How did this page come about?
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
Timelines of the brothers in the war
While Donald is on leave the 4th SAI spend time supplying further work parties and spending some time in the trenches in the Arras area.
While Reggie is at the Field Ambulance, the 8th KORL spend time under Major B.H.H. Perry in various lines of training, spend some in providing work parties in Arras and finally move back behind the lines.
After a brief period in trenches near Arras, the 4th SAI move to the “Y” huts ner Etrun for a period of training.
Donald marries Marion Grizelda Guillum Scott at St. Stephen’s, Kensington. The ceremony is partly performed by Donald’s brother Francis Whittaker. Marion is daughter is Sir Arthur Guillum Scott (Accountant-General at the India Office) and of Lady Scott, formerly of 41 Lexham Gardens, Kensington. After the wedding they rent a furnished flat at 19 Emperor’s Gate, South Kensigton.
Reggie returns to the 8th KORL from the Field Ambulance that he has attended since January.
The 8th KORL provide working parties and spend time in training in preparation for the coming 3rd Battle of Arras.
It is not clear when Donald returned to the 4th SAI after the wedding. The letter from Reggie to Helen on the 5th May would indicate that he had returned before that date. However, he is not on the list of officers involved with the 4th SAI in the Battle of the Scarpe on the 9th April.
The 4th SAI are in action in the Battle of the Scarpe which is, initially, a great success but soon gets bogged down and the battalion’s last action is the ill-fated action at Fampoux where they get cause in machine gun crossfire.
Lt.Col. D.M.MacLeod returns after recovering from his wounds received at Delville Wood the previous July.
On the 9th, the 8th KORL are involved in the 3rd Battle of Arras in operations around Guémappe and Monchy-le-Preux with Reggie personally leading the Battalion into battle.
Reggie is wounded on the 11th while on duty at the 8th KORL Headquarters but remains at duty.
The 8th KORL move back to Arras to recover and are thanked by the G.O.C. 3rd Division. On the 23rd move back to the front east of Monchy-le-Preux and help defend the town from German attack for 3 days.
It is for one of these actions that Reggie is awarded D.S.O. in the 1918 New Year’s Honours.
After supplying working parties for the Royal Engineers while billeted in Arras, the battalion is involved in various front line periods in the area of Arras.
They also spend time in combat and skills training.
Donald is mentioned in a letter from Reggie to their sister, Helen. It relates the story of Donald narrowly avoiding a bomb through his bed.
The 8th KORL are relieved from their duty in the trenches and spend a couple of days resting and cleaning.
Reggie writes a letter to his sister, Helen, describing meeting their brother, Donald of the 4th SAI, and his close shave with a bomb in Arras. He also describes life in the trenches and various financial arrangements he wishes to make in order to take care of their mother, Alice Hunt.
The General has again put me in for a D.S.O. & I’m big enough not to be even grateful…. I don’t want a D.S.O. I do long for a Legion of Honour.
Donald goes up tonight, just on our left, to a badly straffed place like this salubrious village.
He ends with “Please send me weekly butter… we howl for butter.”
On the 12th, the 8th KORL attacked Devil’s Trench to the East of Arras and North of Monchy-le-Preux in order to secure their positions at Monchy. The action was not a success after being met with heavy rifle fire and many losses.
The Germans retaliated with heavy bombardment of Monchy on the 13th and 14th and then the 8th KORL were relieved and moved back to west of Arras where the cookers provided breakfast.
The 8th KORL moved further west of Arras where they stayed for 2 weeks rest and recovering. They received a letter of appreciation from Brigadier-General Porter, GOC of the 76th Brigade, for their efforts at Monchy and Guémappe.
The 8th KORL moves back to Arras and supplied endless work parties trench digging around Arras.
On the 12th, the 8th KORL moves back to the area around Monchy-le-Preux and, on the 14th, they acted in support of a wider attack on Infantry Hill east of Monchy which was eventually taken and held despite concerted attempts by Germans to retake the hill.
On the 20th, the 76th Brigade (including the 8th KORL) was relieved and marched back into Arras where there were baths available. They were then bused to billets in Halloy where they stayed until the end of the month.
