LCpl. Albert John Hunter

Albert John Hunter was born at Nelson in the Tasman region of New Zealand's South Island on 9 April 1885 (reg. 1885/6879). His parents were Robert Hunter and Helen Hunter (nee Kerr) who had married in 1881 (reg. 1881/378) and made their home at Bridge Street in Nelson. Albert was known as 'Jock' and worked as a carpenter for the Railways Department. He was in the First XV of the Nelson Football Club and was part of the Nelson Boxing Association. On 29 July 1909 Albert and Mary Ellen Pope married in Nelson. Their son, Robert Harold Hunter, was born at Nelson on 7 July 1910. Mary died at their home at Tasman Street in Nelson on 26 February 1911 at the age of 29. She was buried in Wakapuaka Cemetery. During World War I Albert served with the New Zealand Engineers (Service No. WWI 4/1796). He was killed in action on 7 June 1917 during the Battle of Messines (7-14 June 1917). 32-year-old Albert is remembered on Panel 2 of the Messines Ridge New Zealand Memorial in Belgium. He is also remembered on the Railways Roll of Honour board at Wellington Railway Station, the Rai Valley War Memorial in Marlborough, the Nelson Cenotaph at Anzac Park in Nelson, the memorial window at All Saints' Church in Nelson, and on Mary's headstone at Wakapuaka Cemetery. Bio by Debbie McCauley (2 January 2024).

Newspaper Article

On Saturday morning Mr and Mrs Robert Hunter, of Bridge street, received a cable stating that their son, Albert John, who left New Zealand with the Engineers, had been killed in action. The message was from their other son, Corporal L. W. Hunter who is also in France, and was dated June 8th, and as the word "throat" was in the cable, it is presumed that death was the result of a wound in the throat. "Jock", as he was popularly known among his friends, was 32 years of age, and at the time of his enlistment was in the employ of the Railway Department. A fine athlete, he took a keen interest in football and boxing. For some years he played in the Nelson Football Club's first fifteen, and on several occasions represented the province. In the days of the Nelson Boxing Association, he took part many contests, with considerable success. He was a clever exponent of the manly art and was the best boxer in his class that this district has turned out. The deceased was a member of Court Robin Hood, A.O.F. He was a widower and leaves one son—little Bobbie Hunter who has been a regular contributor to the Tobacco and Y.M.C.A. funds. Sapper Hunter was a man of fine character, and his letters from France, where he had been for many months, were full of cheery optimism. Very general sympathy will be felt for Mr and Mrs Hunter, and their grandson, in the deep loss they have sustained. Source: Colonist (18 June 1917, p. 4).

Sources

1. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
2. Colonist (18 June 1917, p. 4).
3. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohHI-HY.html / Ref 10.4.2021