Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918

 

Source: Scotch College commemorative website. 

 

Hunter R W      Sgt   1103    Robert William              37 Inf Bn    20    Electrical engineer    Single    Pres       

Address:    Kensington, Derby St, 5   

Next of Kin:    Hunter, Daniel Ross, father, 24 Wolseley Pde, Kensington   

                                                                    263 Ascot Vale Rd, Ascot Vale  by 5 May 1917

Enlisted:    16 Nov 1915       

Embarked:     A34 Persic 3 Jun 1916   

 

Relatives on Active Service:

Hunter-D--A-g-Cpl-1912  brother KIA

Hunter-W-J-Pte-4713  second cousin DOW

 

Date of Death: 23/04/1917  2nd Lieutenant

CWGC:  "Son of Daniel Ross Hunter and Christina Hunter, of 263, Ascot Vale Rd., Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia".

CITE BONJEAN MILITARY CEMETERY, ARMENTIERES

 

 

Second Lieutenant Robert William Hunter

 

Rod Martin

 

During the First World War, after news of a death reached the military authorities here in Australia,  they had the habit of contacting a local minister of religion when possible, informing him of the details, and asking him to visit the bereaved family and break the sad news. Certainly, this saved them from the emotional duty of having to appear before the grieving relatives themselves.  However, its proper purpose probably lay in the belief that a man of the church would be able to offer comfort and spiritual guidance where members of the military would be found wanting.

 

Nevertheless, it surely would have been an onerous task for Ascot Vale's local Presbyterian minister to visit the house at 263 Ascot Vale Road in May 1917 for he had to make two trips to report two deaths, one quickly after the other.  The first involved Robert (Bob) Hunter, killed in action on St. George's Day, 23 April.  The second concerned his older brother David, killed during the Second Battle of Bullecourt in early May. One would probably find it difficult to imagine the pain and grief suffered by that family.  To lose not one but two sons and brothers within such a short space of time, when the shock of suffering the loss of one had barely had time to sink in before news of the second tragedy, would test the health and sanity of even the most dedicated patriot.

 

Bob Hunter enlisted five months after David.  He was twenty years old, and probably felt the call to follow his older (and probably idolised) brother into battle.  Both probably assumed that they would go to Gallipoli, and David did.  By the time Bob reached Egypt, however, the troops had been withdrawn from the peninsula and returned to Egypt.  The target then was the Western Front.

 

Bob was well prepared for the task.  At 180 centimetres, he was tall for the time, and he weighed almost seventy-two kilos.  He was an electrical engineer by trade, and had spent twelve months on active service at Queenscliff and also twelve months in 8 Engineers militia unit.  He sounded like a good bet for an engineers' battalion.  However, he obviously asked to join the infantry, because he was assigned to A Company of 37 Battalion.  He trained at Seymour and, although only twenty, he was promoted to acting corporal on 7 January 1916.  Two months later, he was promoted to sergeant, and he was then assigned to D Company.  It is obvious that his leadership qualities had been recognised by his superiors very early in the piece.

 

Sergeant Hunter sailed with his battalion on 3 June that year, being transported on A34 HMAT Persic. The convoy went via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid German submarines in the Mediterranean, and finally arrived at Plymouth in early August. Once arrived, he stayed in England for about four months, attending a school at Hayling Island on 28 August (for what purpose we do not know), and then sailed for France on 22 November.  37 Battalion was a part of the recently formed 3 Australian Division, under the command of Major-General John Monash.  After the shenanigans of some members of 1 and 2 Divisions in Egypt before they went to Gallipoli, and the poor quality of their training as shown up at Fromelles and Pozières in July 1916, the Hughes Labor government decided that 3 Division would provide an example to be followed by all other units.  It stayed in England and trained intensively at Lark Hill on Salisbury Plain (the men of the unit becoming known, rather facetiously, as the Lark Hill Lancers, and being clearly identified because Monash would not allow them to wear their slouch hats with the brim up) before sailing for France and the Western Front in late November.

 

HMAT Persic departing from Port Melbourne, 3 June 1916.    (AWM PB0827)

 

Bob was no sooner there, however, when he was hospitalised with pneumonia.  His condition must have been serious because he did not return to his unit until 20 February in the following year.  It would appear that, no sooner did he recover from pneumonia when he contracted bronchitis, which also laid him low.  By the time he did return to 37 Battalion, the Germans had rationalised their front in order to save manpower and had withdrawn to the heavily fortified Hindenburg Line.  The Allies had moved in to take the abandoned territory, and 37 Battalion had moved east, past the now infamous spot at Fromelles, and located itself at Chapelle d'Armentières.  It was under bombardment from heavy trench mortars, 'pineapple' bombs (so called because of their shape),  77 centimetre shells, high explosive shells and shrapnel.  What a welcome for Bob!

 

 

Captured German 77 cm. field gun (Dunedin District, New Zealand)  (Rod Martin)

 

In addition, the Germans staged a surprise assault on the twenty-third, some of the attackers reaching as far as the forward trenches at one point before being driven back.  The Australians then conducted a retaliatory raid that night, following a heavy bombardment.  However, the raid was basically unsuccessful, so a second raid was planned for the night of 27 February.  That was much better.  Seventeen prisoners were taken, along with a machine gun, searchlight and medical equipment. Two minenwerfer (heavy mortar) emplacements were destroyed and many Germans killed.  The Australian casualties were described a 'slight'.

