Ian “Boots” Hooton, was born in 1952 in Gainsborough but later moved to Lincoln. He joined the army as a Junior Leader in 1967 aged just 15, and became Junior RSM. Ian joined the Poachers in 1970 when they were stationed in Colchester and was posted to 4 Platoon, B Coy, where he became the youngest JNCO aged just 18.

He deployed on Exercise Bersatu Padu to Malaysia almost immediately and then to Singapore and Australia, as well as completing 4 tours of Northern Ireland. He excelled as a military photographer.

On leaving the Army Ian took up a career in forestry. He married and had two children, a son Tom and a daughter. Later he became an agricultural engineer specialising in research and development.