HUNTER, James Arthur Carr (1896-1986)
James Hunter was born in Melbourne on 6 November 1896, the son of Evan James Hunter and Maud Powis nee Scott, of Warragul.
He was educated at The Grange Preparatory School, South Yarra, before attending Geelong College from 1911-1913. He was in the 1st Football XVIII in 1913.
Hunter was manager of his father’s stock and station business in Warragul when he enlisted (No 24464) in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 7 February 1916, initially as a gunner. He embarked on HMAT A37 Barambah on 27 June 1916 and served in France with the 7th Field Artillery Brigade. At the end of the war, he returned to Australia, embarking on 4 June 1919.
The next fifteen years were spent in the stock and station agency business. In 1926 he married Cynthia Mary Taylor, daughter of Frank Norman Taylor and Janet Christina Templeton of East Melbourne.
During World War II he again enlisted (No VX32840) on 12 June 1940 and initially served in HQ 23rd Australian Infantry Brigade Bouegilla until he transferred to the RAAF in March 1941 where he served as a Squadron Leader (No 252155) in 2 Transport and Movement Office up to the time of his discharge on 14 June 1945.
Leslie Hunter died on the 9 April 1986. He had put his date of birth forward by 8 years to 6 November 1904 on enlistment for the Second World War.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. p 221 and Geelong Collegians at the Second World War, p. 290 (citing Pegasus; National Archives; Australian War Memorial, Alexander Henderson, Henderson’s Australian Families 1941).