Army Veterinary Corps in the First World War

This Corps was responsible for the medical care of animals used by the army; predominantly horses, mules and pigeons.

Before the war

In August 1914 the Corps was comprised of the following:

  • AVC Depot (Woolwich)
  • No 1 Veterinary Hospital at Aldershot (made up of Nos 1 and 2 Sections AVC)
  • No 2 Veterinary Hospital at Woolwich (made up of Nos 3 and 4 Sections AVC)
  • No 3 Veterinary Hospital at Bulford (made up of Nos 5 and 6 Sections AVC)
  • No 4 Veterinary Hospital at the Curragh (made up of Nos 7 and 8 Sections AVC)
  • No 9 Section AVC at Pretoria (South Africa)
  • No 10 Section AVC at Potchefstroom (South Africa)
  • No 11 Section AVC at Colchester
  • Nso 12 and 13 Section AVC at Woolwich
  • A detachment at Shorncliffe
  • A detachment at Cairo (Egypt)
  • Territorial troops of the AVC serving with Divisional Veterinary Sections
One of the Army Veterinary Corps dead of the Great War. Given the role of the AVC and that most of its personnel were employed in rear areas and relatively safe from fighting, it is an uncommon sight to see the corps badge on a headstone. Arthur James Doyle was not so fortunate, for he was attached to 9th Cavalry Brigade and had been in France since 24 August 1914. Arthur died of pneumonia and lies in Tincourt New British Cemetery in France.

During the Great War

The Corps reorganised to provide a Mobile Veterinary Section as part of each Division that went overseas. They are shown in the table below. Each went overseas with the rest of its division unless stated.

Base DepotRouen
1st MVS1st Cavalry Division
2nd1st Division
3rd2nd Division
4th4th Division
5th5th Division
6th6th Division
7th5th Cavalry Brigade (then 2nd Cavalry Division)
8th1st Cavalry Division (then 2nd Cavalry Division)
9th1st Cavalry Division (then 2nd Cavalry Division)
10th MVS1st Cavalry Division (then 2nd Cavalry Division)
11th3rd Division
12th7th Division
13th3rd Cavalry Division
14th3rd Cavalry Division
15th8th Division
16th27th Division
17th28th Division
18th29th Division
19th63rd (Royal Naval) Division March 1915-Feb 1916; then 42nd (East Lancashire) Division
20th MVS3rd Cavalry Division
21st9th (Scottish) Division
22nd11th (Northern) Division
23rd12th (Eastern) Division
24th13th (Western) Division
25th10th (Irish) Division
26th14th (Light) Division
27th15th (Scottish) Division
28th37th Division
29th17th (Northern) Division
30th MVS18th (Eastern) Division
31st19th (Western) Division
32nd20th (Light) Division
33rd21st Division
34th22nd Division
35th23rd Division
36th24th Division
37th25th Division
38th26th Division
39th?
40th MVS30th Division
41st31st Division
42nd32nd Division
43rd33rd Division
44th34th Division
45th35th Division
46thGuards Division
47th16th (Irish) Division
48th36th (Ulster) Division
49th38th (Welsh) Division
50th MVS39th Division
51st40th Division
52nd41st Division
53rd63rd (Royal Naval) Division from 18 June 1916
1st North Midland MVS46th (North Midland) Division
2nd London MVS47th (2nd London) Division
1st South Midland MVS48th (South Midland) Division
1st West Riding MVS49th (West Riding) Division
1st Northumbrian MVS50th (Northumbrian) Division
1st Highland MVS51st (Highland) Division
1st Lowland MVS52nd (Lowland) Division
53rd (Welsh) MVS53rd (Welsh) Division. Did not sail with Division. rejoined it in 1916.
54th (East Anglian) MVSJoined 54th (East Anglian) Division 11 April 1916
1st West Lancashire MVSJoined 55th (West Lancashire) Division 5 January 1916
1st London MVS56th (1st London) Division
57thJoined 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division in France September 1916
58th MVSJoined 58th (2/1st London) Division 21 November 1915
59th MVS59th (2nd North Midland) Division
59th MVS ?Joined 74th (Yeomanry) Division in Palestine 13 April 1917
60th MVSJoined 75th Division in Palestine 3 July 1917
2/2nd London MVS60th (2/2nd London) Division
2/1st South Midland MVS61st (2nd South Midland) Division
2/1st West Riding MVS62nd (2nd West Riding) Division

A number of Base Veterinary Hospitals were established in the theatres of war (this list is work in progress):

  • No 1 at La Chapelle-aux-Pots until November 1917 when it moved to Italy
  • No 2 at Le Havre
  • No 3 at Boulogne
  • No 4 at Calais
  • No 5 at Abbeville
  • No 6 at Rouen
  • No 7 at Forges-les-Eaux
  • No 8 at Forges-les-Eaux. Moved to Cologne (Germany) 28 Feb 1919.
  • No 9 at Dieppe, later Abbeville
  • No 10 at Neufchâtel-Hardelot
  • No 12 at Neufchâtel-Hardelot
  • No 13 arrived at St Léonard at Boulogne 9 June 1915 but soon moved to Neufchâtel-Hardelot
  • No 14 at Gournay-en-Bray
  • No 19 at Rouen
  • No 22 at Abbeville
  • Canadian at Le Havre
  • Indian at Marseilles
  • Indian at Rouen (formerly 7, 19 and 20 Sections AVC)

In late 1918 the “Royal” prefix was added to the Corps’ title.

Links

Other Regiments and Corps

What was a Mobile Veterinary Section?

Order of Battle of Divisions

Army Medical Services Museum