HUNT, George Mathew
Service Number: | SX7003 |
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Enlisted: | 29 June 1940, Wayville, SA |
Last Rank: | Private |
Last Unit: | 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion |
Born: | Strathalbyn, South Australia, 1 March 1914 |
Home Town: | Pine Point, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia |
Schooling: | Finnis and Pine Point Schools, South Australia |
Occupation: | Truck Driver, farm hand, wheat stacker |
Died: | 13 March 1986, aged 72 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
Cemetery: |
Enfield Memorial Park, South Australia Eastern Niche Wall Number 2 RSL AL 7. |
Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
29 Jun 1940: | Involvement Private, SX7003 | |
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29 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Wayville, SA | |
29 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, SX7003, 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion | |
15 Nov 1945: | Discharged | |
15 Nov 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, SX7003, 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion |
Essential, Reliable Service Provided
George was born in Strathalbyn on the 1st March, 1914, one of Stewart Mathew and Rosamund Russell Hunt’s five children. He was named after his grandfather, George and great grandfather, Mathew. The latter went to Myponga in the early days of European settlement, having come from Dorset with his brother John. Young George Matthew’s siblings were Ralph Leslie, Doris, Jean and Jack (Archibald John).
George initially went to Finnis School where he was extremely fortunate to escape with a visible scar, which was still obvious when he eventually enlisted to serve in WWII where it was documented as ‘scar above left eye’. The Southern Argus in its July ’30 edition reported that ‘While helping other boys to grub round some trees in the school grounds prior to their being rooted out, George Hunt received a severe gash in the head with a pickaxe, which one of the other boys was using. Mr. E. Kerslake tendered first-aid and the boy was motored home.’ George appeared to relish outdoor activities, being part of the Lone Scout Group, enjoying camping and being part of a large Rally in Adelaide.
The family moved to Muloowurtie with the name being changed in September 1940 to Pine Point on Yorke Peninsula. There George and his siblings attended the local Pine Point School (near Ardrossan). Post school he worked a variety of jobs including being a farm hand, wheat stacker and in shipping and a truck driver. He was a useful footballer and because of his height, also proved to be a talented high jumper.
With the outbreak of WWII, George’s 30-year-old brother, Ralph enlisted on the 6th May ’41, becoming S21256 with the 4th Garrison Battalion. Aged 26 George was the next to enlist on the 29th June ’40 as SX7003 when he was allocated to the 2/48th Battalion. With his background as a truck driver, he was ideal to continue in this role with the battalion. Their youngest brother Archibald John (Jack) enlisted in February ’42 as SX17148, with all three brothers then part of the war effort.
George’s early days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before George and other new enlistees headed to Woodside for their preliminary training. Following pre-embarkation leave George and his fellow 2/48th Battalion, embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940 and disembarked on the 17th December. His 2/48th Battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica before going to Tobruk at the start of April 1941 where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to these fresh new enlistees. They were soon to become part of the highly respected and decorated rats of Tobruk.
George was a highly valued and reliable driver in the 2/48th Battalion. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan described conditions in August ’41 and the importance of supplies being delivered to those in the front line. ‘Other members of B Echelon who were always on the move were Gordon Hobby and Col Lomman with their drivers George Hunt and Carp Townsend, on whose shoulders fell the responsibility of collecting rations from the dump at Airente. They were the main contact with the back areas, and many were the furphies they brought back to the troops at the front. These men and the others with them were doing a grand job in keeping up the supplies and were a very essential part of the rations. Only on one occasion were Col and Gordon late back with rations, and both times were due to bombing raids.’
Inevitably those who fought together made close and lasting friendships. Conditions of war inevitably terminated the longevity of those friendships, but the memories for those who lived, remained.
1942 was one such year. In July ’42 the now highly respected 2/48th were sent to El Alamein, in Egypt. In late June, ‘42 with Rommel crossing into Egypt, the 2/48th were in an offensive to capture Trig 33, which was achieved on the 10th July. In doing so, over 400 Italian prisoners were taken. The battalion then advanced south, capturing the Tel el Eisa station and repelling numerous counter attacks. However, they were eventually forced to withdraw, having suffered over 100 casualties. Private Stan Gurney was awarded the 2/48th Battalion’s first VC having captured two machine gun posts and bayonetted the gun crew firing on his company but was killed attempting to take a third. The 2/48th battalion suffered 215 casualties between the 7th July and 23rd October. Of that number, 64 men were killed and six died of their wounds. 125 other men were wounded but survived. It was during the bitter fighting at Tel el Eisa on 22 July ‘42 26-year-old Private Gordon Jury, who enlisted at a similar time to George, was killed in action.
A measure of the fine young soldier Gordon was, the closeness of those in the 2/48th Battalion and the devastation of the losses incurred in July ’42 is reflected in the tributes from fellow soldiers who survived. They included SX7261 Wally Everett, SX7003 George Hunt, SX7263 Bill (Curly) Foster, SX7257 Corporal Stanley Smith, SX7276 Corporal Stephen Lister and SX8132 Private Cyril Fleet. In August 1942, George posted a tribute to Gordon in the Adelaide Advertiser. ‘JURY.—A tribute to Private Gordon Jury, killed in action on July 22. Too far away your grave to see. But not too far to think of you. —Always remembered by George Hunt (2nd A.I.F., abroad), and Jean and Vera.’
That month, George was hospitalised with bronchitis before being able to return to his battalion and eventually returning safely to Australia via Melbourne in February ’43 and precious leave with his family. Training in Queensland followed, before George’s Battalion headed to New Guinea. By April ’44 he contracted Malaria on several occasions which caused more hospitalisation.
Whist being back in South Australia, in June ’44, George had two instances of being absent without leave, which proved to be a costly financial exercise for him. The following year he was then posted to Tarakan to face a very different enemy in totally different terrain and conditions. By October ’45 George was finally back in South Australia, to be discharged on the 15th November ’45. Brother Ralph was discharged the following week and finally, four months later, Archibald (Jack) was discharged on the 29th March ’46.
Aged 72, George’s father, Stewart died on the 8th July ’59 and his 77 year old mother, Rosamond on the 29th September ’65. Both are buried in the Ardrossan Cemetery.
At the same age as his father, 72, George died on the 13th March in 1986 and was buried in the Enfield Memorial Park where a plaque commemorates his service during WWII. His ashes are in the Eastern Niche Wall Number 2 RSL AL 7.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.
Submitted 7 August 2022 by Kaye Lee