Dog Demo Tour of USA and Canada 1969

A Personal Retrospective View of the Dog Demo Team Visit to the USA and Canada 50 years on By Michael Hall During the months of 1969, I was employed on the RAF Police Dog Demonstration Team based at RAF Debden. I had already served 12 months with the Team when there arose several rumours of a proposed tour of North America and Canada being planned. These are my recollections of that ‘once in a lifetime’ event which took place 50 years ago. In preparing this retrospective, I am indebted to Steve Davies and to Rod Inwood, the RAF Police Association archivist, who both supplied some ‘missing’ information (stuff I had forgotten!). That summer the Team appeared at the Royal Tournament in London and other events around the country as the rumours of the ‘American Tour’ intensified. Finally, at a meeting at Debden, the rumours were confirmed and I was told that my name was included in the Team of 12 handlers who would be going. Other handlers selected were Cpl Dennis Cockerell to be team leader, Cpls Mick Chidgey, Jack Johnson, Hedley (Chalky) White, Phil Andrews, George Philp, Ken Hodgeson, John Judd, Roger Clarke, Vic Aitken and Dave Spence. In Command would be Fg Off Peter Brough, assisted by Sgt Danny Holden. Sixteen of the best Demo dogs were selected to go. The Demo routine was amended slightly to fit in with other military performances as part of a large touring event similar to that of the London Royal Tournament. The production, entitled ‘The British Tournament and Tattoo’ was militarily controlled by Col. Corbould of the Parachute Regiment although the finance and administration of the whole production was managed by an American impresario, Sol Hurok. In the production, the ‘Red Devil’s’ made several appearances demonstrating their particular specialties with massed bands and combat techniques including their famous ‘Death Slide’. Other participants included the ever popular Royal Signals ‘White Helmets’ Motorcycle Team, The Royal Army Physical Training Corps with a gymnastic display, the massed pipes and drums of the Scots Greys and the Gordon Highlanders. All in all, a spectacular show to thrill the Americans. The Team already knew many of the other participants, as we had all appeared at the Earls Court Royal Tournament only a few months previously. The Team spent a couple of weeks at Aldershot Garrison during August in endless rehearsals putting the show together. However, when the time came to return to Debden, we were diverted to RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall to assist the station security with an expected invasion by CND protestors. The two coaches travelled all night from Aldershot only to find that the invasion had been called off. There was then a very long journey home to Debden. There were no mobile telephones in those days! The Team rehearsing at Aldershot Garrison A/D Hudd practices the ‘Weave frame’ 1 The next few weeks at Debden were spent making sure that all of the show equipment was safe and serviceable. We were all measured for blazers, grey flannel trousers and Desert (Bondu) Boots, to present the best image of the RAF Police. On 13 September 1969, Fg Off Brough, 6 handlers and 8 dogs left RAF Debden for Heathrow after the Station Commander, Gp Capt Witherington had wished us ‘Bon Voyage’. Cpl’s Mike Hall and A/D Hudd, Dave Spence and A/D Pedro, Jack Johnson and A/D Joey, Dennis Cockerell with A/ D Shanie, Ken Hodgeson with A/D Kim and Roger Clarke with A/D ? The BOAC Boeing 707 flight to JFK airport in New York was long and we arrived at dusk. Priority was given to ensuring the 8 dogs were physically fit after such a long flight, 7 hours in those days. They needed to be fed, watered and exercised. The show was to open at the Madison Square Gardens in New York and last for about 10 days. Wooden kennels had already been constructed and we would be using them throughout the whole of the tour, taking them with us wherever we went. Once the dogs had been settled for the night, we made our way to our home for the next 12 days, just a block away from ‘the Garden’ at the ‘New Yorker’ Hotel on Eighth Avenue, and fell into our beds exhausted. The first day of a three month whistle stop tour was over. The second half of the team arrived the next day then work began to fully organize ourselves into a workable routine. As the dogs could not be left unattended, a roster was drawn up so that two handlers would always be on duty at the kennel area at any time. The American made kennels in the bowels of the Madison Square Garden Centre, a fully air conditioned building. This area was well away from public view and accessed only by Centre staff and other military personnel. 2 It wasn’t expected that the dogs could spend all of their time in kennels when not appearing in the show therefore we were given the use of a large station wagon to transport them by relay to Central Park where we could give them time to exercise on grass. Dennis Cockerell had experience of driving on the right in Germany and he therefore drove us all back and forth with our dogs. Left to right:- Mike Hall, Roger Clarke, Phil Andrews and Mick Chidgey in Central Park. Initially we allowed the dogs a free run until it was stopped by the New York Park Police, worried that the protected squirrels in the park would be caught and eaten by hungry GSD’s. Our presence in the Park drew much attention from New Yorkers. Life in New York was fast and hectic but we all soon learned how to fit in. We eat out every day from breakfast to evening meal, something that some of us had never ever done before. We were given the opportunity to see some of the New York monuments and buildings, but were warned by Col. Corbould to avoid visiting Harlem or any other notorious areas of the City. One particular highlight for me was a boat trip around Manhatten Island and to The Statue of Liberty, but I only managed to climb halfway up the inside as it was extremely hot and crowded. Also memorable for me was a visit to the very top of the Empire State Building which really did sway in the breeze! 3 We were warmly received by the New York public and as the shows went on, we found ourselves in the Press and on television. However, our time in Manhatten quickly came to an end and we found ourselves en route for Canada. The team were allocated two ‘Greyhound’ coaches (I’m sure there was no pun intended) with fitted kennels and with drivers in which to traverse the vast continent of the USA and Canada. At the border, Danny Holden caused some controversy as he had lost his passport, but was allowed entry after diplomatic contact with the right people! 4 A publicity poster for the Tattoo and a company Identity card which was to be carried at all times. In Canada we appeared in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Venues were mainly huge arenas similar in size to Earls Court or Wembley, but in smaller towns in the USA we gave shows on University campuses and sports arenas. The smallest arena turned out to be 85 x 30 feet. The ‘White Helmets’ as always, gave thrilling Performances on their Triumph motorcycles. 5 Cpl ‘Chalkie’ White puts A/D Snow down the line Meeting a ‘Mountie’ in Ottawa. Canada impressed me with its cleanliness. I considered the country to be so unlike the USA, that it seemed strange they actually bordered each other. In Toronto I met for the first time some WW2 friends of my mothers. They had emigrated after the war and their hospitality to me was second to none. Over the coming days we made our way down to Burlington in Vermont onto Philadelphia and then to Washington, where we stopped at two in the morning to take photographs of The White House where Richard J Nixon was the President at the time and most likely asleep. Our accommodation standards varied, but in general we had good hotels and motels to spend the nights in and fast food became a staple diet, no wonder my uniform became tighter as we progressed. We travelled on through Virginia, North and South Carolina, to Georgia in the Southern States. The shows had by now become a matter of routine but it was noticeable that at some venues, the audience numbers were sadly dropping. It was said that this was due to widespread feelings against the military in general and not just ‘The Brits’. This was the time of the Vietnam War and its disapproval by the American public. At some point it was decided by management that it might be best to drop the Parachute Regiments segment of unarmed combat from the Tattoo. The Massed bands of the First and Second Battalions of the Parachute Regiment. 6 If I remember correctly, the company split when we reached Atlanta. The main part of the tattoo flew onto Houston, but I recall that there were problems with the airline who were worried about insurance coverage for carrying 16 German Shepherd Police Dogs, so we continued our journey by coach. On the road, we arrived in Mobile Louisiana, just days following a devastating hurricane which had ravaged the city and surrounding areas.

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