Page 66 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
the composition of the team and the equipment to be used by each member, the history of the Combat Tracking Team and the expected enemy tactics were also covered in the early sessions. For instance, due to the fact that civilian personnel in Sarawak supported the Security Forces, enemy troops avoided the main track as much as possible. Also, camps were situated at a safe distance from kampongs and longhouses, though, occasionally, solitary food carriers visited enemy camps.
These were all important, and potentially lifesaving facts to be aware of but there were no night movements, not at least under normal conditions, and obviously these factors favoured the Tracker capability.
It is perhaps worth reminding the reader here that the majority of the team members had no previous experience in the use of dogs within the Army. WO2 John Carter, who lectured on the use of dogs, paid particular attention to Tracker and Patrol dogs, making it clear that although a trained Tracker dog was invaluable there were still limitations to their use and therefore there were always points to consider regarding their employment. One important factor that he stressed in detail was the speed at which the team could reach the contact position “dog wise”: considering the terrain and the climatic conditions.
The use of radios, whilst on ‘follow-up’, was covered by operators from 42 Cdo Signal Centre. The sets used were A41 and A510 and every handler was shown how to operate each set. Although each team had a signaller within the patrol, it proved beneficial, and wise, for everyone to have a basic understanding of operating a radio. Admittedly it wasn’t possible to go into the subject at any great depth – that would have taken weeks – but the general outline to give a general working knowledge provided a little insurance for the future. After all, as in all patrols, the importance of signalling could never be underestimated. And it was a team effort – whilst a CTT was out on patrols the base signal centre was constantly ‘open’. From the start of a track, it was imperative to share information with the signaller – particularly concerning direction, time and strength – who, in turn signalled the information back to base. Any further information of importance, during the ’follow-up’, was also passed back. In practice, the signaller was relied upon as much as the tracking element.
A considerable time was spent on Range work. All personal weapons were ‘zeroed in’ and practice was encouraged. Weapons carried on patrol work included rifles, SMGs and shotguns. Dog handlers
were issued with SMGs on their arrival at the respective battalions and it was generally felt that although the teams’ job was not to engage the enemy they had sufficient fire power for emergencies. In past contact experiences it was found that the 9mm pistol was inadequate in providing maximum security, whereas the SMG was found to be ideal for handlers as it could be carried with little hindrance due to its short length. Caught in contact, the automatic fire ability proved invaluable.
Range work consisted of firing the SMG, whilst holding the dog on the lead from a variety of positions. Snap firing was also covered, with success. An interesting subject on the Range was the firing and instruction on the Armalite rifle and shotguns. The shotguns used were both 12 bore – the first were the five-shot, pump-action gun and the second, the automatic five-shot weapon.
Thinking location – a walk through the jungle was nothing like a walk through any terrain in the UK. A helicopter could be the only way in or out of the undergrowth and that included food supplies and post. Although everyone on the team had previous experience in helicopter drill, abseiling was new to many. Each man abseiled from 180 feet (54.8 metres), and the dogs were lowered by winch from 60 feet (18.2metres), but due to the fact each man had a set amount of kit, plus added equipment for the dog, the manoeuvre delivered its challenges. A new method had to be developed to minimise the bulky and complicated equipment. Two methods were tried: a nylon net, constructed by Sgt George Yeandle RAVC, and also a light web harness. After testing both options, the net came out on top as it provided the dog with maximum comfort in the air and it was compact enough to be carried in a mess tin. After a period of practice, the general agreement was that if, or when, a team was needed in the jungle, everyone was prepared for being transported by helicopter.
In a ‘follow-up’, strict jungle patrol rules had to be followed. All messages were sent down the patrol by silent signals, which were rehearsed at every opportunity. Some of the field signs were revised as time and terrain changed but new ones were also introduced, such as calling dogs forward or those that came as a consequence of the intro- duction of Visual Trackers. The speed of the team was governed by the Patrol Sergeant and if on an ‘immediate follow-up’ the team travelled faster than if they were on a ‘cold’ scent. Tactical obstacle crossings were also part of the training and again the Patrol Sergeant judged when to move tactically and safely. This could mean that if every obstacle
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