Page 13 - Chiron Spring 2020
P. 13

Army dogs in Cyprus are living up to their best tradition of their canine corps. Trained in tacking and in ‘smelling out’ buried arms they have played an important part in the war against EOKA terrorists.
The dogs are supplied to units throughout the island by No 6 Army Dog Unit, Royal Army Veterinary Corps. In some instances men in the Corps, with their dogs, are attached to units, but generally regimental dog-handlers take over take over the animals at the Guard Dog Unit, and after a strenuous 14-weeks course return to their regiments, with canine seconds-in- command.
When an incident occurs, the nearest military unit rushes a dogtothescene,inthe hope of picking up the scent of an escaping terrorists. Many a suspect has been caught through the noses of these dogs.
Those animals that
specialise in arms
recovery have been
equally successful.
How they can pinpoint
bombs or weapons,
buried sometimes feet
deep, is a mystery. This
uncanny sense was demonstrated at the Guard Dog camp near Nicosia recently, when various objects, some that had been buried for weeks, were unerringly pinpointed by the dogs.
During the demonstration, which was watched by hundreds of people, the handlers worked their dogs over ground where tins, bottles and weapons had
been buried. Sometimes the dogs being tested would suddenly sit down and refuse to move. The handler would probe around the dog with a steel rod, and in every instance eventually locate some foreign object. Digging would then unearth a home-made bomb, a bottle filled with papers or a weapon.
One dog indicated the presence of buried objects by lying down very slowly and gracefully. As soon as
the handler started to dig, however, he would sit up on his haunches and watch with great interest. The crowd applauded every time the handler drew out the bomb or pistol, but it was not the clapping
that accounted for the furious wagging of the dog’s tail, He, wise fellow, knew that his handler would reward him with a chunk of meat.
During the summer, when training is difficult on the Nicosia plains because of the hot, dry atmosphere, the Tracking
Section is moved up to the Troodos mountains, 6000 feet above sea level.
The daily ration for each dog is two pounds of prime Australian beef, one pound of biscuits and a quarter pound of vegetables. Some
handlers say that they would willing change places with their charges atmealtimes–butnoone really believes this.
The Unit moved from the Canal Zone to Cyprus in May 1955. With reinforcements from the Depot at Melton Mowbray
and from Germany, the number of dogs has grown appreciably since then, and the strength in the kennels at present is 250. Most of the dogs are Alsatians, but several other breeds are well represented, notably Dobermanns, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, and two bloodhounds – Jupiter and Neptune.
The Four-Footed Finders
Report by Captain T. A. E. Pollock, Military Observer. Copied from article of the time by Graham Eustace for the RAVC Magazine, Chiron Calling. 1 March 2020
  RAVC Dress Regulations Rewrite 2020
by Lt Col Chris Ham
The RAVC Dress Regulations have been fully rewritten for all ranks Private to Lieutenant Colonel. The Corps Dress Regulations were last updated in 2011, since that date many forms of uniform have been disregarded, replaced or updated.
There have been some serious deliberation concerning some emotive change, following much discussion and research, it has been agreed by the Corps Council that all soldiers from Private to and including Warrant Officer Class Two or equivalent ranks, will now wear the white lanyard on the left shoulder. WO1s and Officers do not wear white lanyards in the RAVC.
The way the poppy is to be worn in uniform is another
change instigated across the entire Services, in all uniforms a poppy is to be worn pinned to left breast with a safety pin. When wearing medals, the poppy is placed behind the medals. The standard fabric poppy supporting the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal can be worn as a personal choice on all uniforms from the first day of the Poppy Appeal until Armistice Day (11 Nov). Enamelled poppies may be worn but only in Barrack or Combat Dress. RSMs and Squadron Sergeant Majors will now hold the new RAVC Dress Regulations ensuring that all RAVC personnel are correctly dressed for the appropriate occasion in today’s modern RAVC.
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