IQ ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTION. 



Chap. III.— PEESONNEL. 



To deal with personnel, i.e. maintenance of reinforcements, 

 postings, transfers, and records, a Veterinary Section of the 

 Office of the D.A.G. Ill Echelon is requisite. A retired Officer, 

 A.V.C., or a Warrant Of&cer promoted to Commissioned rank 

 is quite suitable for the appointment of Officer in Charge, 

 A.V.C. Eecords. There is no need to waste the services of a 

 highly technical Veterinary Officer for this duty. 



The posting of officers to Formations and the selection of 

 officers for Administrative and Special appointments must in all 

 cases rest with the Director. 



The provision of Officers during the late war presented m^ny 

 difficulties on account of the rapid expansion of the Army and 

 the requirements for so many theatres of operation. Establish- 

 ments of Veterinary Officers with Divisions, Cavalry Brigades 

 and Veterinary Hospitals were reduced to a bare working num- 

 ber of Officers, but the loss in point of numbers was counter- 

 balanced by the experience and the knowledge of duty of those 

 who remained. Added to this, Veterinary Service had a 

 remarkably efficient second string in its Non-Commissioned 

 Officers, both with Field Units and in Veterinary Hospitals and 

 Convalescent Horse Depots on L. of C. 



In the early part of this Chapter it was mentioned that on 

 first mobilisation of the Field Veterinary Units with the 

 original Expeditionary Force for France, expansion of A.V.C. 

 was made by Cavalry Keservists for horse-keeper or groom 

 duties. General Headquarters, kindly, and I think with great 

 forethought, permitted the Veterinary Service to retain these 

 men. The majority of them transferred to the Army Veteri- 

 nary Corps, became Non-commissioned Officers, and together 

 with our own well-trained and proved original Corps N.C.O. 

 became the backbone of the Veterinary Service throughout the 

 war. 



To compensate for the reduction of Veterinary Officers in 

 formations. Non-commissioned Officers of the A.V.C. with the 

 temporary rank of sergeant, were attached to Infantry Brigades, 