On the 21st, Reggie went on a brief leave to England with Major B.H.H. Perry taking over command of the battalion.
The 4th SAI supply work parties and partake in combat and skills training.
The 8th KORL move to an area close to Louverval about 10 miles south-east of Monchy. Reggie returned from leave on the 6th.
On the 10th, the battalion moved into trenches at Louverval. Here life in the trenches was quiet and they spent a week in relative peace compared to the frantic action they had experienced during May and June just a few miles further north.
On the 18th, the 8th KORL moved to Fremicourt for some well-deserved R&R and baths.
On the 24th, they were back in action in the trenches and again it was relatively peaceful with just the occasional skirmish until the end of the month.
Donald’s “get your hair cut” anecdote.
Combat and skills training.
The 4th SAI move south to Bertincourt which is in the north of the Somme area.
The 8th KORL spent August alternating between camp at Fremicourt and the trenches near Louverval.
While in camp they engage in training and in many activities designed to raise the spirits of the battalion. They have boxing matches, tent pitching competitions and concerts.
Again, as last month, the two weeks that they spend at the front are quiet.
The 4th SAI take their turn in the trenches at Trescault.
Donald attends a burial at Metz-en-Couture and, after Lt.Col. MacLeod goes on leave, takes command of the 4th SAI.
The 4th SAI receive a visit from their Colonel-in-chief, Sir William Dalrymple.
The 4th SAI pay their respects to the fallen at the Butte de Warlencourt.
Move north to the Ypres area and take part in the attack of the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge on the 20th Sept. Donald is not listed in the officers taking part in the attack and so was probably not present by design (but see next month).
The 8th KORL spends the first part of the month in both skills and physical training.
The C.O. of the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards (Reggie’s own Regiment) watches the 8th KORL practice an attack on the 17th and, on the 18th, the battalion moves north to camp west of Ypres in preparation for an attack on the 26th.
The camp is not in a good state and the battalion spends time making it habitable.
The battalion is in position for the attack at 12.45 am on the 26th and has to wait a long 5 hours for zero hour.
The Battle of Polygon Wood was launched at 5.50am on the 26th September. The 8th KORL succeed in taking Tokio and Mühle Farms on the outskirts of Zonnebeke and hold on to those positions until relieved on the 29th.
Training for forthcoming action near Passchendaele.
With Donald in command, the 4th SAI find themselves hold about 1000 yards on the front line of the Ypres Salient somewhere near Hübner Farm. The night of the 13th/14th was one of the very worst nights that the battalion spent in their entire time on the Western Front due to the mud and the gas.
The are relieved on the evening of the 16th by the 1st SAI and move west to be in a position to supply working parties for the front.
Finally, they move towards the Belgian coast at Coudekerque-Branche and spend some time a little further up the coast at La Panne working on the defence systems. They are very relieved to be out of the Ypres Salient.
The Brigade G.O.C. thanks the 8th KORL for their efforts at Polygon Wood. The battalion move south to the Bullecourt area just north of where they had been at Louverval back in July.
The trenches at Bullecourt are no worse than they had been at Louverval and the battalion spends a a quiet week not being shelled. They are visited by several senior officers including Gen. E. Allenby & Maj.Gen. C.J. Deverell.
On the 12th, Reggie left the line for a trip to Paris. The journey is not described as “on leave”. He returned to the battalion on the 24th.
After a brief trip back to the Ypres area, the 4th SAI start a long journey south back to the Somme area.
Donald returned to the regiment on the 25th from leave. However, it is not clear when it was he went on leave.
The 8th KORL are in the trenches at Bullecourt. They send out a couple of patrols to search for weak spots in the enemy’s defences.
They then spend time in camp at Mory in cleaning, playing sports and having concerts.
On the 12th they are back in the trenches repairing damage caused largely by the bad recent weather.
Back in camp at Mory, they receive a delivery of Christmas Puddings well in time for next month. They spend more time playing sports and having concerts.
Finally, at the very end of the month, they are back in the trenches at Bullecourt on the receiving of gas shells.
