Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Howard Lewis Hooper

Known as: "Buddy"

Born: 12 October 1914, Kooringa (Burra), South Australia

Died: 13 February 1957, Western Australia

Buried: Tambellup Cemetery, Broomehill-Tambellup Shire, Western Australia

Plot: Anglican Section C, Grave 128

Early Life and Family

Howard Lewis Hooper was born on 12 October 1914 at Kooringa, the mining township adjoining Burra in South Australia. He was the eldest son of John Hooper (1879–1956), a farmer of the Hallett district, and Nellie May Hooper (née Lewis) (1880–1952).

Howard grew up in South Australia's mid-north rural districts and was educated locally. School records show he attended Petherton Primary School (near Mount Bryan), enrolling on 6 December 1920 and leaving school on 22 December 1927. His father's occupation was recorded as farmer, a vocation Howard himself later followed.

By adulthood, Howard was living and working in the Hallett / Mount Bryan area within the Regional Council of Goyder, part of a close-knit agricultural community.

Marriage and Family Life

On 15 February 1943, during the Second World War, Howard married Dorothy Lorraine Schuyler (1922–1991) at St Mary's Anglican Church, Burra. Dorothy was the daughter of Robert Sutton Schuyler and Mary Helen Schuyler (née Sedgman) of Mount Bryan.

The marriage took place while both bride and groom were in uniform—Howard serving in the Australian Army and Dorothy serving with the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS).

Together, Howard and Dorothy had three children:

Pam Hooper
Phillip Hooper
Andrew Hooper

Howard was widely known by the nickname "Buddy", a name used affectionately within family circles and reflected on memorial inscriptions.

Second World War Service

Howard enlisted in the Australian Army on 29 May 1941 at Wayville, South Australia, and was issued Service Number SX13017.

Initial Rank: Private
Final Rank: Corporal
Unit: 2/5th Company, Australian Army Service Corps (AASC)
Home Town on enlistment: Hallett, South Australia
Occupation: Farmer

Howard's wartime role was within the Army Service Corps, responsible for transport, supply, and logistics—an essential but often unheralded component of Australia's war effort.

He was discharged on 16 December 1944 with the rank of Corporal.

Overseas Service Clarification

Although a contemporary newspaper wedding notice stated that Howard had "seen service abroad and at New Guinea," no official military records support overseas service. His service file contains:

No embarkation or disembarkation entries
No overseas postings
No theatre-of-war notations
All verified evidence indicates that Howard's service was entirely within Australia. The newspaper reference is best understood as wartime embellishment or imprecise reporting, a common occurrence in home-front journalism.

Community Recognition

Howard's wartime service is formally commemorated on multiple honour rolls, reflecting the esteem in which he was held by his local community:

Hallett Sub-Branch R.S.S.A.I.L.A. Honour Roll
Hallett War Memorial
Mount Bryan and District Roll of Honour (WWII)

Later Life and Death

Following his discharge, Howard returned to civilian life and farming. In the post-war years, he relocated with his family to Western Australia, settling in the agricultural districts of the state's south-west.

Howard Lewis "Buddy" Hooper died on 13 February 1957 at just 42 years of age. He was buried at Tambellup Cemetery, where his grave is marked in the Anglican section. His early death left Dorothy a widow with three young children.

Legacy

Howard Hooper is remembered as:

A devoted husband and father
A South Australian countryman shaped by rural life
A World War II serviceman who contributed quietly but reliably to Australia's wartime logistics effort
His name lives on through family, community memorials, and the careful preservation of his service and life story.

Sources

South Australian Birth Registration: HOOPER, Howard Lewis, Burra District, Book/Page 947/7
South Australian Marriage Registration: HOOPER–SCHUYLER, 1943, Burra District, Book/Page 453/731
Australian Army Service Record: SX13017, National Archives of Australia
School Records: Petherton Primary School (Mount Bryan district)
WWII Honour Rolls: Hallett and Mount Bryan districts
Tambellup Cemetery Records, Western Australia
Burra Record, 23 February 1943 (marriage notice)

Biography by Trevor Pyatt 7/01/2026