Brother set to read out tragic corporal’s best man’s speech
THE grieving brother of a soldier who died on a training exercise on the hottest day of the year will read out the best man’s speech which his sibling was due to give.
Corporal Josh Hoole, 26, had already written his speech for his brother and fellow soldier Tyrone’s wedding next week to fianceé Carey Taylor.
Now Carey has revealed that grief-stricken brother Tyrone has decided to go ahead with the wedding in Edinburgh next week – as it is what Josh would have wanted.
And Mr Hoole, 27, has courageously decided to try to read out the best man’s speech which Josh had prepared.
Ms Taylor, 25, said: “Ty is going to read Josh’s speech, if he can. He’ll try his best. We’re all heartbroken by what happened.
“We could have put the wedding back two months but is that going to be any easier? Josh would have wanted us to go ahead with the wedding – it will let the family come together.” And Ms Taylor revealed that it was Mr Hoole who had to break the news of the death to Josh’s long-term girlfriend, Rachael, 29.
Ms Taylor, from Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway, said: “Ty was the one who told Rachael that Josh had died. She had friends with her at the time which was a good thing in a way because she had someone there to comfort her during this terrible time.”
Corporal Hoole, from Ecclefechan in Dumfries and Galloway, had just finished an eight-mile fitness test during pre-training for the Platoon Sergeants’ Battle Course when he collapsed upon returning to barracks in Brecon, Wales, on Tuesday.
Corp Hoole, who was on day two of a two-week course, was serving in the Rifles regiment at ITC Catterick, North Yorkshire.
The exercise he was doing involved carrying 25kg in two hours in what was an annual fitness test and was “not supposed to be taxing”.
Meanwhile, Corp Hoole’s grandfather, John Craig, 79, has described the Brecon Barracks as a “horrible place”. Mr Craig revealed how he himself served in the Royal Artillery and worked as an instructor at Brecon in the 1950s.
He said: “It’s been a horrible accident. For Josh to be in Afghanistan twice and come back and then for this to happen at Brecon Beacons... we’re shellshocked. I was an instructor at Brecon in the ‘50s for a couple of months. It’s a horrible place.”