John Hunt, Baron Hunt
| The Lord Hunt | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Henry Cecil John Hunt |
| Born |
22 June 1910 Simla, British Raj |
| Died | 7 November 1998 (aged 88) Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, UK |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Years of service | 1930–1956 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Commands held |
11th Indian Infantry Brigade 11th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards |
Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order |
| Other work | Mountaineer |
Brigadier Henry Cecil John Hunt, Baron Hunt KG, CBE, DSO, PC (22 June 1910 – 7 November 1998) was a British Army officer who is best known as the leader of the successful 1953 British Expedition to Mount Everest.
Hunt was born in Simla, British India on 22 June 1910, the son of Captain Cecil Edwin Hunt MC, of the Indian Army, and a great-great-nephew of the explorer Sir Richard Burton. His father was killed in action during the First World War. Hunt, from the age of 10, spent much holiday time in the Alps, learning some of the mountaineering skills he would later hone while taking part in several expeditions in the Himalayas while serving in India. He made a guided ascent of Piz Palu at 14. He was educated at Marlborough College, Wiltshire, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he was awarded the King's Gold Medal and the Anson Memorial Sword.
After Sandhurst, Hunt was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) in 1930. In 1931, the regiment was posted to India. He was promoted lieutenant in 1933. Despite his background he seems not to have been entirely comfortable with the prevailing social climate of the Raj. He preferred Rugby to Polo, and having already gained fluency in German and French he added Urdu and some Bengali. In 1934 he became a Military Intelligence officer in the Indian Army, with the local rank of captain, and was seconded to the Indian police. At this time the Indian independence movement was gaining ground, and Bengal was particularly affected. Hunt even worked undercover, gathering intelligence in Chittagong while dressed in Indian clothing. He returned to his regiment in 1935, having been awarded the Indian police medal.
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