| Hunter | Archibald | | Captain | HUNTER, ARCHIBALD, Captain and Brevet Major, was born 6 September 1856. He was educated at Glasgow Academy, and Sandhurst; joined the Army as Sub-Lieutenant (unattached) 13 June 1874; was gazetted to the 4th The King's Own Regiment, afterwards Royal Lancaster Regiment, 13 June 1874; Lieutenant, Instructor of Musketry, 4th Foot, 25 January 1879 to 19 April 1880. He was Adjutant Royal Lancaster Regiment 20 April 1880 to 11 November 1882, and became Captain, Royal Lancaster Regiment, 3 August 1882. He was employed with the Egyptian Army 28 February 1884 to 19 January 1887; and 11 March 1888 to April 1899: served in the Sudan Expedition, 1884-85 (Nile), with the Egyptian Army. Colonel Andrew Haggard says, in 'Under Crescent and Star' (page 331): "The black regiment ... was the 9th Battalion of the Egyptian Army, commanded by Archibald Hunter, a splendid fellow, and ... raised during the past year entirely from Sudanese negroes, many of them being those who had been sent back from Suakin, whilst others had come from Khartoum". He was mentioned in Despatches; received the Medal with clasp, and the Bronze Star; was given the Brevet of Major 15 June, 1885, and 4th Class Osmanieh. He again served in the Sudan 1885-86-89; was present at the action of Ginniss; was severely wounded; mentioned in Despatches; received the 3rd Class Medjidie, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 26 November 1886]: "Archibald Hunter, Captain and Brevet Major, Royal Lancaster Regiment. For action at Ginniss". Present at action of Arguin; at the action of Toski (wounded); in command of a Brigade of the Egyptian Army. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 6 September 1889]; received a clasp and the Brevet of Lieutenant Colonel 17 August 1889. He was promoted to Major 15 June, 1892; and was Governor of the Red Sea Littoral, and Commandant, Suakin, 11 August 1892 to 28 July 1894. He was Governor of the Frontier, and Commandant, Field Force, Egypt, 29 July 1894 to 30 November 1896. In the Expedition to Dongola in 1896, he commanded the Egyptian Infantry Division, taking part in the operations of the 7th June and 19th September He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 3 November 1896]; received the Medal and the Egyptian Medal with two clasps, and was promoted to Major General for distinguished service 18 November 1896. From 1 December 1896 to 6 April, 1899, Major General Hunter was Governor of Dongola Province, and Commandant, Field Force, Egypt. In the Nile Expedition of 1897 he was in command of columns, and took part in the action at Abu Hamed, in the occupation of Berber and the Flying Column to the Atbara. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 25 January 1898]; received the 2nd Class Osmanieh and two clasps to the Egyptian Medal. In the Nile Expedition of 1898 he commanded the four Infantry Divisions of the Egyptian Army, also the Cavalry Reconnaissances of the 30th March and 4th April, and was present at the Battles of Atbara and Khartoum. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 24 May and 30 September 1898]; was created a KCB; thanked by both Houses of Parliament, and received two clasps to the Egyptian Medal. Sir Archibald Hunter was Major General, in India, 14 May 1899 to 5 May 1901. He was Major General (Chief of Staff), Natal, from 21 September 1899 to 8 October 1899; Chief of Staff, South Africa, from 9 October 1899 to 9 January 1900; Chief of Staff, Natal, from 10 January 1900 to 5 March, 1900; and Lieutenant General Infantry Division 6 March, 1900 to 5 May 1901 (prompted to Lieutenant General 6 March 1900). His services in the South African War from 1899 to 1901 were as follows: Chief of Staff, South Africa, afterwards Chief of Staff, Natal. Operations in Natal, 1899, including operations at Rietfontein and Lombard's Kop. Defence of Ladysmith, including sortie of 7 December 1899. In command of the 10th Division. Operations in Cape Colony, North of Orange River, April and May 1900, including action at Ruidam. Operations in the Transvaal in May and June, 1900. In command of operations