16 ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTION. 



adoption of this polic}- has resulted in unparallelled reduction 

 of wastage over that of previous wars, and the hard lot of 

 animals under war conditions has been greatly mitigated' by the 

 measure. When we think of the haphazard method pursued 

 during the War in South Afric a where sick and enfeebled 

 animals had to be destroyed because they could not keep up 

 with their unit, were abandoned on the roadside, or dumped at 

 places until they could be collected, our present field method is 

 paradise in contrast. 



The Veterinary units specially organised for the clearance of 

 sick and wounded consist of : — - 



Mobile Veterinary Sections (M.V.S.). 

 Veterinary evacuating Stations (V.E.S.). 



Mobile Veterinary Sections. 



These small units and their development, supply an interesting 

 page of history in the Great War. They took the field as L. of C. 

 units with an establishment of one Officer and thirteen other 

 ranks, and their allotment was on the basis of one per Division 

 and one per Cavalry Brigade. They were located at Eailheads> 

 and their movements were directed from Headquarters I.G.C. 



This might be quite satisfactory with an advancing Force^ 

 but when our Troops were retreating and Kailheads changed 

 several times daily, it was found impossible to administer them 

 from L. of C. It was a fortunate chance that in the early 

 months of the war some of them were not captured by the 

 enemy. It was soon realised that the only practical way of 

 utilising them was to incorporate them in formations. This 

 was speedily done, though not without difficulty, and their 

 record subsequently as Field units forming part of Divisional 

 and Cavalry Divisional organisation has been one of unqualified 

 success. The original establishment was based on the 

 assumption that it might be possible to hire or impress local 

 civilian labour for conducting duties, but it was soon found that 

 this was impracticable and an altogether unsatisfactory pro- 

 cedure. An increase of A.V.C. Horse-keeper personnel to admit 

 of road or rail conducting parties was then made, and the unit, 

 became self-contained in all its arrangements, including its own 

 transport. For the collection of serious cases a horse drawn 



