I had been aware that my great uncles Reggie and Donald Hunt had served in WW1 for some time. I knew I had a letter that was written from the trenches by Reggie to my grandma and described something about life in the front line. But I had no real idea of what these two brothers had done during the war.
At a family event in the middle of the year, my sister asked me to do some research into a name the she and her husband had found on a church war memorial. The name was the same as her married name but neither she nor her husband knew anything about any person of that name or whether he was even a relation. I found the name of the unit that the soldier was serving in but then I wanted to find more about the circumstances of his death.
The hunt led me to discover the WO 95 war diaries which are available to download from the UK National Archives. The war diaries were written by British Army units involved in action. Each diary was written up every day and detailed the activities of the unit over the course of the day. Where they were, what they did, (sometimes) who did it, what was the result. The diaries are downloadable free from the National Archives to those with an account on the website.
With this new resource, I was then able to track the circumstances of the death of the soldier and the events leading up to it.
This page is the result of using the WO 95 diaries to trace the activities of the units of and (very often) the individual actions of my great-uncles Reggie and Donald themselves.
Map of principal battlefields
This map shows the principal battlefields where Reggie and Donald Hunt served and fought during World War 1. Note: the focus of the map is initially on the Western Front where the brothers spent most of their war service. However, there are battlefields in other parts of the world where they were involved in action. Donald was active in South Africa and Egypt before the Western Front and in the Middle East after the Western Front. Reggie was involved in
Reginald Seager Hunt was born in London on the 24th Feb 1874. He was the third son of Walter Freeman Hunt and his wife Alice (née Mortimore).
After school he joined the Norfolk Regiment and then moved on to the King’s Hussars with whom he fought in the 2nd Boer War in South Africa.
The Hussars were posted to India after the Boer War and Reggie was promoted to Major. There, he swapped places with a Major in the King’s Dragoon Guards. He stayed with that regiment for the rest of his military career even though he was attached to other regiments temporarily.
Donald Rolfe Hunt was born in London on 2nd May 1875, the fourth son of Walter Freeman Hunt and his wife Alice (née Mortimore).
After school he joined the Cape Mounted Rifles and emigrated to South Africa. After resigning that commission and returning to England, he joined the Norfolk Regiment and returned to South Africa to fight in the 2nd Boer War. He was Mentioned in Despatches twice in 1901 and in 1902.
After a spell as Inspector of Native Affairs, he joined the Transvaal Scottish Regiment.
While in Lucknow, the 1st Battalion King’s Dragoon Guards receive the order on 31st August to mobilise for action in support of the British war effort in Europe. They sail from Bombay on 16th October.
1st King’s Dragoon Guards in action at Hooge Château; Reggie is wounded
The whole period from Feb to towards the end of May is spent moving around an area between Bethune and Rincq in readiness for action but not actually in action. They furnish a couple of sets of working parties at Fontaine les Hermans and Robecq.
On 31st May 1915 1st King’s Dragoon Guards receive orders at 5.15pm to take over the trenches in the Hooge area, east of the Belgian town of Ypres, from where they are to attack and hold Hooge Chateau. They discover that the Chateau is not held by the Germans, and the regiment move into the buildings and grounds unopposed. The Dragoons then proceed to improve the position. On the approach to the Chateau, Reggie is wounded in Zouave Wood and returns to England to recover. He was not to be back at the front until Christmas day.
Donald Rolfe Hunt joins the 2nd Battalion Transvaal Scottish Regiment and is appointed as captain of “F” company.
On the 26th Apr, the 2nd Transvaal Scottish are involved at the battle of Trekkopjes in the South West Africa Campaign of 15th September 1914 to 9th July 1915.
September 1915
The 1st South African Infantry Brigade is raised at Potchefstroom, South Africa
1st South African Infantry Brigade raised at Potchefstroom, South Africa
Maj. Gen. Tim Lukin
The brigade is led by Major-General Sir Henry Timson ‘Tim’ Lukin who had been Donald’s commanding officer in the Cape Mounted Rifles back in 1898.
Donald is attached to the 4th Regiment (The South African Scottish) which was formed from elements of the former Transvaal Scottish and Cape Town Highlanders Regiments.
In his memoirs, addressed to Donald’s daughters, Reggie Hunt records “I happened to be in England, in Hospital, when your Father came over with the South African Scottish; I went over & saw him at Richmond”. This must have been while Reggie was recuperating from wounds received in Zouave Wood on 31 May as part of the operation on Hooge Chateau.
