The quintessential British colonial, living a life of adventure abroad, is now thought to be confined to the writing of Kipling and his contemporaries. But Hilary Hook, alive until just 30 years ago, strove to embody the adventurous character, with a full life abroad as a soldier, hunter and raconteur.
Born in 1917, Hook’s lifelong hankering for adventure and excitement began as a mischievous boy in Devon - whether hanging from cliffs to collect birds’ eggs, or reading Kipling’s tales as he lay by the log fire in a well-to-do home. Boxing lessons from a friendly local were accompanied by nights snaring rabbits. His thirst for hunting developed at boarding school, where a ride with the hunt was used as a motivator to get him to knuckle down.
Hook did well enough to go through the rigours of Sandhurst Military Academy and come out a Second Lieutenant. Not long after he turned 20 he realised his dream to go to India - but the second world war intervened and he volunteered to serve as a private with the Australian forces in Papua New Guinea and Burma.