John Charles Oswald Rooke Hopkinson was born on the 31st of July 1931 in Gloucestershire. John was educated at Stonyhurst before going to Sandhurst. In 1951 he was commissioned into the Seaforth Highlanders. In 1956 he married his wife Sarah and together they had one daughter and three sons.

Hopkinson served with the 1st battalion of the Seaforth’s in Edinburgh, Germany, Aden and Egypt. He was posted to Fort George as Adjutant before returning to the 1st Seaforths in Germany. He gradually rose through the ranks being appointed as Chief of Staff HG Allied Forces Northern Europe, Major-General with seniority and Colonel of the Queen’s Own Highlanders throughout his service.

In 1984 John relinquished the appointment as Chief of Staff before retiring on October 9th, 1984. In 1994 John also relinquished the position as Colonel of the Queen’s Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons). When another amalgamation between the Queen’s Own Highlanders and Gordon Highlanders was proposed, Hopkinson campaigned to have this decision reversed but was unsuccessful.

During his retirement he was a Vice-Chairman of the Atlantic Salmon Trust and was a proficient sailor. However, he faced some years of serious illness until his death in 2016 aged 84.

Research by Emily Forsyth

These amusing pen and watercolour caricatures were drawn by artist A. Laing in 1961. The watercolour heads were drawn separately and glued onto the bodies sketched in pen. All officers of the Queen’s Own Highlanders in 1961 are depicted, including Major Hopkinson before he became Colonel of the regiment.