November 1915
Donald is promoted Captain in the 4th SAI; 4th SAI issued with tartan uniform
Donald is promoted to captain in the 4th SAI and the 4th SAI are issued with uniform made from Murray of Atholl tartan.
On the 15th Dec, Donald was gazetted Major in the 4th SAI (South African Scottish)
1916
January 1916
1st King’s Dragoon Guards in training
The first part of 1916 was spent almost entirely in officers and men attending courses on various subjects including bombing, grenades, signalling, Hotchkiss gun, sniping and anti-gas.
The battalion also supplied many officers and horses to other regiments and supplied working parties.
Senussi campaign in North Africa; quarantine at La Valentine
The South African Brigade sail to Alexandria, Egypt to get involved in the campaign against the Senussi.
The main action of the 4th SAI is in the reoccupation of Sollum. In order to reach Sollum, the forces have to march from Bag Bag to Sollum over miles of desert and lack of water becomes a serious issue when they reach the well-named Thirsty Hill.
The 4th SAI are released from quarantine. After a wonderful send-off in Marseille, the take the train to the Western Front at Armetières. After a period of training at Bailleul, the entire brigade moves south to the Somme area and start to get familiar with the terrain.
4th SAI at Bernafay, Trônes and Delville Woods; death of Lt.Col. Jones
The Battle of the Somme.
The South African Infantry Brigade’s first introduction to fighting on the Western Front was to be a baptism of fire.
The 4th SAI firstly lost their C.O. Lt. Col. F.A. Jones at Bernafay Wood with Donald taking brief command before handing over to D.M. MacLeod. Then, at Delville Wood, MacLeod is wounded and Donald takes command again.
The full story of Delville Wood is complicated and I cannot do it justice here. For the purpose of this study, I can do no better than simply to repeat Donald’s personal diary for the period covering the South African Brigade’s operation at Bernafay and Delville Woods.
1/4th Seaforth Highlanders move south to the Somme area; attacks on High Wood; Reggie meets Donald
1/4th Seaforth Highlanders move from the Arras area south to the Somme. They are involved in attacks on High Wood just a few miles from where Donald is fighting in the Battle of Delville Wood with the South African Scottish.
1/4th Seaforth Highlanders in action around Armentières; return south to the Somme area
For most of September the 1/4th Seaforth Highlanders are in action in trenches around Armentières. Towards the end of the month they return back south to the Somme area.
The 4th SAI take the opportunity at Camblain L’Abbé to all have baths and foot inspections.
They then move to billets in Estrée-Cauchy (known to the troops as “Extra cushy”) for more training and then on to Carency to supply work parties for the front line.
Then 1 week in the front line trenches in the Carency sector near Vimy. Finally more warfare training at Ambrines.
Reggie takes command of the 8th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
The 1/4th Seaforth Highlanders are involved in fatigues and work parties in the area around Courcelles.
On 26th October Reggie is given command of the 8th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment who are stationed just 3 miles away from where the 1/4th Seaforth Highlanders are.
Donald commands the 4th SAI at the Butte de Warlencourt
Training for the upcoming return to the Somme area.
Donald commands the 4th SAI in the action at the Butte de Warlencourt. The action is a dismal failure despite heroic efforts on behalf of the men. The battalion falls back to High Wood to recover.
There is much fallout in the upper commanding ranks as a result of the lack of planning and failure of the operation at the Butte de Warlencourt.
Major General Furse G.O.C. 9th (Scottish) Division is deprived of his command.
Brigadier General H.T. Lukin (formerly O.C. South African Brigade) takes command of the 9th (Scottish) Division
Lt.Col. F.S. Dawson (formerly of the 1st SAI) is promoted to command the South African Infantry Brigade
8th King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) are involved in the Battle of the Ancre at Serre
Following a period of training the 8th KORL are involved in an attack on Serre-lès-Puisieux as part of the major Battle of the Ancre which began on 13th November. The attack is not a success due largely to the ground conditions.
8th KORL continue to be involved in fighting near Serre. Between 8th and 19th December Reggie is temporarily in command of 76th Brigade of which 8th KORL is part while the GOC of the brigade is on leave.
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The King’s Dragoon Guards arrive in Marseille and progress through France to the Western Front arriving on 21st December.
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