Soldiers Who Have Served

Name: James Arthur Hughes

Rank: Lieutentant Colonel

Regimental number: 398687

Date of birth: 24/03/1927

Date enlisted: 1943

Place of birth: Puerto Rico

Background: Having been born in Puerto Rico, his family moved to Jamaica shortly after his birth. His early upbringing in Jamaica was followed by his schooling in Canada. His great passion in life was fishing. His wife Betty decided that it was better to share his passion and became his partner on the riverbank, with a very efficient cast of her own!

Army career: At the age of 15, Jimmy enlisted into the Canadian Army after he falsified his age. He served from 1942-44 in North Africa, Sicily and the USA with various units including the SAS. He returned to the UK in 1944 having transferred to The Royal Norfolk Regiment. He was selected for Officer Training 1945 and went to OCS Bangalore India.

In December 1945 he had to attach in Birth Certificate to an abject letter of apology for falsifying his age. Suitably chastised and forgiven he was commissioned into The Gurkha Rifles. In 1948 he was granted a Regular Commission and joined The Northamptonshire Regiment. He attended Staff College in 1959 were he was apparently known as “Granddad” because of his chest of medals. He served as Company Commander with the 2nd Battalion in BAOR and as Second In Command of the 1st Battalion in Aden and the 4th Battalion in Malta and the UK.

Date of death: 19/12/1976

Circumstances: James died in a road accident while serving in the UK.

Resting place: Ashes were scattered in the churchyard at Castle Hedingham.