Page 57 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
been a testing time and one where more demands were being made on the dogs. For one thing, there was mention of handlers temporarily disap- pearing into the wilds of Labuan, officially the Federal Territory of Labuan – a Federal Territory of Malaysia. Its territory includes Labuan Island and six smaller islands, off the coast of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. It turned out that this was to be a regular ‘detachment’ for RAVC personnel an Operational deployment, with several locations manned with dog handlers.
It is not always easy to take a reader into the space of an Operational deployment. The details are not normally for sharing but here, in an extract from the Journal in autumn 1964, there is a vivid snapshot of Singapore life for a VO:
It’s evening time. The hot, humid climate of Singapore is giving away to the cool breeze of starlight night. The tall coconuts palms are silhouetted against a moon that is bright and clear. The VO sits at home, pulling at his pipe; his wife is reading and the baby is asleep. A peaceful scene indeed. The Unit was busy with numerous dog drafts of new Labradors and Alsatians that were arriving from the UK, for temporary isolation with us, so busy the Unit called upon the services of an RMP handler of the new intake dogs.34
5 Gurkha Company GMP is no more
On 1st January 1965 the GMP handed over to the Brigade of Gurkhas.
The handover was completed with a special ceremony and a good deal of sadness. The next British, Gurkha Officer Commanding was the third new OC that the RAVC had seen in less than two years.
One thing that was documented at the time: “The endemic disease of the dogs which we have had with us for the last six months is under control, though it would be a brave man who says we have mastered it. Blood tests, urine tests, faeces test, the RAVC have seen it all.”35 The VO was reported to have been occasionally seen in the Unit when not away visiting the vast parish which included, Gan, North Malaysia and Borneo. By 1966 most of the dogs were reported to be temporarily kennelled at 443 BAD due to the disease. It was going to take two years for the problem to gradually phase out of existence and to that end the OC was grateful to all staff for their diligence and devotion to duty in seeing it through. By the summer of 1967 the Journal documented the particular sadness of
that time: “...how depressing it had been to train a dog so well and then watch him die from this ‘disease’. However, an answer, we hope, will be soon available. The total number of blood samples collected from this Unit in the last 12 months was 3,492.”36
The Gurkha manpower in the Unit started to be reduced in August 1968 and the process was expected to be complete by April 1969. The one Tracker dog remaining in the Unit was reported to have been tasked by the RMP and Civil Police several times, and with the ‘disease’ situation looking less serious, the losses were in decline and the dogs were once again holding their own. It was a relief for the Corps to be, once again, in a position to provide considerable assistance to the RAF and also have the ability to run two courses on animal health and first aid for RAF NCOs which proved very successful. There was also a new task ahead – the challenge of formatting a Guard Dog Detachment.37
The Guard Dog Detachment – RAVC
Raised at Mowbray Camp, Singapore on 1st August 1968, the Guard Dog Detachment Unit was formed in readiness to take over duties from 5 Gurkha Dog Company which was to disband in 1969.
Personnel enlisted locally were trained for their duties with the new Unit at the Far East Training Centre, Nee Soon and at 2 War Dog Training Unit, Johore Bahru. Handlers commenced guard duties in tandem with Gurkha troops on 12th August 1968 and from 1st April 1969 took over all Guard dog duties from 5 Gurkha Dog Company and assumed full control of Mowbray Camp. From that time, the RAVC assumed full responsibility for all Guard dog duties in Singapore and although it was noted that for a few months after Christmas the duties may not be the easiest, they were assured of better times were ahead. Given the prevailing spirit of co-operation and comradeship between the RAVC, LEP, Gurkhas and Singapore Guard Regiment everyone was confident that any difficulties that may potentially arise would be successfully overcome.38
The Gurkha Coy then only existed as a holding company for Gurkhas and would finally disband in December 1969. Independent Unit life saw busy times and an expanding number of LEPs – twelve were recruited from other arms and trained
34 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 35 No 2 Autumn 1964.
35 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 36 No 1 Spring 1965.
36 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 38 No 1 Summer 1967.
37 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 39 No 2 Summer 1968.
38 The Journal of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps Volume 40 Supplement Spring 1969.
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