in Orange River Colony, July to November 1900, including action at Wittebergen (29 July), and Witpoort. Commanded in Orange River Colony 9 November 1900 to 24 January 1901. Despatches [London Gazette, 8 February 1901] (Sir G S White, 2 December 1899, and 23 March, 1900, and Lord Roberts, 25 Sept, 1900), and Despatches [London Gazette, 16 April, 1901. Queen's Medal with six clasps. Promoted Lieutenant General for distinguished service. In his 'History of the Great Boer War', Sir A Conan Doyle describes Sir A Hunter as the "youngest and most dashing of British Generals", and says that, in the operations when he occupied Heidelberg, "lan Hamilton broke his collar-bone, and for a time the command of his division passed to Hunter—the one man, perhaps, whom the Army would regard as an adequate successor". From 6 May 1901 to 30 September 1903, Sir A Hunter was Lieutenant General, Scottish District, and he was GOC, Southern Army, India, from 30 October 1903 to 29 October 1908. He became General on 8 December 1905. From 30 September 1910 to 1 July 1913, he was Governor and Commander-in-Chief at Gibraltar. He was created a GCB in 1911, and a GCVO in 1912. General Hunter commanded the Aldershot Training Centre from 23 August 1914, and the 4th Army in 1914. He was Colonel of the King's Own Lancaster Regiment. In 1910 Sir A Hunter married Mary, daughter of Hickson Fergusson and widow of the 2nd Lord Inverclyde. He was elected MP for Lancaster Division at the General Election in 1918 as a Coalition Unionist. There is a graphic account of the Sortie from Ladysmith on 7 December 1899 (described by Sir lan Hamilton as "a brilliant stroke of arms"), in General Sir Frederick Maurice's official 'History of the War in South Africa, 1899-1902', published by Hurst and Blackett: "The practice of the 94-pr gun and a 4.7-in Howitzer on Gun Hill had for some time been so harassing that Brevet Major D Henderson, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, DAAG for Intelligence on Sir G White's Staff, asked leave to make an attempt with 50 men to destroy them at night. Permission was at first refused; subsequently, however, it was decided to carry through the enterprise with a stronger body. A force of 650 men was therefore placed under the command of Major General Sir A Hunter, the Chief of the Staff. It consisted of 500 Natal Carbineers, under Colonel Royston; 100 Imperial Light Horse, under Lieutenant Colonel A H M Edwards, 5th Dragoon Guards; 18 of the Corps of Guides, under Brevet Major D Henderson; a detachment Royal Engineers, under Captain G H Fowke, RE, and a detachment of No 10 Mountain Battery. The venture was perfectly successful. As a preliminary, the 1st Devon Regt,, moving out after dark, entrenched in a covering position north of the Helpmakaar Ridge. Skilfully led by Major Henderson and his guides, the column, marching in sections, then covered the two miles of rough scrub-grown country between the Helpmakaar Ridge and Gun Hill without incident or confusion, despite the black darkness, and by 2 am reached the base of the flat-topped under-feature whereon stood the Boer guns. Shortly before this the force had divided. The main body of the Natal Carbineers branched out to right and left to cover the flanks, and now, between these wings, 200 men, taken equally from the Imperial Light Horse and the rest of the Natal Carbineers, lined up for assault. The surprise was complete. Sweeping aside the piquet, which confronted them with a hurried fire, the troopers of the Imperial Light Horse broke into the work containing the 94-pr, the Natal Carbineers soon afterwards discovering that of the 4.7-in Howitzer. Charges of cotton were fixed on the breeches and muzzles of both guns and successfully fired with fuses ignited by burning cigars. Sir A Hunter then called for three cheers for HM the Queen, and collecting his force, of which Major Henderson and seven men were wounded, withdrew in safety, taking with him a Maxim captured on the hill. By 7 am all were back in Ladysmith".
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DS | (King's Own) Royal Lancaster Regiment |
