

LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOHN ASHBY HOOPER CBE
14 SEPTEMBER 1970 ~ 13 JANUARY 1972
Brigadier John Ashby Hooper CBE (18 February
1929 - 1 August 2007) was born on 18
February 1929 in Elizabeth Bay, NSW. He was
educated at Geelong College in Victoria
following a family move south of the border.
He entered the Royal Military College,
Duntroon, in 1947, graduating in December
1951 as BSM (Battalion Sergeant Major or
head cadet) and winner of the Sword of
Honour.
He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the
Infantry and allotted to 2RAR at Puckapunyal
in Victoria. In mid 1952 he was posted as a
Rifle Platoon commander in 3RAR on active
service in the Korean War. The following
year he served in Japan for six months as a
Rifle Company commander of the Australian
Reinforcement Unit before returning to
Victoria, firstly to the Royal Australian
Regiment, then briefly as an instructor at
the Officer Cadet School, Portsea. In 1955
Captain Hooper was appointed to the staff of
Headquarters 3rd Division and later as
Adjutant 8/7 Infantry Battalion based in
Ballarat. In late 1957 he joined 1RAR in
Queensland which was then deployed to North
Malaya where he served initially as Adjutant
and subsequently, on promotion to major, as
a Rifle Company Commander on the Thai border
engaged in counter terrorist operations.
Following attendance at the Army Staff
College, Queenscliff, he spent two years
instructing at the Royal Military College,
Duntroon in the subjects of infantry tactics
and military writing. In late 1965 he joined
1RAR Group in South Vietnam as Second in
Command. 1 RAR Group, which included
elements of Armour, Artillery, Engineering
and Aviation, was then serving as part of
173rd US Airborne Brigade. Later, upon the
arrival of the 1st Australian Task Force at
Nui Dat, he became Second in Command of
6RAR. On returning to Australia in 1966
Major Hooper served as an operations staff
officer in Army Headquarters. In 1967 he was
promoted Lieutenant Colonel and attended the
US Marine Corps Command and Staff College.
From 14 September 1970 he commanded 5RAR at
Holsworthy until 13 January 1972. This was
followed by attendance at the Australian
Joint Services Staff College in Canberra.
His next appointment was as an analyst in
the Joint Intelligence Organization, also in
Canberra. In 1974 he was promoted Colonel to
become The Military Secretary, a position
broadly responsible for the management of
officers. He was then promoted Brigadier to
be Director General of Personnel Operations,
which embraced a wide range of personnel
policy matters for the Army. He spent a year
as Deputy Chief of Personnel and then in
December 1982 Brigadier Hooper was appointed
Commander of the 2nd Military District, a
position he held until his retirement from
the Army on 14 February 1984.
He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the
British Empire) on 1 January 1983.
In summary, during his 37 years in the Army
he served in five infantry battalions of the
Regiment: 2RAR (Puckapunyal), 3RAR (Korea),
1RAR (Malaya), 6RAR (Vietnam) and 5RAR
(Holsworthy). Three were on active service.
He died at Dalmeny on the south coast of NSW
on 1 August 2007 at age 78.
Brigadier John Hooper CBE will be remembered
as a principled gentleman, a strong leader
and an outstanding soldier who gave his all
to the Regiment and the Army. |