Davie Hunter was Mr Dailly
And he rarely sat still!
With the death of David Hunter FSA Scot, Carrick has lost one of its best- known and admired residents.
Davie, 88, was a well- respected historian and expert on Carrick as well as being involved with numerous organisations.
Davie Hunter was born in 47 Coral Glen ( The Wee or Sma’ Glen) Maybole on 21st June 1931. His family moved to Sanquhar when he was six and from there to Oldham at the beginning of the Second World War.
Following the Manchester Blitz, and during the Battle of Britain, Davie was to be evacuated to New Zealand but this was cancelled as on the day he was due to sail from Liverpool an evacuee boat was sunk and all foreign evacuations were cancelled.
He was evacuated to his grandmother’s in Cairnfield Avenue, Maybole where he attended the Cairn School.
When air raids became less frequent, Davie was sent back to Oldham but the family returned to live in Maybole just before VE Day. He also attended Carrick Academy and Ayr Academy.
Aged 15, after an unsuccessful attempt to join the French Foreign Legion with his cousin - Donald McIntyre, Davie enlisted in the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. He was posted to Dundonald Camp and from there to North Camp, Glencorse, then to Dortmund in Germany aged 16.
In 1948, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Royal Scots Fusiliers amalgamated and he travelled all over Europe and took part in the Blockade of Berlin.
Whilst in Germany, Davie came home in December 1952 to marry Susan on Boxing Day.
In 1954, the Regiment came home to Edinburgh from Berlin and in April sailed for Malaya. His son David was born on March 27 and, after a 48- hour pass, Davie left Dailly when his son was one day old. He never saw him again until 1956.
Davie spent his last few months’ service in Churchill Barracks, Ayr and demobbed with the rank of Sergeant in June 1957, a month after daughter Valerie was born.
He worked for a few months as a shunter with British Rail at Falkland Junction, Ayr then as a coal miner in Killochan Pit for three and a half years before leaving to enlist in the police at Heathrow.
Over the next 25 years, Davie also served with Ayrshire Constabulary and Strathclyde Police as a Sergeant, the last four years stationed in Girvan.
He was a founder member of Strathclyde Police Search and Rescue Unit and was team leader before becoming Training and Incident Control Officer following an accident during a rescue exercise. He was awarded several Chief Constable Commendations and a Royal Humane Society Parchment for bravery following the rescue of a youth in an underground Lime Works in Patna.
As a member of the Police Federation, Davie attended bi- monthly meetings for eighteen months at the House of Commons, arranging the amalgamation of BAA Constabulary with the Metropolitan Police and Ayrshire Constabulary.
During his police service, Davie was involved with Scouting and eventually had 40 years’ service during which he held several appointments including Assistant Area Commissioner for Leader Training in Ayrshire.
He was awarded the Scout Association Medal of Merit and later awarded a Bar to the Medal of Merit.
He was also involved in training and other activities with the Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade and Girl Guides and was awarded the Guide Association’s Thanks Badge.
For several years, Davie was involved as Co- ordinator and Assessor with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and attended Holyrood Palace several times for the Duke’s Gold Presentation.
Along with his wife Susan, he received three invitations to Royal Garden Party at Holyrood.
For over 40 years, Davie visited many clubs, schools and organisations giving lectures and slide shows on local history and the Home Front during the Second World War.
He gathered large collections of world- wide militaria; police badges and equipment from all over the world and badges and uniforms from worldwide youth organisations and several other minor collections.
After leaving the police, Davie enlisted in Royal Observer Corps and was promoted to Leading Observer in the Ballantrae Post.
He became a member of Girvan Branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland and later transferred to Maybole Branch, eleven years as chairman.
Over the years, Davie received many accolades which included a Maybole Community Council Medallion in 2000, the Ayrshire Federation of Historical Societies ‘ John Strawhorn Quaich’ in 2003, honorary membership of Maybole Historical Society the same year, and a Maybole Community Council’s Scroll of Appreciation in 2005.
It would probably take a whole newspaper to list everything that Davie Hunter was involved in.
He was responsible for the erection of Dailly Miners Memorial and information plaques at Old Dailly Churchyard, at John Browns Grave in Dailly Churchyard and at Dailly Miners Memorial; set up original walking routes for Dailly and District Walks; named the greens and bridges and wrote a short history of Brunston Castle Golf Club.
His clubs ranges from Dailly Gala Week to founder of the Dailly Home and Away Club.
He will be missed by all who knew him and benefitted from his vast knowledge of Carrick.
Our condolences are extended to his wife Susan and their family. His funeral raised £ 600 which will be split between Marie Curie and Macmillan Nurses.
Cllr Brian Connolly took over from his as chairman of Maybole British Legion.
He said: “Carrick has lost one of its great characters.”
David Hunter will be sadly missed by all who knew him