 

Hole near Ypres caused by a German shell or minenwerfer   (AWM E00707)

 

37 Battalion moved into reserve at Bois Grenier on 7 March, undertaking training, resupplying and drilling until 5 April, when it headed, on foot, for Armentières.  In two days, the men marched sixty-seven kilometres in conditions described by the commander as 'extreme adverse' ones, 'owing to snowed-up roads.'  Marching along with them was newly-promoted Second Lieutenant Robert Hunter.  He received his officer's pip on 5 March while he was attending 3 Division's training school.  He returned to 37 Battalion on 16 March, while it was in reserve.  Once at Armentières, the unit stayed in reserve until it relieved 39 Battalion in the forward trenches on 16 April.  German bombardments of the position were constant and, in the early hours of the morning on the twenty-third, the enemy carried out a raid on the front lines.   Despite an intense barrage, no German soldiers reached the front lines.  However, 37 Battalion suffered seven men killed and eighteen wounded.  One officer was reported killed.  His name was R.W. Hunter.

 

There are no Red Cross reports available on Bob's death, so we do not know exactly how he was killed.  It was probably as a result of the murderous barrage.  We do know, however, that his body was recovered and probably moved to the rear for burial.

 

Bob was buried in Cité Bonjean Military Cemetery at Armentières.

 

(Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

 

Sources

Australian War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

National Archives of Australia

Travers, Richard: Diggers in France: Australian soldiers on the Western Front,            

                            Sydney,  ABC Books, 2008 

 

Flemington-Kensington Church News, May 1917   Lieut J C Todd, 37th Batt, has been awarded the Military Cross.  Splendid!  Robert Hunter is now a Lieut. also in the 37th Batt, having just secured his commission.  Congratulations to you both, and may God keep you.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, of 263 Ascotvale road, Ascotvale, have received word that their second son, 2nd Lieutenant Robert William Hunter, was killed in action on April 23. He was 21 years of age.    Thursday 10 May 1917  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1616707

 

Flemington-Kensington Church News, June 1917   On April 23rd, Sec Lieut Robert Hunter and on May 3rd Sergt David Hunter laid down their lives.  These were men indeed - good soldiers of our Empire's King, beloved also of the King of Kings.  Men like these are a huge loss to Australia and to our Master's Kingdom on the earth.  But none save God can measure what they have done for Australia and for Christ.  In God's world such self-sacrifice can never be in vain.  Pray for their parents and sisters and brother.  Theirs is a cup that is spilling over.  "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I wilt, but as Thou wilt".   Lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death they were not divided".

 

Extract from a letter written by Watson-J-R-Gunner-11911 to his cousin Annie.   France July 4th 1917 Dear Annie,   I was on the Station a week or two ago on my way to the city near by and guess who I met - no not Chubby but his old pal Abber Barton who is in the same Field Ambulance as your friend.  Chubby has certainly done well - now Lieut Quartermaster in the 8th Field Ambulance.  Abber looked very well and said Mac is in the best of health and doing well.   The 8th are now out from the line so if time permits I may take a ride over to see him.  Abber told me Bob and Dave Hunter have both fallen.  Dave in the last big stunt in which we had a rough time.   We are enjoying a rest at present in a rest area just behind the old Front line, quite a treat I can assure you, since we only had twelve days out from the line in seven months all the winter included.  So we have had our share of the toil.  Within next week we will be on the move again on our way back to where business is very brisk.......

 

Flemington-Kensington Church News, October 1917   7324  Pte F Barton 8th Field Ambulance Corps (a member of the Bible Class) sailed on 23rd November, 1915, as a member of the 2nd Aust Casualty Clearing Hospital, in which he remained until a few months ago when he joined the 8th Field Ambulance.  He was in Egypt about five months and was then sent to France in April, 1916. In the Field Ambulance work there is greater freedom if the conditions are not quite as good.  Frank saw a cross was erected at the grave of Lieut R W Hunter.  He recently visited Boulogne and Amiens, and greatly appreciated the latter which, however, he thinks does not come up to Rouen.  In following up the tracks of the Hun in the Somme Valley he describes the result of German Culture, in that once smiling land, in terms of the utmost condemnation.  Australia will see this thing through.

 

 

War Service Commemorated

Essendon Town Hall F-L

Flemington-Presbyterian-Church

Flemington and Kensington Presbyterian Young Men's Association

Scotch College 

The School at War.  Scotch College.

Essendon Gazette Roll of Honour killed

 

In Memoriam

 

HUNTER.—Killed in action, 23rd April, Second

Lieutenant Robert William, dearly loved second

son of D. Ross and Christina Hunter, of 263

Ascotvale road, Ascotvale (late of Kensington),

aged 21 years.

 

HUNTER.—Killed in action, 23rd April, Second

Lieutenant Robert William, dearly loved second

son of D. Ross and Christina Hunter, of 263

Ascotvale road, Ascotvale (late of Kensington),

aged 21 years.

Family Notices (1917, May 5). The Argus

(Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 11.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1615596

 

HUNTER -Killed in action 23rd April, Second 
Lieutenant Robert William Hunter, of Ascot vale
esteemed friend of Herb Heathcote (on active
service)
The Argus 19 May 1917
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1619139

 

HUNTER.- In memory of Second Lieutenant

Robert William Hunter, killed in action at

Armentieres, April 23, 1917, aged 21 years; also

his brother, Sergeant David Hunter, killed in

action at Bullecourt on May 3, 1917, aged 24

years.

"They were lovely and pleasant in their lives,

and in their death they were not divided."

 

Family Notices (1918, May 3). The Argus

(Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 1.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1656581