The 4th SAI continue their journey south towards the Somme area. On the 5th they are at the front near Gouzeaucourt.
The men’s feet are getting very sore from the conditions in the trenches and require constant attention
A traditional Christmas is spent in hutments near Gouzeaucourt.
The 8th KORL are in the Bullecourt again but this time it is getting more lively from around the 10th/11th with much more artillery usage from both sides.
On the 19th, Reggie goes on leave to England leaving Major Lawrence (who had joined from the 1st Gordon Highlanders on the 12th) in command. Major Lawrence pronounces the Christmas dinner as being the best one he has had in France.
Major Lawrence moves onto another command leaving Capt.H.N.Morgan, Reggie’s erstwhile adjutant, in command.
The battalion spends the New Year in Hendecourt a few miles north-west of Mory where the officers attend a successful dinner party.
Donald takes his leave of the 4th SAI (South African Scottish) Regiment while at Fins. Major C.M. Browne takes over command.
The men of the 8th KORL were treated to a New Year’s feast courtesy of the Regimental Colonel and officers.
On the 5th Jan, the 8th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment paraded in honour of Lt.Col. R.S. Hunt who had been awarded D.S.O. in the 1918 New Year’s Honours.
After a couple of inspections by brigade and Corps commanding officers with favourable comments, Reggie is again asked to take temporary command of the 76th Brigade while Brigadier-General Porter is on leave. The war diaries of the 76th Brigade show that he spent the time visiting units, escorting senior officers and visiting other Brigade Headquarters.
Reggie is remains in command of the 76th Brigade for the first two weeks until Brigadier-General Porter returns from leave.
As Reggie returns to his normal command, the 8th KORL are once again stationed around Guémappe which is much quieter than the previous visit that the battalion made to the area.
The 8th KORL enjoy a concert by the battalion’s band.
On the 8th, Lt.Col. A.J.S. James (formerly of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers) arrives in preparation of taking command of the 8th battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment.
Lt.Col. R.S. Hunt takes his leave of the 8th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment. In his own memoirs he records :-
[In early] 1918 I made a horrible but great resolve. I’d done 3 ½ years fighting in the front line, & felt myself done-in. Up till then I had not funked, but suddenly I felt I’d lost my nerve, finished. Somehow I dared to go & see a friend of mine commanding the 3rd Division, General Deverall. I put it plainly to him, he gave me 6 months leave for Home Service.
After Donald left, the 4th SAI was involved in several notable events leading up to the armistice on 11th Nov.
At the armistice the battalion has reached Solre-le-Chateau very close to the Belgian border. The battalion’s pipe band played in the Church square to celebrate the end of the war.
After leaving the King’s Own Reggie spent some time in training soldiers in the U.K.
But then, as he puts it in his own memoirs :-
After about 3 months with the job of training troops at home suddenly another very old friend of mine burst a sort of a mine under me. He had wired home to the War Office to send me out at once to him to take command of the Middlesex Yeomanry in Palestine. Shoved on board a French destroyer I was landed at Alexandria, shot on to Kantara, buzzed up to Derar, & we took Damascus.
It must have been the Desert Mounted Corps that he joined as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under General Allenby because of the quote “we took Damascus”. The book “The Desert Mounted Corps” by Lt.Col. The Hon. R.M.P. Preston D.S.O has an account of their exploits. The Middlesex Yeomanry, mentioned in Reggie’s memoirs, who became the 1st County of London Yeomanry (Middlesex, Duke of Cambridge’s Hussars), are mentioned in the book. However, Reggie is not mentioned by name.
The war diaries of the Desert Mounted Corps are not (yet) digitised and downloadable from the National Archives. However, they are available to personal callers at their headquarters in Kew.
He again picks up in his own memoirs…
Later I rejoined my own Regt. in Baghdad & had a time of it again, under General Haldane, & fighting had only just ceased when my Regt. was ordered home & we were quartered, 1921, in Edinburgh. So I had 6 whole years all but periods in hospital of War. And I’d do it again if only I could use my stupid crippled legs!!
More research to be done!
button in the top right of the map display to select which years to display.