Egypt
22-08-2011, 10:19
Captain George Hunt, who died on August 16, 2011 aged 95, sank more enemy ships than any other British submariner of the war. He was awarded a DSC and Bar and a DSO and Bar as well as twice being mentioned in despatches.
George Edward Hunt was born on July 4 1916 at Milton of Campsie, north of Glasgow. Aged 13 he became a cadet on the Merchant Navy training ship Conway in the Mersey, and at 16 he joined the Glasgow-based Henderson Line, which sailed on routes to India and Burma. In 1930 he was commissioned as a Midshipman RNR, and in 1938 transferred to the Royal Navy.
After a year of technical and tactical courses Hunt spent a short time in the destroyer Foxhound before volunteering for submarine service, training in L26 and L27. He then joined Unity as the signals and navigation officer and was soon awarded his first DSC for gallant service on several successful patrols.
In May 1940 Hunt was appointed as liaison officer to the Dutch submarine O10, patrolling the North Sea and covering the evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk. From July to December he undertook patrols in the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay as first-lieutenant of the submarine H31, and from December to March 1941 he was liaison officer of the Polish submarine Sokol. Next Hunt was made the first-lieutenant of the submarine Proteus, which deployed to the Mediterranean, where he was awarded a Bar to his DSC.
He passed the submarine commanding officers’ course and in April 1942 took command of H33 and then of H50. It was in October 1942 that he took command of the submarine with which he would forge his reputation. This was known as P53 (HMS Ultor) which deployed to The Mediterranean in early 1943.
At the end of the war Hunt took command of the T-class submarine, Taku, and following the conclusion of the conflict he was first-lieutenant of the aircraft carrier Triumph. But by 1947 he was again in command of a submarine, Ambush, on trials under the ice-cap. In 1948 Hunt commanded the perisher course and was responsible for passing British officers fit to command submarines. Subsequently he was, until 1952, operations officer on the staff of the flag officer submarines. After a short time as executive officer of the aircraft carrier Theseus, Hunt was promoted captain and went to run the Admiralty Underwater Detection Establishment at Portland, Dorset. His next appointment was in command of the anti-submarine frigate Bigbury Bay on the West Indies station.Hunt’s last two appointments were as chief of staff to the flag officer submarines and director of naval equipment.
At the age of 46, he retired from the navy and emigrated to Australia, settling in Brisbane in 1963, where he worked for the British High Commission until 1976.
Full Daily Telegraph Obituary (including details of wartime exploits):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/naval-obituaries/\8714485/Captain-George-Hunt.html
George Edward Hunt was born on July 4 1916 at Milton of Campsie, north of Glasgow. Aged 13 he became a cadet on the Merchant Navy training ship Conway in the Mersey, and at 16 he joined the Glasgow-based Henderson Line, which sailed on routes to India and Burma. In 1930 he was commissioned as a Midshipman RNR, and in 1938 transferred to the Royal Navy.
After a year of technical and tactical courses Hunt spent a short time in the destroyer Foxhound before volunteering for submarine service, training in L26 and L27. He then joined Unity as the signals and navigation officer and was soon awarded his first DSC for gallant service on several successful patrols.
In May 1940 Hunt was appointed as liaison officer to the Dutch submarine O10, patrolling the North Sea and covering the evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk. From July to December he undertook patrols in the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay as first-lieutenant of the submarine H31, and from December to March 1941 he was liaison officer of the Polish submarine Sokol. Next Hunt was made the first-lieutenant of the submarine Proteus, which deployed to the Mediterranean, where he was awarded a Bar to his DSC.
He passed the submarine commanding officers’ course and in April 1942 took command of H33 and then of H50. It was in October 1942 that he took command of the submarine with which he would forge his reputation. This was known as P53 (HMS Ultor) which deployed to The Mediterranean in early 1943.
At the end of the war Hunt took command of the T-class submarine, Taku, and following the conclusion of the conflict he was first-lieutenant of the aircraft carrier Triumph. But by 1947 he was again in command of a submarine, Ambush, on trials under the ice-cap. In 1948 Hunt commanded the perisher course and was responsible for passing British officers fit to command submarines. Subsequently he was, until 1952, operations officer on the staff of the flag officer submarines. After a short time as executive officer of the aircraft carrier Theseus, Hunt was promoted captain and went to run the Admiralty Underwater Detection Establishment at Portland, Dorset. His next appointment was in command of the anti-submarine frigate Bigbury Bay on the West Indies station.Hunt’s last two appointments were as chief of staff to the flag officer submarines and director of naval equipment.
At the age of 46, he retired from the navy and emigrated to Australia, settling in Brisbane in 1963, where he worked for the British High Commission until 1976.
Full Daily Telegraph Obituary (including details of wartime exploits):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/naval-obituaries/\8714485/Captain-George-Hunt.html