Duck, Veterinary Colonel Francis, CB, AVD, PRCVS

Duck, Veterinary Colonel Francis, CB, AVD, PRCVS

He was born in 1845. He was educated at Stonyhurst College, and entered the AVD in 1867, served in South Africa in the Old Colony, Sekukuni, and the [b]Zulu Wars in 1877-8-9-81, and was present at the battles of Hlobana, Kambula, and Ulundi (mentioned in despatches, medal and clasp)[/b]. He also took part in the first Boer War and the Bechuanaland Expedition in 1884-5 (honourably mentioned); appointed Principal Vet. Officer in India from 1894-7, and was afterwards Dir. General of the AVD from 1897-1902. He married Miss Edith Garrett, of Maritzburg, Natal.

From angloboerwar.com

Hagger, William Robert

The only information of this man is that he served as a Veterinary Surgeon (MRCVS (London) in March 1875) during the Zulu War of 1879. He arrived in Natal aboard the "Olympus" as one of 12 Veterinary Surgeons in the reinforcement column. He died in Bombay on 2 December 1903.

Healy, Michael F. (8/3/1839 - 30/4/1921)
Born on 8 March 1839 he qualified MRCVS (London) on 1 May 1862. During 1979 he saw service with his regiment in Natal during the Zulu War of that year. He was attached to the column (with T.A. Killick) which advanced into Zululand along the coast under General Crealock. The other Veterinarian in this column was V.S. Killick. He died on 30 April 1921.

Glover, Benjamin Lucas (21/12/1848 - 18/4/1904)
Born on 21 December 1848, he qualified MRCVS (London) in April 1870. He served with the A.V.D. in South Africa as a Veterinary Officer with F. Duck and was attached to the Royal Artillery from 1878 to 1879. During the former year he wrote a pamphlet entitled "Suggestions for the general management of horses and mules while on field service in Natal and the neighbouring countries, with notes concerning their more common ailments". He took part in the Frontier (Kaffir) War of 1877 - 1978 as well as the Zulu War of 1879, the Transvaal War of 1881 and the Tirah Campaign of 1897/98. He and Duck travelled a great deal during the period 1878 to 1879 and their visits to the Orange River Republic, Basutoland and the Transvaal Republic probably made them the first Veterinary Surgeons to have entered those areas. He died on 18 April 1904.

Born in Catherick on 17 December 1845 he qualified MRCVS (London) on 22 April 1867. In July of 1867 he joined the Royal Artillery and remained in this regiment until 1868 where he did transport duty for the Abassinian Campaign.
He then spent six years in India before coming to the Cape in 1878, and serving in the Gaika and Galika wars (Frontier Light Horse) as well as the Zulu Rebellion of 1879. During the latter campaign ( on 28 March 1879 (he found himself on retreat with his regiment from Hlobane Hill and in order to assist with the withdrawal of his comrades he took a rifle from a dead soldier and acted as part of the rear guard.
He accounted so well for himself in this action that he was recommended for the immediate award of the Victoria Cross. This recommendation was turned down because in the words of his Commander "He had no right (as a veterinary surgeon) to be there". During the same operation he did a post mortem examination on a horse which died after breaking into the food store and eating a bag of tea. He was so carried away with this examination that he did not notice that the rest of this column had moved off. When his absence was observed several hours later, the entire force had to return to find him. General Buller was so annoyed at this delay that he warned Duck to keep out of his way in future. This tea poisoning post mortem was reported to and recorded in the Veterinary Record (Vol. IX, page 430, 1979).
At the battle of Ulundi he took part in a follow up operation when the Zulus "broke". In the pursuit he downed a warrior with a revolver shot in the hip and then killed him in hand-to- hand combat with an assegai. After the Zulu War he went back to England and did not return to South Africa until 1881.
His second tour of duty in South Africa lasted until 1885 when he served as S.V.S. (later renamed P.V.O.) of the Army Veterinary Department with headquarters in Pietermaritzburg. In this position he took part in the Bechuanaland Campaign (Warren Expedition) of 1884/85 together with other Veterinary Surgeons viz. J.H. Cox, A.H. Gentle, C. Rutherford and J.A. Woods. He succeeded J.D. Lambert as S.V.S. A.V.D. in 1992 and on his departure in 1995 was succeeded as S.V.S. by F.F. Crawford. During August 1993 to March 1884, he relieved Samuel Wiltshire as P.V.O. C.V.D. Natal when the latter proceeded to America to study Texas fever. On his return to England he wrote a report on the Warren Expedition at Aldershot which was subsequently published in the Veterinary Record of 7 January 1911.
From 1894 to 1897 he served as P.V.O. A.V.D. in India. In the latter year he was promoted to the post of Director-General of the A.V.D. (again in succession to J.D. Lambert). He retained this post until 1902 when he retired and was awarded the Knighthood of the Bath. This was the first ever Knighthood bestowed upon a Veterinary Surgeon. After his retirement he settled in Arcturus in Southern Rhodesia where he died in May 1934.