Lieutenant Colonel Howard Norman Cole (1911 – May 1983) OBE TD F.R.Hist.S DL had been a serving officer in the British Army during World War II and was an author of books on military subjects.
A writer, historian and lecturer, Cole was the Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Hampshire from 1965 to 1983,[1] the Honorary Remembrancer for the Borough of Aldershot from 1963 to 1974, and Curator of the Aldershot Museum.[2]
Cole first visited Aldershot in 1930 while serving in the 11th (Honourable Artillery Company and City of London Yeomanry) Brigade, part of the Territorial Army. A Lance Bombadier, Cole was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Territorials on July 20, 1935.[3] With the outbreak of the World War II, and after serving time at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1942, he was promoted to the rank of Major. He was awarded an OBE in 1945 for services in northwest Europe during the War. Cole returned to Aldershot in March 1946 where he was employed by publishers Gale and Polden as military sales manager for more than thirteen years. He raised and commanded Aldershot's Regiment of Territorial Army Anti-Aircraft Gunners (1947–1951).[2]
In 1954 Cole provided the commentary for The Military Centenary of Aldershot, part 1 & part 2, a film produced by Aldershot Borough Council celebrating the Centenary of its association with the British Army.[4]
Cole was appointed an Officer of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in 1953,[5] and a Commander in 1974.[6] He lived in Tongham in Surrey.
'Howard N. Cole Way', a street on the site of the former South Cavalry Barracks in Aldershot, was named in his honour in 1979.[2] His collection of memorabilia and pictures of early Aldershot Military Town were donated to Aldershot Military Museum on his death in 1983.