Anthony Farrar-Hockley
A tough-as-nails British paratrooper who fought from Normandy to Korea, commanded NATO forces, and then chronicled the wars he helped wage.
1924–2006 (age 82)·British Army general·Birthday: April 8·The Greatest Generation
Biography
General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley, known universally as 'Farrar the Para,' lived a life straight from the pages of a military epic. His career began in the heat of World War II, where as a young officer he was captured at Arnhem after a fierce defense. He escaped, and his pugnacious spirit defined subsequent commands in the bitter hills of Korea and the counter-insurgency campaigns of Cyprus and Aden. A thinker as well as a fighter, he served as the Army's Chief of Public Relations and later as the top NATO commander in Northern Europe. Upon retirement, he channeled his direct, no-nonsense manner into writing, producing respected histories of conflicts from World War I to the Falklands, often drawing on his own hard-won experience. Farrar-Hockley represented a breed of soldier-scholar: a combat leader who believed in understanding the past to better command the future.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Anthony was born in 1924, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1924
#1 Movie
The Sea Hawk
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1924Born
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1929Started school
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1937Became a teenager
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Could drive
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1942Could vote
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1945Turned 21
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1954Turned 30
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 40
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 50
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 60
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 70
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 80
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2006Died at 82
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
Key Achievements
- Commanded the 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment during the Battle of the Imjin River in the Korean War, where he was captured after a famous last stand.
- Served as Commander-in-Chief of NATO's Allied Forces Northern Europe from 1979 until his retirement in 1982.
- Was the first Director of Army Public Relations, shaping the British Army's modern communications strategy.
- Authored several authoritative military histories, including a two-volume work on the British Army in the Korean War.
Did You Know?
He made multiple escape attempts as a POW in Korea, succeeding on his fourth try by walking to freedom over frozen terrain.
As a young platoon commander at the Battle of Arnhem in 1944, he was awarded the Military Cross for his actions.
He was the last Adjutant of the Oxford University Officer Training Corps before national service ended.
His son, Dair Farrar-Hockley, also became a general in the British Army.
“I escaped from an Arnhem POW camp; a soldier's duty is to fight on.”
