Part 89

=HACKER, ARTHUR ALFRED=, Trooper, No. 13/487, 3rd Auckland Mounted Rifles, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, _s._ of Thomas Hacker; _b._ Swindon, co. Wilts, 29 Dec. 1886; educ. Sandford Street School there; went to New Zealand; volunteered and joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the autumn of 1914; left for Egypt in Oct., took part in the landing at the Dardanelles, 25 April, 1915, and was killed in action there, 19 or 26 May following; _unm._

=HACKETT, JOHN HENRY=, 2nd Yeoman of Signals (R.F.R., B. 2433), 205808, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=HADFIELD, WILFRID JOHN MACKENZIE=, Lieut., 2nd Battn. (Prince of Wales’ Volunteers) South Lancashire Regt., only _s._ of Major-Gen. Charles Arthur Hadfield, by his wife, Florence Elizabeth, dau. of the late Rev. Octavius Bathurst Byers, Vicar of Christ Church, Croydon; _b._ Southsea, 11 Jan. 1889; educ. Norman’s Preparatory School; “The New Beacon,” Sevenoaks; Repton School; “Army School,” Stratford-on-Avon, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the South Lancashire Regt. 6 Nov. 1909, and promoted Lieut. 17 April, 1912; went to France with his battn. as Battn. Transport Officer, and was seriously wounded in the Battle of the Marne on 6 Sept., dying in the Civil Hospital at Angers, France, four days later, 10 Sept. 1914; _unm._ Buried in cemetery at Angers the following day, the French garrison attending and rendering full military honours. Lieut.-Col. C. Wanliss, commanding his battn., wrote: “He was a splendid officer, and his loss to the regt. is irreparable. He worked day and night with the transport, and had he lived would certainly have received special recognition”; and Lieut.-Col. G. Ashworth, who succeeded to the command, declared: “Whenever he was ordered to do anything he did it thoroughly, and put all his energies into it.” Brig.-Gen. D. G. Prendergast, who had previously for four years commanded the battn., wrote from Cairo: “Wilfrid was a splendid soldier and an English boy. I took the greatest interest in him because I could see he meant to go ahead and rise to the top of his profession if possible.” Lieut. Hadfield was a keen rifle shot, and winner of the first prize at the Officers’ Competition, Salisbury Rifle Meeting, in July, 1914.

=HADLEY, ALFRED THOMAS=, S.P.O. Stoker, P.O., 305457, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=HAGGARTY, PATRICK=, Private, No. 16717, A Coy., 11th (Service) Battn. The Royal Scots, _s._ of John Haggarty; _b._ Greenock, 2 Nov. 1885; educ. St. Mary’s Public School there; enlisted 24 Dec. 1914; and was killed in action at Ypres, at 8 a.m., 4 July, 1915, by a shell. “He had just drawn his breakfast and was on his way back to his part of the trench, when a high explosive shell came over and struck him in the mouth, killing him and the Sergt. of his Coy. They were both buried beside the Headquarters about 30 yards from where they were killed.” His commanding officer, Capt. R. Wemyss-Campbell, wrote that “he was a good soldier and did his duty to the last.” He _m._ at Greenock, 17 Feb. 1911, Helen (34, Shaw Street, Greenock), dau. of (--) (and Mary, née McIntyre) Sweeney; _s.p._

=HAGUE, JAMES=, Private, No. 10890, 2nd Battn. Durham L.I., _s._ of the late George W. Hague, of Newcastle, by his wife, Katie; _b._ Newcastle, 4 June, 1884; educ. Gateshead; was a Miner; served six years in the Army; re-enlisted 3 Oct. 1914; went to France 24 Nov. 1914, and was killed in action 12 June, 1915. He _m._ at Mount Pleasant, Gateshead, 4 June, 1904, Jane (21, Derwent View, Rowlands Gill, Newcastle), dau. of the late John (and Isabella) Holmes, and had five children: John, _b._ 8 Feb. 1907; Katie, _b._ 2 Oct. 1905; Florence, _b._ 29 July, 1909; Maud, _b._ 18 Sept. 1912; and Jenny Armentières, _b._ 4 June, 1915.

