Page 56 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
donkeys?” That question was said to be the start of an entire chapter, probably an entire volume, written in tribute to this long suffering species.
As for the twelve Army dogs in Libya, they appeared to take their transfer from Benghazi in their stride. The three fortunate enough to be located at the ABU in the desert training area were enjoying their duties. One of the Guard dogs, “Flash” – otherwise known as ‘the tail-less wonder’ to his friends – had the good fortune to get a mouthful of live camel! The incident resulted in Major Gordon Wilder and Sgt Ted Parsons having a midnight trip into the desert. The ABU member of staff was kind enough to light his flashing beacon and let off flares to guide the expedition in. Fortunately, Flash got away with only a little bruising but the interview with the irate camel owner called for the use of additional sedatives, in this case, cigarettes.30
Singapore
The first mention of 5 (Gurkha) Dog Compa- ny GMP, was in the autumn 1962 edition of the RAVC Journal, which included the comforting confirmation that the ‘Gurkha-isation’ of the Unit was proceeding apace.
It was early days. There had been teething problems and challenges connected to the language barrier – all things normally associated with a transition period overseas. By and large the re-organisation went smoothly even the principle of partial double handling. And there was a suggestion of someone starting a compendium of Gurkha dog handler ‘proverbs’ as a potential icebreaker – here are a few of the printable ones:
“My dog, very good dog, Sahib, not bite”
“Halt! Stand fast! I know not where my dog is!” “Please Sir, when may I shoot somebody?” “Have you bitten your dog today?”
“My dog, he more interested in trees than man” “Has your dog got the ........?” Elicited the reply:
“Well actually I believe he has a mild touch of enteritis.”
As the team in Singapore pulled together, changes were also being made to the accommo- dation.
The Pharmacy underwent significant alterations to provide a well-laid out facility, with plenty of natural lighting and two large air conditioners. It was a hub for all activities taking place on site, some of which were experimental. For instance, the Unit conducted a little experiment to confirm
30 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 40 Summer 1969.
31 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 33 No 2 Autumn 1962. 32 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 34 No 2 Autumn 1963. 33 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 34 No 1 Spring 1963.
or disprove, that dogs in the tropics were not affected by tear gas. Four dogs were tested in a chamber and displayed no discomfort, but the VO and a Cpl Mark Harrington were not so fortunate. The same could be said of the goats living on camp. In the same Journal article that mentioned the Pharmacy upgrade there was a glancing reference to the addition of a small slaughterhouse to deal with the goats required by the Unit.31
The eclectic mix of facilities invited the same approach to the personnel. The Saddler could often be found in the Pharmacy and as a keen entomologist he gained a reputation for taking in many odd looking specimens of the creepy- crawly variety – a habit that turned out to be as educational as it was entertaining to all in camp. And if the Saddler couldn’t be found in the Pharmacy he was likely to be taking part in the dog training where he helped out to great effect.
Working with the dogs in Singapore brought out the recruits’ keen urge to learn, achieve, move up the ranks and also be recommended for postings. One LCpl who was sent to Brunei on active service, had expressed his desire to do a real job of worth with the dogs. And Sgt Tony Rossell moved on to Kuching, Malaysia, working with Tracker dogs. A Gurkha LCpl was also selected for service in the Pharmacy and was doing very well in all aspects of his work. As for the VO, he was kept busy with problems presented by the RAF dogs and working with the private practice. As always when Corps members found themselves overseas there was a compulsion to organise an annual dog trials and competition to maintain and improve standards. It was all part of the usual package of mandatory inspections that all Units endured and in Singapore that included the Corp’s responsibility to organise active proving demonstrations to various personnel including the Vietnamese Officers.32
By 1963 the strength of the Unit had dwindled. In three years’, numbers had dropped from twelve to six men and yet somehow the same work was still being achieved despite the loss of one Saddler and a Cpl who was covering that work in Borneo.33
This had been a very challenging time especially for the personnel and dogs stationed at RAF Changi and RAF Butterworth where heavy outbreaks of a contagious disease had afflicted them for over six months. Reaching a stage of being almost entirely free of the threat finally began to make life easier and closer to normal for all stationed there. It had
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