[1][3] On 7 July 1945 in St Peter's Church, Ealing,[4] Farrar-Hockley married Margaret Bernadette Wells with whom he had three sons (two of whom survive).

Following in father's footsteps his elder son Charles Dair Farrar-Hockley also won an MC fighting with the Parachute Regiment in the Falklands War.

By way of sabbatical during his military career he spent time (1968–1970) at Exeter College, Oxford as a Defence Fellow, working on a research project into the social effects of National Service in Britain and publishing two other books.

[2][5] At the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, at the age of 15, Farrar-Hockley ran away from school and enlisted in the ranks with the Gloucestershire Regiment.

He was still only 20 in 1944 when he was given command of a company in the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion and later won a Military Cross in Greece whilst resisting the communist rebellion in Athens.

[1] His citation stated: Throughout this desperate engagement on which the ability of the Battalion to hold its position entirely depended, Captain Farrar-Hockley was an inspiration to the defenders.

His outstanding gallantry, fighting spirit and great powers of leadership heartened his men and welded them into an indomitable team.

After active service in the Cyprus Emergency (1956), Egypt (1956) and Jordan (1958), he spent some time at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as chief instructor (1959–1961) In 1962 Farrar-Hockley took command of 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment in the Persian Gulf.

[2] Other positions held by Farrar-Hockley included: ADC General to the Queen (1981–1983), Colonel-Commandant of the Prince of Wales's Division (1974–1980) and of the Parachute Regiment (1977–1983).

During his retirement Farrar-Hockley carried out historical research and published campaign histories and biographies, he acted as a consultant and was a frequent pundit in the newspapers and on television and radio.

He aroused controversy in 1983 when he became involved trying to organise a campaign for a new home guard against possible Soviet invasion and in 1990, following Italian Prime minister Giulio Andreotti's October 1990 revelations concerning Operation Gladio, a NATO stay-behind network, he revealed that the armed anti-communist secret resistance network across western European had involved Britain.