Captain Percy Frederic Hunt (28 May 1873 – 6 August 1901) was French-born, British army officer who was killed in action by the Letaba Commando at Duivelskloof during the Second Boer War.
After Hunt's death, his subordinate and close friend, Lt. Harry Morant, responded with a series of revenge killings of both POWs and many local civilians.
At the end of July 1901, the garrison at Fort Edward received a visit from the Reverend Fritz Reuter of the Berlin Missionary Society and his family.
Reuter reported that Field cornet Barend Viljoen's Letaba Commando was present at Duivelskloof and had been "harassing local noncombatant farmers".
Reuter's intelligence had been confirmed by a Native runner, Captain Hunt also learned that Sergeant Cecil's patrol had been ambushed near the Medingen Mission Station.
In addition to service personnel of the Bushveldt Carbineers, the patrol included Tony Schiel, a defector from the Zoutpansberg Commando and Intelligence Scout for Captain Alfred Taylor.
According to South African historian Charles Leach, Captain Hunt had received "warnings and expressions of caution" regarding "the wisdom of attacking an enemy position at night" without normal reconnaissance of the place.
[6] After planning a two-pronged attack, Captain Hunt ordered Trooper Silke to wait for a signal shot and rush the farmhouse from behind with 50 Lobedu warriors.
"[8] The body of Captain Hunt was later found stripped, with his neck broken, his face stomped on with a hobnailed boot, and with his legs slashed with a knife.
[9] According to South African historian Charles Leach, however, Captain Hunt's broken neck would be consistent with a fall down the concrete steps after being shot in the chest.
According to historian Charles Leach, accounts by French anthropologist Henri Junod reveal that the traditional practice of the Lobedu people was to disembowel dead and dying warriors on the battlefield in order to set their spirits free.
[12][13][14][15] According to South African historian Arthur Davey, "...Hunt was only 28 when he was killed and therefore younger than his subordinates, Morant and Handcock, and only a year older than the hapless Witton.
Ex-Captain Robertson, giving evidence at the trial of Lenehan, stated that he, Taylor, and Hunt had known the truth about the death of Trooper van Buuren which had been concealed 'in the interest of the corps.'
As the Heese case shows, the veracity of Morant and Handcock is suspect, whilst Captain Robertson was a man who had turned King's Evidence, so Hunt's reputation remains, as it were, in limbo.