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46461c
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| Caption: | Brigadier (later General) Sir Peter Mervyn Hunt GCB, DSO, OBE, DL (11th March 1916 - 2nd October 1988) was Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army. He served in World War II and commanded British Forces deployed in response to the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation and later in his career he provided advice to the British Government at a time of continuing tension associated with the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Born the son of H.V Hunt he was commissioned into the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders on 30th January 1936. Hunt saw action during the Second World War and was promoted to captain in 1944. Later that year he was given the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel and appointed Commanding Officer of the Seaforth Highlanders leading them in North West Europe and receiving the DSO in May 1945. After the War he was appointed a Chevalier of the Order of Leopold II of Belgium and Croix de Guerre. Appointed OBE in the New Year Honours 1948, he was given command of the 1st Battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders in 1957 in Aden and the UK 1957-60. Promoted to colonel in 1960, he became Commander of 152nd (Highland) Infantry Brigade and Chief of Staff at Scottish Command in 1962. He was appointed General Officer Commanding the 17th Gurkha Division and Land Forces Borneo and promoted to major-general in February 1964 and went on to be General Officer Commanding Far East Land Forces with the rank of lieutenant general in 1968. Advanced to KCB in the New Year Honours 1969, he became Commander Northern Army Group and Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine with the rank of general in December 1970. Advanced to GCB in the New Year Honours 1973 and also appointed ADC General to the Queen that year, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff on 19th July 1973 at a time of continuing tension associated with the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He retired from the British Army on 12th August 1976. He was also Colonel of the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) from 7th February 1966 and Colonel of the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles from 1st August 1966. In retirement he became Constable of the Tower of London from 1st August 1980 and Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall from 4th August 1982. He lived at Portloe in Cornwall. His personal interests included shooting and medical charities: he was President of the National Smallbore Rifle Association and Chairman of the Council of the King Edward VII's Hospital in London. He died on 2nd October 1988. In 1940 he married Anne Stopford; they had one son and one daughter. Following the death of his first wife he married Susan Davidson in 1978. |
| Added: | 08/04/2012 |
| Keywords: |
man portrait army uniform soldier medals
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