ALBERT HUNTER

Another local man who was killed in action was a member of the New Zealand Cyclist Battalion, Private Albert William Hunter. As a youth, he had served some time in the Royal Navy, training in submarines. On discharge, he worked at Nicholls' wool scouring business in Kaputone Belfast as a labourer. Despite being 36 years of age, he enlisted in March 1916, and arrived in France in November. After Messines, he was detached to the Grenade School for training, and returned to his unit in October 1917. He was wounded in the right leg in January 1918 and sent on leave in February 1918. He rejoined his unit in March 1918 near Hill 60 in the Ypres Salient. The Cyclist Battalion had been fighting to resist German advances in April, and according to Stewart (in his official history of the New Zealand Division in France) “…they took up a defensive position astride the Vierstraat road, and here, subjected to several days of heavy shelling, cyclists and mounted men stopped all attempts of the enemy to advance.” It was in this action that Albert Hunter was killed in action, on 17 April 1918, aged 38. He is commemorated the Messines Ridge ( New Zealand ) Memorial.

Back to The Men from Papanui