=HAGUE, OWEN CARSLEY FREDERIC=, Lieut., 7th Battery, 2nd Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, eldest _s._ of Frederic Hague, of Montreal, Advocate, by his wife, Mary, dau. of Samuel Carsley, of Montreal; _b._ Montreal, 23 Feb. 1889; educ. High School, Montreal, and McGill University, where he took the degree of B.Sc. in 1909, and M.Sc. in 1914. He was an electrical engineer, and practiced his profession in Montreal. He joined the 2nd Brigade, Field Artillery, in 1912, and with the rest of that Brigade volunteered for active service as soon as the first Canadian Contingent was formed, going to the Front with the 7th Battery. His brigade took part in the severe fighting in April and May, 1915, near Ypres. It was on 2 May he was killed. On the morning of that day he was near his battery on the bank of the Yser Canal, St. Julien, with Lieut. Helmer, of Ottawa, when a German heavy shell burst near them. Lieut. Helmer was killed instantly, and Lieut. Hague died that evening. He was buried at Hazebrouck; _unm._ Col. J. J. Creelman, commanding the 2nd Brigade, wrote as follows: “It is with extreme regret that I write with regard to the death of your son, and let me express my sincere sympathy with you in your great loss. Between 22 and 28 April, when I went into hospital, Owen had done really wonderful work as Section Commander and Forward Observing Officer. His work was splendid, and he showed an absolute disregard of personal safety at those times when his duties required that he expose himself. When in hospital at Rouen I took occasion to write to General Burstall calling attention officially to your son’s excellent services and marked bravery during the first six days of the fight at Ypres.”

=HAIGH, JOHN HARRY=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 4803), S.S. 104151, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=HAINES, ALEXANDER CRICHTON COOPER=, Lieut., 2nd Battn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers, only _s._ of John Crichton Haines, of St. James’s Gate, Dublin, London Manager, Messrs. A. Guinness, Son & Co., Ltd., by his wife, Caroline Anne, elder dau. of Austin Damer Cooper, of Drumnigh House, St. Douloughs, co. Dublin, J.P.; _b._ Dublin, 9 Dec. 1894; educ. Cholmeley House, Eastbourne, and Elstow School, Bedford; volunteered as a motor despatch rider in Sept. 1914, and after a week at Chatham and another at Aldershot, went straight to the Front. He was given a commission as 2nd Lieut. in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 1 Nov. 1914, and was promoted Lieut. in April, 1915; was dangerously wounded at St. Julien during the Second Battle of Ypres, 25 April, 1915, and was put into a “Jack Johnson” crater by some men of his platoon and lay there many hours before being picked up by the ambulance. He died of wounds at No. 7 Base Hospital, Boulogne, 8 May following, and was buried in the military cemetery there; _unm._

=HALDANE, ROBERT PATRICK=, Lieut., 6th (Perthshire) Battn. Black Watch, eldest _s._ of Sir William Haldane, of 55, Melville Street, Edinburgh, and Foswell, Auchterarder, co. Perth, W.S., Crown Agent for Scotland, by his wife, Edith, dau. of Thomas Nelson, of Ach-na-Cloich, Argyleshire, and nephew of Richard Burdon, 1st Viscount Haldane of Cloan; _b._ Edinburgh, 21 July, 1893; educ. Edinburgh Academy, and Balliol College, Oxford; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 12 Aug. 1914, and promoted Lieut. 26 Jan. 1915; went to France 2 May, 1915, and died in the Field Hospital at Locon, 13 June, 1915, of wounds received the same day in the trenches near Festubert, France. Buried in the British Military Cemetery at Locon; _unm._

=HALE, FREDERICK THOMAS=, Rifleman, No. 2466, 9th Battn. (Queen Victoria Rifles) The London Regiment (T.F.), 2nd _s._ of Thomas Gardiner Hale, of Salisbury, Woodriffe Road, Leytonstone, by his wife, Beatrice Mary, dau. of the late Edgar Adams, of Brixton; _b._ New Cross, London, S.E., 29 April, 1892; educ. privately, and Leyton Technical Institute, and on leaving there entered the service of Henry S. King & Co., Bankers, 65, Cornhill; volunteered on the outbreak of war, and joined the Queen Victoria Rifles in Aug. 1914; went to the Front, 27 March, 1915, and was killed in action at Hill 60, 21 April, following; _unm._

=HALEY, RICHARD ERNEST=, Chief Shipwright, 166625, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=HALFACRE, HENRY=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 3269), S.S. 787, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=HALIBURTON, BORTHWICK=, Sapper, No. 4/1247, 1st Field Coy. New Zealand Engineers, yst. _s._ of the late Thomas Haliburton, Milton, Estate Overseer, by his wife, Isabella, dau. of the late George Bruce, of Haddington; _b._ Dunoon, co. Argyle, 15 July, 1888; educ. Dunoon; went to New Zealand in April, 1910, and settled at Napier, Hawkes Bay; was a Road Contractor; volunteered for Imperial Service after the outbreak of war and joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Oct. 1914; left for Egypt with the second reinforcements; went to the Dardanelles, 12 April, 1915, and was killed in action there, 11 Dec. 1915; _unm._ Buried in Connaught Valley Cemetery, Gallipoli.

