Major’s home town posting

MAJOR Eddy Hardaker, pictured at a training camp, is returning to his home town to encourage more medics to join the Territorial Army.

A Territorial Army medical chief has returned to his home town to train more volunteers for the Manchester Field Hospital.

Maj Eddy Hardaker is back in Oldham after 29 years following his high profile appointment as Training Major of 207 (Manchester) Field Hospital (Volunteers), based in Stretford.

As Training Major, his main responsibility is to co-ordinate and provide training support both militarily and professionally to maintain the overall operational effectiveness of the field hospital.

His unit is one of 11 Territorial Army field hospitals which are located near centres of medical excellence to encourage medical professionals from a variety of disciplines to join the TA Army Medical Services.

Maj Hardaker, who was educated at Breeze Hill School, joined the Army in 1979.

He has seen service all over the world including the Falkland Islands, Germany and Norway.

He has also completed operational tours of duty in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

He is married to Viv, a former Hathershaw School pupil who is now a deputy registrar at Chadderton Town Hall, and they live in Heyside.

They have two sons, Jonathan (21)and Adam (19), who are both at university in the south of England.

Maj Hardaker also served as the chief clerk of Manchester Garrison in the mid-1980s and hopes to get involved in local youth projects when he has settled into his new role training his Territorial colleagues.

He said: “My wife and I have always longed to return to our roots in Oldham.

“During our time away we have always kept in touch with what was going on in our home town via our family and through copies of the Oldham Chronicle they sent us regularly.”