Charles Hoey was born in Duncan, British Columbia,
March 1914. In April 1933 he went to England
with the intention of making the army his career. He first enlisted in
the West Kent Regiment, won a cadetship to the Royal Military College at
Sandhurst and went there in September 1935. He graduated n December 1936
and, after a brief visit home to Duncan, joined the 2nd
Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment, which is now the Royal
Lincolnshires following distinguished service fighting in Burma. He
transferred to the 1st Battalion of the Lincolnshires, then
in India and sailed for there in September 1937. He went to Burma with
the 1st Battalion in 1942 and served there until his death in
February 1944. He was awarded the Military Cross in July 1943 for his
outstanding service at Maungdaw during a raid on a Japanese position.
His Victoria Cross came as a result of the action described in the
citation below.
In Burma, on the 16th February 1944,
Major Hoey's company formed a part of a force which was ordered
to capture a position at all costs.
After a night march through enemy held territory the force
was met at the foot of the position by heavy machine-gun fire.
Major Hoey personally led his company under heavy machine-gun
and rifle fire right up to the objective. Although wounded at
least twice in the leg and head, he seized a Bren gun from one
of his men and firing from the hip, led his company on to the
objective. In spite of his wounds the company had difficulty
keeping up with him, and Major Hoey reached the enemy strong
post first, where he killed all the occupants before being
mortally wounded.
Major Hoey's outstanding gallantry and leadership, his total
disregard of personal safety and his grim determination to reach
the objective resulted in the capture of this vital position.
04/06/2010 |
