Lieutenant-Colonel Howard Norman Cole (22 March 1911 – 3 May 1983) OBE TD F.R.Hist.S DL was a serving officer in the British Army during the Second World War and was an author of books on military subjects.

[3] Cole first visited Aldershot in 1930 while serving in the 11th (Honourable Artillery Company and City of London Yeomanry) Brigade, part of the Territorial Army.

[4] With the outbreak of the Second World War, and after serving time at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1942, he was promoted to the rank of Major.

Cole returned to Aldershot in March 1946 where he was employed by publishers Gale and Polden as military sales manager for more than thirteen years.

[5] Cole was appointed an Officer of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in 1953,[6] and a Commander in 1974.