Page 514 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
the number of manoeuvre elements is generally determined by how many dogs I have. If the dogs are tired or ill, I will tailor my operation or reduce my ambition accordingly......the dog; almost without exception has offered accuracy, speed and confidence to our patrolling. The dog is, of course, only as capable as the handler.”
Major AMG Burrell RM, OC Lima Coy, 42 Cdo RM.Op HERRICK 14 (Mar – Oct 2011).
When first introduced during Op HERRICK 14, IE3D handlers were commanded by the assigned Operational Command the TMWDU and Tactical Command of the unit they were supporting. TMWDU provided routine command, control and support functions in planning, executing and sustaining the IE3D capability and provided specialist advice. Overall, the introduction of the IE3D capability was a huge success and later, with the full complement of teams deployed on operations, its success continued to grow.
“Lima Coy is holding CPs ZARAWAAR, SALANG and until recently CP TOKI. Lima Coy is centred within the highly contested area of AO GOLD. If there was ever an ‘average’ week, then it would see a small arms engagement each day and an IED strike each week; historically the previous BG Coy incurred 18 casualties in one month. With the prolific use of dogs, Lima Coy has suffered eight casualties in two months.”
(Circa Summer 2011)
The following article from The Sustainer Magazine offers a snapshot of the RAVC dog handler’s life while serving in Afghanistan – the true grit and the camaraderie:
An RAVC Dog Handler in Action.62
An Army Dog Handler recently saved the life of a soldier critically injured by an IED blast in Afghanistan and then went on, with his dog, to trace and apprehend the bomb-makers. LCpl Lee Edwards and his dog “Molly” were just three metres away from the near-fatal IED blast which threw both of them into the air.
The pair had been tasked to support an IED search team along a road close to SANGIN, as night fell. LCpl Edwards said: “We knew that the road was heavily laden with IEDs. It had already claimed casualties and it was our job to assist in finding the devices, both for the benefit for the local population and also to prevent further British casualties.” A short time into the task and things went badly wrong. He continued: “One of the
62 By kind permission of The Sustainer – Magazine of the Royal Logistic Corps.
soldiers stood on a pressure plate IED. It was very close to where Molly and I were standing and the force of it blew us both into the air. When I landed, I was dazed for a moment and my hearing was badly affected. I could just about hear the screams through the smoke and dust. I knew there were multiple casualties.”
LCpl Edwards sprang into action, dusting himself off and moving towards where the explosion had happened. In the pitch black, with a shattered head torch and night vision goggles, he scrambled around, struggling to find casualties. As his colleagues sent up an illuminating flare, LCpl Edwards identified the most seriously injured, through the flash of light he saw one soldier in a bad way. He had lost three limbs and was losing a lot of blood. “I applied the tourniquets to each of his wounds, to stem the blood flow,” said Edwards, who later heard that the soldier had survived despite his catastrophic injuries.
The following day the team carried on with the task of searching the road and moving through compounds identifying and disposing of a number of Taliban death-traps left in their path. As they moved into a compound, close to where the explosion had happened the previous day, Molly perked-up. LCpl Edwards said “I knew she was onto something, and I waited for her to show me where the explosive material was. She led me to an IED-making kit, probably similar if not the same as the one that would have produced the IED that had hit our patrol the day before. There were four people with the IED-making kit, and they were arrested immediately and flown out. It felt good to know that we were addressing the source of the problem, not just the IEDs themselves.”
TMWD Sqn Op Summary dated 1st November 2011 reported the arrival of twenty-four Tranche 2 IE3D personnel comprising of eleven RAF and thirteen Infantry handlers. Bringing the total manning of Sqn to ninety-five personnel. MWD teams were deployed as follows to AO Burma, with one AES, two x IE3D and one HASD. The NDA location had two Prot, one VS, one AES, two IE3D and three HASD. NES (N) one AES, two IE3D, and three HASD, NES(S) two IE3D and six HASD. LKG, one VS, two IE3D and one HASD. KBL one Prot and one AES, BSN six Prot, six VS, three AES and four HASD.
A total of fifty-two MWD teams.
The report summarised: “The month of October 2011, has seen a significant increase in the numbers of IE3D with the welcome edition of another twenty-four handlers. They have settled into an arduous but
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