary and Remount Officer, Colonel Neil Smith QHVS, the Commanding Officer of the DATR, Lt Col Martyn Thompson MBE and 1st Military Working Dog Regiment RAVC, Lt Col Neil Lakin, presented the coins to all the serving troops and Association members present.
The celebration continued with the unveiling of a Centenary Scroll bearing the names of all the RAVC members, and CO 1 MWD Regt serving on 1st January 2018. With the artist, Mrs Clare Villar in attendance, the Chief Veterinary and Remount Officer invited the RAVC Colonel Commandant to unveil the Scroll. This was followed by the presentation of a Royal Army Veterinary Corps Centenary Banner which had been commissioned by the Corps and presented by its creators, Mrs Pauline Clark and her son Danie.
Following a speech by the CVRO to thank everyone for attending the very special and memorable day, the Colonel Commandant made a landmark announcement - the naming of the DATR at Melton Mowbray as the Remount Barracks. The decades of the barracks, being nameless were finally over.
Finally, on the actual day of the 100th anniversary of the RAVC receiving the Royal Warrant - Tuesday 27th November 2018 - a special event was hosted at the Defence Animal Training Regiment in Melton Mowbray, to coincide with ‘a delayed RAVC Corps weekend’. A thanksgiving service and buffet were attended by over 200 personnel, both serving and retired, to formally recognise this significant milestone in the RAVC’s history. The evening coincided with the unveiling of the portrait of the RAVC Centenary parade by the renowned equine and military artist Daniel Crane.
Presentation from US Army Veterinary Corps
Finally, as the centenary celebration drew to a close, the Colonel Commandant RAVC made a presentation to the Chief Veterinary and Remount Officer on behalf of Brigadier General Erik Torrin, Chief Vet of the US Army, to mark 100 years of the RAVC’s Royal Warrant.
Following all the formalities, a grand buffet lunch was laid on by the contractors, ESS, under the capable supervision of Mr David Bullimore who was the Officers’ Mess Manager at Remount Barracks.
The entire programme for the centenary year was diligently orchestrated by the Regimental Secretary, Lieutenant Colonel Abby DuBaree. Abby states that it took around 20 different agencies working together to pull the whole year ’s programme together. This was an exceptionally successful and memorable moment in history and we can only hope that our successors will replicate something on an even grander style over the next century.
Lt Col M Thompson MBE RAVC, Commanding Officer DATR, riding MWH Oscar. Leading the DATR contingent through Melton Mowbray during the RAVC Centenary Parade on 27th July 2018.
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