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FreddieHunn

A veteran interview with

Freddie Hunn

Major Freddie Hunn gives a brilliant account of his military service up top to the end of the North African campaign. He served with the 12th Royal Lancers and sailed to France with the British Expeditionary Force. We know how that ended.

What’s not so often heard is what it was really like to be a Desert Rat. Freddie fills in a lot of the details. Frustratingly, we never met again. Freddie passed away in 2015.

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About Freddie Hunn

Major Freddie Hunn’s extensive account offers a profound insight into his remarkable military service. Driven by limited job opportunities and influenced by stories from his friends, Freddie was inspired to enlist in the 12th Royal Lancers, an armoured car regiment, in 1937. Over the course of the Second World War, he served at the forefront of some of its most pivotal campaigns, from the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France to the unforgiving deserts of North Africa.

When war broke out, Freddie was deployed to France with the BEF. What began as a period of relative inactivity during the harsh winter of 1939-40 quickly turned to chaos as the German Blitzkrieg unfolded. Freddie and his regiment endured a continual retreat to the coast, witnessing the devastation of strafing Stuka attacks and aiding in the evacuation of thousands at De Panne.

Freddie’s journey continued with a convoy voyage across the Atlantic to North Africa, where he became a “Desert Rat.” There, he faced daily threats from shells, relentless Stuka bombings, and gruelling conditions: in particular the limited water supply. He witnessed firsthand the toll of war, as many comrades succumbed to the debilitating effects of shell shock amidst relentless bombardments. Among his extraordinary experiences were leading a daring attack on a German convoy near Benghazi and navigating a minefield in Tunisia.

From the chaos of Dunkirk to the pivotal Battle of El Alamein and countless close calls, Freddie’s service was marked by extraordinary bravery and incredible luck. His reflections not only shed light on the realities of war but also pay tribute to the courage, sacrifices, and profound cost borne by those who served.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Olivia Hannam

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

Copyright:
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Home | Veterans | Freddie Hunn

A veteran interview with

Freddie Hunn

FreddieHunn

Major Freddie Hunn gives a brilliant account of his military service up top to the end of the North African campaign. He served with the 12th Royal Lancers and sailed to France with the British Expeditionary Force. We know how that ended.

What’s not so often heard is what it was really like to be a Desert Rat. Freddie fills in a lot of the details. Frustratingly, we never met again. Freddie passed away in 2015.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Hunn, Freddie. A Veteran Interview with Freddie Hunn. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 16 Dec. 2012 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-hunn/. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
APA Style:
Hunn, F. (2012, December 16). A Veteran Interview with Freddie Hunn [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved June 14, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-hunn/
Chicago Style:
Hunn, Freddie. 2012. A Veteran Interview with Freddie Hunn. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, December 16. Accessed June 14, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-hunn/
Harvard Style:
Hunn, F. (2012). A Veteran Interview with Freddie Hunn. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 16 December. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-hunn/ (Accessed: 14 June 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Hunn, F. A Veteran Interview with Freddie Hunn [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2012 Dec 16 [cited 2025 Jun 14]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/freddie-hunn/
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