Page 86 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
they were fully concentrating. Anything less than four hours was considered far too easy – even if only one person was being followed.
The Tracking course Holmes was allowed to attend as a student, and the skills developed, coupled with the dogs’ ability, made the task of handler so much more effective. The Combat Tracking Team became part of the course and the RAVC NCO instrumental in its delivery. What was said to be most satisfying for a handler in training was to get the start point and ask the track layer to do his absolute best to evade the dog team; more often than not the dog would get to the end of the track successfully.
This sense of achievement and pride felt within the Corps for the dogs is reflected in the following contribution to Chiron Calling from Cpl Frank Holmes:
Before I left Brunei we had made inroads regarding the delivery of training on ATAP HURDLE – the SAS Selection Phase – which Cpl Iain Carnegie developed. Also, usefully, the dogs became part of a rescue team so, should there ever have been another Lows Gulley incident – where a group of British soldiers got lost on Mount Kinabalu in March 1994 – the dogs could be called upon to assist.
With the help of ‘insider’ backing from contacts developed in the years leading up to the successful importation of the first two dogs, Jess the Tracker and IP dog Lennox, success was given a helping hand to lift the project off the ground. In tandem ‘establishment’ action was also ongoing. And it had been agreed that the outcome of that action, all hinged on the success of the trial. Cpls Frank Holmes and Pat Stewart did not let the Corps down and consequently, Holmes gained a posting to Training Team Brunei from 1997 to 2000. At the conclusion of the trial, OC TTB commented: “it seems incredible that the use of Service jungle dogs by the Jungle Warfare School should ever have been allowed to part. The trial has served to reconfirm lessons which had previously been clearly understood.”37
DAVRS added at the time:38 “Their performance in the Brunei trial has exceeded even our expecta- tions and credit must be given to the talented and dedicated RAVC soldiers to whom we entrusted this important task.”
As a result of this success, suitable trainers with proficient soldiering skills were duly selected for all subsequent postings. They continued to uphold the mission of the TTB – to train selected Commanders and Units in military tracking and to operate in a close country environment, in order to prepare them for operations. The RAVC
37 Quote from Chiron Calling Magazine Winter Spring 1995/1996.
38 DAVRS Foreword by Brigadier Paul G H Jepson, Chiron Calling Winter 39 Information provided by Sgt Gaz Instone RAVC SNCO Jungle Warfare
Dog Section supported this mission by instructing in the use of scent tracking in many different roles and in the training and provision of an IP dog to be attached to an Infantry platoon and regarded as an asset in detecting the presence of enemy activity.
During 2010 the TTB Dog section supported a variety of courses and cadres with both Infantry Patrol and Tracker dogs, in order to educate and promote these lifesaving assets. The Corps instructed students in the use of MWDs by including them in the TTB’s ‘flagship’ Jungle Warfare Instructors Course, Operational Tracking Instructors Course, as well as Search and Rescue training, and resident battalion exercise and countless demonstrations for military visitors.
When Cpl Frank Holmes departed his time in Brunei, Cpl Iain Carnegie stepped into his place in July 2000 and continued with the development of MWDs, not only supporting the jungle phase of the SAS selection, but also the rigours of the Joint Air Transport Evaluation Wing (JATEU) trial of abseiling with dogs in a close country environment. Tracker dog Jess remained in situ until her retirement in the care of one of the SAS instructors. Infantry Patrol dog Lennox continued to play his part in the jungle training until he too retired having a long list of credits to his name.
In 2003, the RAVC Corporal post at TTB was upgraded to that of RAVC Sergeant, a rank that befitted the duties of the more enhanced instruc- tional role. In 2004 the JWW had three handlers, one RAVC Sergeant and two Gurkha handlers provided by the resident battalion who handled four MWDs: two Trackers and two IP dogs.
In early 2021, the Jungle Warfare Division (JWD) Dog Section is led by one RAVC Sgt39 who is JWIC qualified, one RAVC LCpl and 1 RGR Rfn. The Dog Section has four MWDs comprising two Trackers and two Infantry Patrol Dogs – a working combination of Dutch Herders and German Shepherds. The capabilities within the Dog Section are utilised for all JWD courses – the Jungle Warfare Instructors Course and Operational Tracker Instructors Course. Taking the message far and wide the capabilities are also employed on external course requests as required including the UK Special Forces (UKSF). The dogs are deployed for sustained periods of time in the jungle, which could mean a few days to as many as 14 days. And when they are not in use on courses, all of the JWD MWDs receive daily training; this includes
Spring 1995/1996.
Division Dog Section 18th January 2021.
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