Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Captain

Army Number : 448980

Unit : Royal 1st Bn, Royal Depot, 4th R Anglian

Biography :

Educated at Ratcliffe College, Tom Hiney joined The West Yorkshire Regiment as a National Serviceman. After training at Eaton Hall OCS and at RMA Sandhurst, he was commissioned into The Royal Leicestershire Regiment on 27.7.1956. His service in 1st Bn spanned 1956-64, in Cyprus, Germany, UK and Hong Kong. Training Subaltern at Depot R Leicesters 1958-60; in December 1959 he and Cpl John Sinclair of 5th Bn TA won the 'News of the World' March of the Century [100 miles from Birmingham to Hyde Park Corner], in recognition of which as a unique honour for serving soldiers the two men were made Honorary Life Members of The Royal Tigers' Association [ - see penultimate paragraph below].
He was seconded to the Ghana Army in 1960 and was awarded the M.C. for his actions whilst serving with the 2nd Bn Ghana Regiment on UN operations in The Congo, 27/28.4.1961 (L.G. 19.9.1961). In that action he was Company Commander of a composite Company of 2 Ghana Regt which deployed urgently the 215 road miles from Luluabourg (now called Kanana) to Port Franqui (now named Ilebo) to rescue elements of A Company, one of whose seconded officers was Lt A P G Brown of The Royal Leicesters who was treacherously killed by Congolese armed men. En route to Port Franqui, on the evening of 28 April at Domiongo (50 miles south-east of Port Franqui) Hiney’s Company was ambushed by the Congolese and after one hour of heavy shooting it fought its way through the ambush position. More detail on that episode can be found on Brown's web page at http://royalleicestershireregiment.past-view.com/entity/76400-brown-anthony-piers-gayne
Returning to regimental duty, Tom Hiney was B Coy Support Platoon Commander, 1st Bn, Münster, 1962, and then accompanied the Bn to Hong Kong. While there in Spring 1963 he did a Jungle Warfare Course in Malaya. This was followed immediately by Arabic language training in Aden, en route in 1964 to being seconded to the Sultan of Muscat's Armed Forces, serving in The Northern Frontier Regiment, from which he was medevaced with jaundice. Later that year he began a two-year tour as a Captain at Depot R Anglian 1964-66. 2IC and OC A Coy 4th Bn The Royal Anglian Regiment, Malta and Libya, 1966-67. Retired from the Army in Nov 1967.
He studied for the Anglican priesthood at Ridley Hall and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, gaining a Diploma in Theology (DipTh). Ordained priest in 1970, serving initially as a curate in Edgbaston 1969-71. Rejoined Army as a Chaplain 4th Class (Captain) in RAChD (TAVR) on 1.9.1970. Granted a Short Service Commission in the Regular Army, he served successively as Chaplain to 1st Bn RGJ 1971-73, IJLB Shorncliffe 1973-76, 9/12th Lancers in Northern Ireland 1976-78 (Promoted Chaplain 3rd Class (Major) on 20.9.1977), Senior Chaplain to 12th and 24th Brigades in Germany 1978-82, at School of Infantry, Warminster, 1982-85, being promoted to Chaplain 2nd Class (Lt Col) on 1.5.1985. Next he was Senior Chaplain of Land Forces Cyprus 1985-87 and then at SHAPE in Belgium, ending as Senior Chaplain South East Area at Chatham. Retiring from the Army on 1.10.1991 and joining the Reserve of Officers for a year, he was Chaplain of The Royal Hospital Chelsea 1991-2001. Appointed Sub Chaplain of the Order of St John on 26.7.1993, and made an Officer of the Order (OStJ). Served as Chaplain of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, Holborn, 1999-2001. From 2001-2004 he served as a Military Knight of Windsor. Awarded BA by the Open University in 2007. On final retirement to Exmouth he became the Chaplain to The Royal British Legion Devonshire.
He died in 2020, aged 84 years.

A 3-page article on this feat "Marching Fever and 'The March of the Century' " appeared on Pages 42-44 of the 1960 edition of The Green Tiger regimental magazine.

This web page was last edited on 20.1.2020.

Date of Birth : 12.12.1935

Place of Birth : Dublin, Eire

Date of Death : 16.1.2020

Place of Death : Exmouth, Devon

Civil Occupation : Minister in the Church of England

Period of Service : 1955-1967; 1971-92

Conflicts : Cyprus Emergency, Congo (UN), Northern Ireland

Places Served : England, Cyprus, Ghana, The Congo, Germany, Hong Kong, Aden, Oman, Malta, Libya, Northern Ireland, Belgium