2nd Lt
Henry Johnson Hall
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 01/07/1889 |
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Place of birth: Cheshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Professional Soldier |
Army information
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Country: New Zealand |
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Force: New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Second Lieutenant |
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Service number: 30111 |
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Enlistment date: 25/07/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Trentham, Wellington, New Zealand |
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Units: — Auckland Infantry Regiment, 3rd Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Otto Farm, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 28 |
Cemetery
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Passchendaele New British Cemetery Plot: XI Row: D Grave: 5 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Henry Johnson Hall was born at Cheshire, England and was educated at Manchester High School. Later on he studied French and German. His service record mentions that his declared date of birth was 1 July 1889 but that this was not supported by other statements and that the year of his birth may have been some years earlier.
He was first commissioned in the New Zealand Army on 11 September 1911, where he was appointed Second Lieutenant as a volunteer officer. He resigned this commission on 20 September 1912. On 14 October 1914 he enlisted in the New Zealand Temporary Staff as a Sergeant Instructor where he attained the rank of Sergeant Major. He made repeated efforts to join the Expeditionary Force and was accepted in his restored rank of Second Lieutenant. On enlistment Hall declared he had served for five years with the British Regular Army in England and South Africa.
Hall joined (A Company) the 3rd Battalion Auckland Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, New Zealand Division. With his battalion he took part in the Battle of Broodseinde, a phase in the Battle of Passchendaele, on 4 October 1917. Together with the 3rd Bn. Otago Regiment, the 3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment was responsible to take the first objective near ‘s Graventafel. The advance started on time and after some resistance at Otto Farm the Brigade could move up to the red line and consolidate the first objective as planned. Second Lieutenant Hall must have died during this action and was initialy buried near Otto Farm (Sheet 28.D.14.d.9.9.). He is now remembered at Passchendaele New British Cemetery, Plot XI, Row D, Grave5.
He was first commissioned in the New Zealand Army on 11 September 1911, where he was appointed Second Lieutenant as a volunteer officer. He resigned this commission on 20 September 1912. On 14 October 1914 he enlisted in the New Zealand Temporary Staff as a Sergeant Instructor where he attained the rank of Sergeant Major. He made repeated efforts to join the Expeditionary Force and was accepted in his restored rank of Second Lieutenant. On enlistment Hall declared he had served for five years with the British Regular Army in England and South Africa.
Hall joined (A Company) the 3rd Battalion Auckland Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, New Zealand Division. With his battalion he took part in the Battle of Broodseinde, a phase in the Battle of Passchendaele, on 4 October 1917. Together with the 3rd Bn. Otago Regiment, the 3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment was responsible to take the first objective near ‘s Graventafel. The advance started on time and after some resistance at Otto Farm the Brigade could move up to the red line and consolidate the first objective as planned. Second Lieutenant Hall must have died during this action and was initialy buried near Otto Farm (Sheet 28.D.14.d.9.9.). He is now remembered at Passchendaele New British Cemetery, Plot XI, Row D, Grave5.
Sources 2
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Burton O.E., The Auckland Regiment, (Uckfield, Naval and Military Press, 2004), pp. 172-175. Sources used |
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McCarthy C., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Uniform, 2018), pp. 112-113. Sources used |
More information 5
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461289 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=9fe3cdf9-9cea-4bcf-a5c5-e1107281a333 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7175642 |
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Online Cenotaph (Auckland Museum) https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/c6125 |
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The NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=103150 |