Son of Birmingham councillor shot in Taliban ambush in Afghanistan
Nov 30 2010 by Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail
THE soldier son of a Birmingham Labour councillor was seriously wounded when his patrol was ambushed in Afghanistan.
Lance Sergeant Vincent Hockley was one of five Irish Guardsmen shot in the attack which left one of his colleagues, 22-year-old Christopher Davies, dead.
They were mentoring an Afghan National Army Patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj area when they were ambushed. Vincent was shot in the hip.
The Battalion was just six weeks into a six-month tour of duty in the Helmand Provence when they were attacked on November 17.
The 1st Battallion of the Irish Guards had replaced the Scots Guards in their first tour of Afghanistan since the conflict began.
L/Sgt Hockley, a 28-year-old divorced father of three young children, has been an Irish Guardsman for 12 years – ever since leaving school.
He has been on tours of duty in Northern Ireland and twice in Iraq.
He is the son of Anita Ward, Labour councillor for Hodge Hill, who has spoken of her relief at news he will make a full recovery.
Vincent, from Erdington, is a former pupil of Plantsbrook School.
His injury is not thought to be career threatening. Once discharged from hospital he will undergo rehabilitation at Whittington Barracks and specialist physio work at Hedley Court in Surrey.
He is expected to be fit enough to return to active service in a year.
