Submarines Association Australia
Queensland Inc.

Royal Navy Reserve training at HMS CONWAY. During the period he served variously
with the Royal Navy in 2 cruisers and merchant shipping companies such as The Blue
Funnel Line as a junior officer.  1937 saw him serving in a Cruiser with the RN and as
part of the preparation for war.  In 1938 he was selected along with 100 others to
transfer to the RN. This saw the start of his submarine service at the end of 1938.

In 1939 he was a survivor from the submarine UNITY when she was rammed and
sunk in the North Sea. In 1940 he was appointed second in command of HM
Submarine PROTEUS in the Mediterranean theatre. During the period 1940/41
PROTEUS sank 12 ships and eventually the submarine "retired hurt" after ramming an
Italian Destroyer.

In 1942 he qualified for Command his first submarine being H50 and later that year
took Command of HMS ULTOR until the end of 1944. On completion of his time in
ULTOR Lt Hunt was promoted and for the last 6 months of hostilities was in command
of HMS TAKU as a Lt Cdr.

In all George Hunt did some 32 war patrols mainly from Malta, 17 of which were in
ULTOR. During that period he sank 28 ships, was awarded 2, DSO's, 2 DSC's and
was twice Mentioned in Despatches.

With the cessation of hostilities George did the R.N. Staff course at Greenwich and on
completion was appointed First lieutenant of HMS TRIUMPH.  Then in 1947 after
completion of CORQC he returned to submarines in Command of AMBUSH.

Subsequent appointments saw him appointed as “Teacher of the Perishers” in 1948,
then to the Staff of FOSM and then in 1952 as Executive Officer of HMS THESEUS,  
which was Lord Mountbatten’s Flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet. Other
appointments included  Captain of the 7th Frigate Squadron, Command of HMS
BIGBURY BAY and thence HMS ULSTER. Whilst in this appointment he was given the
substantive rank of Commodore as the Senior Naval Officer West Indies.

In 1958 Captain Hunt returned to the UK and took up the appointment as Chief Staff
Officer to FOSM. His final appointment in the Royal Navy was Director of Naval
Equipment from which he retired in 1963 after seeing the launch of HMS
DREADNOUGHT.

He settled in Australia in 1963 joining the RANEM as a Captain. Since coming to
Queensland he served with the Evans Deakin Company of Engineers being in charge
of Naval Repairs and Special Projects. In 1965 he took up an appointment in the British
High Commission. He finally retired in 1976. Since retirement he has been President
and been made a Life Member of The Royal United Institute an elected an Honorary
Member of the Company of Master Mariners of Australia. George was elected Patron of
the Submarine Association of Queensland in 1990.

George married his wife Pheobe in 1939.  Pheobe at the time of their marriage was a
serving member in the WRNS and had the honour of being the “Launching Lady” for
HMS TALLY HO in 1943.  She died last year after a lengthy illness. George has a
daughter and 2 grandchildren.
George's personal Jolly Roger
made by Jan Woolrych. The
original is hung in the Imperial
War Museum in London.