South African Vets in East Africa

[sitsinthestands]

Does anyone have any information about the role of the South African Veterinary Corps? I am interested in a Captain Francis (aka Frank) Johnson Dunning who was attached to the 10^th South African Horse Regiment in the East African Campaign. Frank was born in Bishop Burton in 1878. He survived the campaign. He'd also briefly been a Civilian Veterinary Surgeon in the AVD in last few months of the Boer War. He qualified as a vet in Edinburgh in 1901.

Bryn

[bushfighter]

Bryn

Here's a quote from: "The Armed Forces of South Africa 1659 - 1954" by Major G. Tylden.

"For the campaign in GEA 47 officers and 1,079 other ranks were enlisted and three veterinary hospitals were sent up with four mobile sections and personnel for the 10 mounted regiments.

Veterinary officers worked in the Union at remount depots and on purchasing boards as well as on transports from Durban to East African ports.

The wastage in remounts during this campaign was tremendous; out of 98,000 animals, horses, mules and donkeys there survived 2,762 at the end of the war."

Harry

[SteveE]

Bryn

Nothing specific about South African Veterinary Corps but Frank was Mentioned In Despatches, listed in the London Gazette #30829, dated 6th August 1918.

SOUTH AFRICAN VETERINARY CORPS.

Cunningham, Capt. M.

Dunning, Capt. F. J.

Howie, Capt. A. M.

Arnot, 568 Sjt. J. D.

Bickerton, 626 S./Sjt. T.

Gardner, 566 S./Sjt. D'A. G. W.

Harbor, 1023 Dresser W. H

Noyce, 690 Cpl. H. J.

Papenfus, 668 S./Sjt. W. C.

Link to the Gazette is Here

Steve

[pkm]

Hi sitsinthestands.

I have spent a bit of time researching the war memorial at the Edinburgh vet college. As FJ Dunning survived the war, I have nothing on him but the following is from the South African Veterinary Associations very helpful website. I see he qualified from new edinburgh which was a rival to the one which now exists. I can also check the 'vet record', the journal of the proffession for an obituary but it may take me a few weeks before I get a chance to go back up to Edinburgh to the vet schools library. Hope this helps. pkm

Dunning, Francis Johnson (5/9/1878 - 21/1/1948)

Born on 5 September 1878 he qualified MRCVS (New Edinburgh) on 19 December 1901 and obtained his FRCVS in 1911 for this thesis "East Coast Fever". He came to South Africa during the Boer War and served as a Civil Veterinary Surgeon attached to the A.V.D. until 1904. After his discharge from the army he remained in South Africa as a District Veterinary Surgeon in the Transvaal Civil Veterinary Department and subsequently in the Union of South Africa Veterinary Division from 1905 to 1934.

During World War I he served as a Captain in the S.A.V.C. and was attached to the 10th South African Horse Regiment in the East African Campaign. After his retirement from the Veterinary Division in 1934 he practiced in Port Elizabeth until the early 1940's when his practice was taken over by E.T. Clemow. He died at Port Elizabeth on 21 January 1948. It is recorded that in 1903 he sent a message of good wishes to the inaugural meeting of the Transvaal Veterinary Medical Association which was held at Long's Hotel in Johannesburg on 16 February 1903.

[sitsinthestands]

Hi sitsinthestands.

I have spent a bit of time researching the war memorial at the Edinburgh vet college. As FJ Dunning survived the war, I have nothing on him but the following is from the South African Veterinary Associations very helpful website. I see he qualified from new edinburgh which was a rival to the one which now exists. I can also check the 'vet record', the journal of the proffession for an obituary but it may take me a few weeks before I get a chance to go back up to Edinburgh to the vet schools library. Hope this helps. pkm

Dunning, Francis Johnson (5/9/1878 - 21/1/1948)

Born on 5 September 1878 he qualified MRCVS (New Edinburgh) on 19 December 1901 and obtained his FRCVS in 1911 for this thesis "East Coast Fever". He came to South Africa during the Boer War and served as a Civil Veterinary Surgeon attached to the A.V.D. until 1904. After his discharge from the army he remained in South Africa as a District Veterinary Surgeon in the Transvaal Civil Veterinary Department and subsequently in the Union of South Africa Veterinary Division from 1905 to 1934.

During World War I he served as a Captain in the S.A.V.C. and was attached to the 10th South African Horse Regiment in the East African Campaign. After his retirement from the Veterinary Division in 1934 he practiced in Port Elizabeth until the early 1940's when his practice was taken over by E.T. Clemow. He died at Port Elizabeth on 21 January 1948. It is recorded that in 1903 he sent a message of good wishes to the inaugural meeting of the Transvaal Veterinary Medical Association which was held at Long's Hotel in Johannesburg on 16 February 1903.

[sitsinthestands]

Thanks for this. I now have his service record and payments which means I can piece together his story. He was in command of SAVC Roberts Heights in 1916 but was also on permanent shipping duty going between Durban and Dar es Salaam and elsewhere.

Bryn

[pkm]

No obituary in the vet record in 1948 i'm afraid. May be because he spent his career in south africa rather than UK. Good luck with the search. pkm

[sitsinthestands]

I now have part of Captain Dunning's service record. He was based at Roberts Heights to begin with and then seemed to be in charge of moving horses on HMS Clan Macphee and HMS Huntscliffe from Durban to places like Dar es Salaam during the East Africa campaign. I think Clan Macphee was a captured German vessel but that's all I know about these ships.

[KONDOA]

HMT Huntscliffe was the vessel that took General Brits 3rd Division including the mounted brigade to GEA in March 1916 landing at Mombasa.

Roop

[5KOSB]

Sitsinthestand

I've come to this very late but you might see this post. There is a photographic image of F. J. DUNNING in his CVS uniform on page 831 of The Veterinary Record August 26 1933

[AnetBos]

If anyone is still interested in Francis Johnston Dunning, I have recently acquired more information. Also, if you would like to know more about the South African Veterinary Corps, let me know. 

See: History of the South African Veterinary Corps: preface | Journal of the South African Veterinary Association (journals.co.za)

https://journals.co.za/doi/10.10520/AJA00382809_2004

Herbert Henry Curson has written many papers in the Journal of the South African Veterinary Association in the 1930's  that might be helpful.