Royal Canadian Army Veterinary Corps

The Royal Canadian Army Veterinary Corps (RCAVC) was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army, founded in 1910 and disbanded in 1940.

The cap badge of the RCAVC was similar to that of Britain's Royal Army Veterinary Corps, but featured a larger figure of Chiron in a wreath of maple leaves surmounted by a Tudor crown, with the letters RCAVC on the ribbon.

History

Prior to 1910, veterinarians in the Canadian Army were part of the old regimental system. Most veterinarians held a commission in the active militia and left private practice for 10-15 days a year to serve with his regiment. There was only a small number of permanently employed regimental veterinary officers.

In 1910, the Canadian Army Veterinary Service, under the Quartermaster-General of the Canadian Militia, came into existence and had three branches: the Canadian Permanent Army Veterinary Corps (CPAVC), the Canadian Army Veterinary Corps (CAVC) and the Regimental Veterinary Service, which was being phased out. By the outbreak of war in 1914, the Regimental Veterinary Service had ceased to exist, the CPAVC was still incomplete, so the majority of veterinarians and other ranks were found in the CAVC.

The CAVC was organized into seven Sections, though only two, Winnipeg and Montreal, were at a state of readiness at the outbreak of war: London, Ontario; Toronto; Kingston, Ontario; Quebec; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Winnipeg and Calgary. There was also a Senior Veterinary Officer, headquartered in Kingston. Within each Division or District, there was a Principal Veterinary Officer. Provision was also made for a Canadian Army Veterinary School.

In 1919 the CPAVC was reconstituted as the Royal Canadian Army Veterinary Corps. In 1940, the RCAVC was disbanded by the Privy Council and the recommendation of the Treasury Board, in order to save $10,334.