King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

Letter to Hunter from Kitchener, dated 14 Apr 1911

“14th April 1911
My dear Hunter,
Thanks for your letter I am afraid I cannot get away to visit Spain much as I should like to do so. I had a glorious time in Africa and hope to go back there next October if all goes well. I will let you know if I hear anything about your future after the 1st May they give me an office in Horse Guards for Coronation duties so I may hear more then.
Best regards to your wife. What a pity it was for me that you got back in time last November.
Khartoum is going ahead quite well and will be a fine town. It was very pleasant to meet so many old friends in Egypt and the Sudan.
Gorst is pretty sick and there is some doubt whether he can carry on long.
Yours ever
Kitchener”

Accession Number: KO2686/111

* Lieutenant General Sir John Eldon Gorst, (1861-12 Jul 1911)
 

Letter to Hunter from Kitchener, dated 1 Jul 1911

“1st July 1911
My dear Hunter,
I have been so busy with Coronation Shows that I have had no time to tell you how delighted I was to see your name as a GCB.
Many thanks for your congratulations as well as those of your wife, to whom please convey my best regards.
I am glad the ceremonies are over they went quite well and the troops in London behaved splendidly. No case of any crime amongst 60000 is obviously good and no sickness.
I wish I could look you up at Gib but fear it will be impossible.
Yours always.
K.”
Accession Number: KO2686/113

* Coronation of King George V which Kitchener oversaw.

Letter to Hunter from Kitchener, dated 31 Dec, year unknown between 1911 and 1913.

31st December
My dear Hunter,
Very many thanks for Lady Hunter’s and your good wishes. I know I need not wish you any happiness in the coming year as you have already in your wife all you could desire. I had a very enjoyable shoot up the Blue Nile and got a second koodoo [kudu] which is what I was after.
It took a good deal of hard work as they are very shy and none too numerous and only got my beast the last day.
I refused to shoot anything else so it became a matter of [ ] of the Blue Nile to find me one. It was the only one I saw.
It is very pleasant here meeting so many old friends particularly amongst the old black troops who are full of where and how they know with[?] me and are I am quite sure glad to see me again. Everything has gone ahead in a most wonderful way.
Sennar by train and now it is open to the White Nile so I start from [ ] Abu [ ] for Uganda on the 9th January leaving Khartoum the night before.
Best regards to Lady Hunter.
Yours always
Kitchener.

Accession Number: KO2686/114

Koo doo or Kudu - striped antelope of Africa.