Page 209 - The Rifles Bugle Autumn 2019

Henry Hooley MM, Formerly of 16 Dli
The Rifles Regimental Secretary (Durham) Major Chris Lawton and DLI Association Secretary Lt Col John Heron, Sjt Kevin Ball, and Bugler Stephen Elliott of 8th Rifles visited Henry Hooley MM on his 100 birthday, in his care-home in Stockport. Henry had fought with the 16 Battalion DLI in Italy and beyond during WW2 and remembers these days in fantastic detail and at 100 years of age Henry is in great form. On 3 September 1944, he, as a private soldier, rallied the troops after being cut off from the rest of his Company and led them forward to take the objective through devastating mortar and shell fire. He was granted an immediate MM by General Sir HR Alexander, C-in-C, Allied Central Mediter- ranean Force for his outstanding leadership. Henry now lives in a care home in Stockport, alongside his wife Mary who is 96. Four generations of his family were there at the celebration. The Associ- ation presented him with a DLI ‘Tommy’ statuette, an Association membership card and a few other small items linked to the Regiment. The Bugler sounded a number of appropriate calls, we sang ‘We are some of the DLI’, and everybody joined in with ‘A Happy Birthday to you’. We spent a couple of hours chatting with him and his family. Members of his family had arranged to take him to see the Stockport County football match later in the day. It was great to spend time with a Regimental hero of WW2, who still remembers his time with 16 DLI in those turbulent times so long ago as some of the best times in his life.
Four generations of Henry’s family were in attendance with the youngest members shown here
IT WAS GREAT TO SPEND TIME WITH A REGIMENTAL HERO OF WW2
London Cenotaph Parade
Mr Michael McMahon the Secretary of Sunderland Branch led the weekend party of members, wives and partners from Sunderland and other branches which were present for the London Cenotaph Parade. The party was made up of 27 Associ- ation members wishing to march and friends and partners wishing to be present with them on the day, all who had travelled down to London on the Friday.
The DLI Association members organised by Sunderland Branch at the London Cenotaph Service gather in London
Eighteen of the party attended the musical Kinky Boots and the sun shone on the marchers on Remembrance Sunday. The DLI contingent was again pointed out on BBC and our front rank was photographed featuring widely in the ‘Free Metro paper’.
THE RIFLES
RIFLES OFFICES AND ASSOCIATIONS 207