Charles Ferguson Hoey

Charles Ferguson Hoey
Born	(1914-03-29)29 March 1914 Duncan, British Columbia
Died	near the Ngakyedauk Pass, Arakan, Burma
Buried	Taukkyan War Cemetery, Rangoon, Burma
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1936 - 1944
Rank	Major
Service number	71106
Unit	Lincolnshire Regiment
Battles/wars	Second World War  †
Awards	Victoria Cross Military Cross

Charles Ferguson Hoey VC MC (29 March 1914 – 16 February 1944) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Military career

Hoey started his education at Queen Margaret’s School in Duncan, then attended Duncan Grammar School and Duncan High School. He went to England in 1933 to pursue an army career. He first enlisted in the Queen's Own Royal 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 joined the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment 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

Victoria Cross

He was 29 years old, and a Temporary Major in the 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, British Army during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 16 February 1944 near the Ngakyedauk Pass, Arakan, Burma (now Myanmar), Major Hoey's company came under devastating machine-gun fire, but Major Hoey did not waver in his advance on the objective. Although wounded in the head and leg he went forward alone and tackled a troublesome enemy strong point, destroying it and killing all the occupants, but he was mortally wounded.

The citation reads as follows:

"In BURMA, on the 16th February, 1944, Major Hoey's company formed 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 machine gun fire. Major Hoey personally led his company under heavy machine gun and rifle fire 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 into the objective. In spite of his wounds the company had difficulty in 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."

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life in Lincoln, England.

References

• British VCs of World War 2 (John Laffin, 1997)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)

External links

• HOEY, Charles Ferguson
• Biography (in French) of Charles Ferguson Hoey
• Mysteries of Canada Biography