Jocelyn Lee Hardy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jocelyn Lee Hardy
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| Born | 10 June 1894 Kensington, London, England |
| Died | 30 May 1958 (aged 63) Hammersmith, London, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Unit | Connaught Rangers Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Auxiliary Division, Royal Irish Constabulary (attached from military intelligence) Home Guard |
| Battles/wars | World War I Irish War of Independence World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order Military Cross and Bar Mention in Dispatches |
| Other work | Author |
Major Jocelyn Lee "Hoppy" Hardy (June 10, 1894 – May 30, 1958) was a brave British Army officer. He was famous for his courage in battles and for escaping German prisoner of war camps many times during World War I. After the war, he worked as an intelligence officer in Ireland. He later became a successful writer. His nickname, "Hoppy," came from losing a leg in the war. He used a special leg and walked very fast to hide it.
Contents
Early Life and Army Start
Jocelyn Lee Hardy was born in Kensington, London, on June 10, 1894. His father was a wool merchant. Jocelyn joined the Connaught Rangers army group in January 1914. He became an officer with the 2nd battalion.
World War I Adventures
Captured by the Enemy
Hardy first fought on August 24, 1914, in France. His group helped cover the retreat of other soldiers. On August 26, Hardy and 19 men were cut off. They hid in a house used as a hospital. The next day, German soldiers found them. Hardy and his men were taken prisoner.
Daring Prison Escapes
While a prisoner, Hardy was promoted to lieutenant in September 1914. He tried to escape from prison camps twelve times! He actually got away five times.
In 1915, he tried to break out of Halle Camp. He worked for five months to get through a brick wall. But it was too hard.
Later that summer, he was moved to Augustabad Camp. Just ten days later, he slipped away from a bathing group. He escaped with a Russian officer. They walked about 50 miles to the Baltic coast. They swam a river and almost got caught. They reached Stralsund and nearly got on a Swedish boat. But they were arrested at the last moment.
Hardy was sent back to Halle. He joined a group of Russian officers trying to break down a wall. This attempt also failed.
He then tried to escape alone. He picked locks and climbed through a skylight. He slid down a rope into the dark street. He spoke some German and took a train to Bremen. But he was tired and hungry. The Germans recaptured him there.
Next, he was sent to Magdeburg. He escaped with a Belgian officer using clever tricks. They took a train to Berlin and then to Stralsund. They crossed to Rugen island. But they were caught before finding a fishing boat to Sweden.
His next camp was Fort Zorndorf, which was very hard to escape from. But he still tried many times. Once, he almost got out dressed as a German soldier. Another time, he broke away from his guards. He almost got on a train before being recaptured.
On January 1, 1917, Hardy became a captain. After nine more months, he moved to Schweidnitz. Soon after arriving, he escaped with Captain Willie Loder-Symonds. They used fake police passes. They climbed a fence and a wall. They caught a train and traveled across Germany. They reached the safety of the Netherlands in just two days! A fellow prisoner wrote about how amazing this escape was. Hardy spoke German well, which helped them.
On March 5, 1918, Hardy boarded a boat in Rotterdam. He had been a prisoner for three and a half years. He returned to England and met King George V.
Fighting On
In April 1918, Hardy joined the Inniskilling Fusiliers. On August 1, 1918, he earned the Military Cross. He led a patrol that fought enemy soldiers. He silenced a German machine gun. He was wounded by a grenade. Even though he was hurt, he dragged his badly wounded sergeant 200 yards to safety. His award said he was a "splendid example" to his men.
On October 2, 1918, Hardy led a counter-attack. He was shot in the stomach. His leg was so badly hurt that it had to be removed. He was sent back to England. The war ended soon after. He got an artificial leg. He walked very quickly to hide it, which is how he got his nickname "Hoppy."
Marriage and More Awards
On November 1, 1919, Hardy married Kathleen Isabel Hutton-Potts. In January 1920, he received another bar for his Military Cross. He also got the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery and determination in escaping from prison.
Role in the Irish War of Independence
From April 1920, Hardy worked as an intelligence officer in Dublin, Ireland. He was part of the Auxiliary Division, Royal Irish Constabulary. His job was to gather information against Irish republican forces. He led raids on their locations. His main role was questioning prisoners. He had been questioned himself as a prisoner of war.
The IRA disliked Hardy very much. They said he was too harsh when questioning prisoners. They called the cells where he worked "The Knocking Shop."
In 2014, a TV show called Who Do You Think You Are looked into the murder of Peter O'Carroll. Some believed Hardy was involved. However, old newspaper reports suggest it was very dark, and no one could clearly see the attackers. There is no clear proof that Hardy was involved in that specific murder.
Hardy was a target for assassination. Once, he escaped an ambush at Euston railway station by quickly changing trains. Another time, assassins waited for him in Ireland. But an armored car picked him up, saving him. On November 21, 1920, the IRA tried to kill many British intelligence agents. This day became known as "Bloody Sunday." Hardy survived because he was not home when the attackers arrived. He had helped capture two important republican leaders the night before.
Life as an Author
In November 1922, Hardy left the army. In April 1925, he fully retired due to his war wounds. He worked at a bank for a while. Then he became a full-time writer and farmer. His books were often based on his own exciting adventures.
Some of his books include:
- I Escape!, 1927: This was the true story of his many escapes from German prison camps. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories, wrote the introduction.
- Everything is Thunder: A story about an escaped prisoner of war helped by a German woman.
- The Key: A play he wrote about his experiences in Ireland.
- Never in Vain, 1936
- Recoil, 1936
- The Stroke of Eight, 1938
- Pawn in the Game, 1939
Films Based on His Work
Two of Hardy's books were made into movies.
- The Key (1934) was a film based on his play. It was later re-released as High Peril.
- Everything is Thunder (1936) was about a prisoner of war and a German woman. It was popular and well-received. The film was stopped from being shown when World War II began.
Later Life and World War II
In the 1930s, Hardy supported a political group in Britain. In March 1934, he gave a speech about his wartime experiences.
During World War II, Hardy joined the Home Guard. This was a group of volunteers who would fight if Germany invaded Britain. He also commanded an anti-aircraft battery. This helped protect against German air attacks and V1 flying bombs.
Hardy was also known as a polo player and loved Rolls-Royce cars. He often went to reunion dinners for his old army group, the Connaught Rangers. He lived in Kensington, London, in the 1950s.
Death
Jocelyn Lee Hardy passed away peacefully on May 30, 1958, in Hammersmith, London. He was buried on June 5 in Norfolk. People remembered him as a brave soldier and a good writer. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said Hardy was "a more gallant gentleman never lived."
Images for kids
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Jocelyn Lee Hardy in 1918