=HALL, ALBERT=, Leading Stoker (R.F.R., B. 4562), 293310, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=HALL, ARCHIE CLYDE=, Private, No. 18775, No. 4 Coy. 1st Battn. Canadian Expeditionary Force, eldest _s._ of the late (--) Hall, by his wife Lydia Ann (2, Brookline Avenue, East Lynn, Mass., U.S.A.), dau. of Joseph Lambertson, of Marblehead, Mass.; _b._ Brocton, Mass., 13 June, 1893; educ. Taunton, Mass., and Charlestown, Mass.; worked several years for the N.B. Durkee laundry and the Allerton laundry, both of East Lynn, and on the outbreak of the European War in Aug. 1914, immediately joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He left Canada with the first contingent in Oct.; went to France in Jan. 1915, and was killed in action at Festubert, 26 May, 1915, by a shell; _unm._

=HALL, ARTHUR=, A.B., 197316 Chatham, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=HALL, ARTHUR GORDON=, Capt., 2nd Battn. Bedfordshire Regt., _s._ of Edward Hall, of 17, Southfields Road, Eastbourne, formerly of Santaveri, Mysore, India, by his wife, Annie, dau. of William Ferguson, of Banbridge, co. Down, and grandson of Arthur Hall, of the Madras Civil Service; _b._ Shimogah, Mysore, India, 20 Nov. 1879; educ. Brailfield College (May, 1891–July, 1897); joined the Militia Battn. of the Middlesex Regt., and on 20 May, 1899, passed into the Bedfordshire Regt., then in Dublin; became Lieut. 5 April, 1900; Capt. 6 Dec. 1906, and Adjutant, 6 June, 1909; served in the South African War, 1899–May, 1902, with the Mounted Infantry; took part in the operations in Cape Colony, 1899–1900, and in the fighting at Colesburg (1 Jan.-12 Feb. 1900) and in those in the Orange Free State, Feb.-Nov. 1902, including the actions at Wittebergen and Witpoort (mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 10 Sept. 1901], Queen’s medal with two clasps and King’s medal with two clasps). After the close of the South African Campaign, he served with his regt. at Gibraltar and Bermuda and then again in South Africa, whence they were ordered home on the outbreak of war. He was killed on the seventh day of the First Battle of Ypres, 26 Oct. 1914; _unm._ The Adjutant of the regt. wrote he was “killed by a sniper while in the trenches. I am told he was looking through his glasses for the sniper when he was shot. The bullet entered his neck and killed him instantly. His was a very great loss to the Army and to the battn. especially, he was always so cool under fire and so careful of his men”; and in another letter his Sergt.-Major (now 2nd Lieut. F. J. Whitemore) said: “A and D Coys. of our regt. were ordered to take up positions in the firing line (this was at the first engagements at the First Battle of Ypres). The attack was carried forward to a certain point ... the forward movement was duly carried out, with the loss of Capt. Bassett, of A Coy., wounded, also of about 36 other officers and men killed and wounded. Capt. Hall, at great risk to himself, proceeded to give what help was possible to all the officers and men of A Coy., and after seeing all the wounded back, the Capt. and I took up a position in advance, whilst the battn. entrenched in the rear, and the words he said were to the effect that if possible we must have revenge for the loss that was inflicted on Capt. Bassett and his company. After waiting for some time, satisfaction was obtained by dropping three out of a patrol of six. After the event we had a very rough time, being continually under shell fire and fighting with heavy odds against us--it would be impossible to enumerate the acts of bravery ... by all ranks of our company, needless to say Capt. Hall being the first to set the example. The night before his death he was talking with me over the previous night’s attack and remarking how lucky the company was to get back safely with so few casualties, and at that time he passed a few remarks on what to do in the event of him becoming a casualty. Unhappily he became one the following morning about 8.20 (this was on the morning of 26 Oct. 1914). At the time we were sitting in the trench talking over our escape earlier in the morning ... when a stray bullet struck him and he instantly fell on me, and on examining him I found the vein of the right side of the neck was severed and he never spoke a word after being struck, and as nothing further could be done, he was buried where he fell. Capt. Wetherell and Corpl. Crouch and myself know the exact spot where he was buried. Previous to this incident, no night passed without he and I going round the company to look after the welfare of his men, and on most occasions bullets were striking all around him, and I never once saw him show any signs of fear.”

=HALL, BURTON HOWARD=, Capt., 98th Infantry, Indian Army, yr. _s._ of the Rev. Samuel Howard Hall, M.A., Rector of Sproatley, Hull, and Senior Divisional Chaplain (1st Class) T.D., 49th (W.R.) Division (who retired after 27½ years’ service in the vol. and T.F., including mobilisation and active service in France and Belgium, 20 Aug. 1915), by his wife, Helen Hamilton, dau. of Dr. Burton Kendell, of Heath House, near Wakefield, J.P.; _b._ Chesham, co. Bucks, 10 Jan. 1882; educ. Twyford School, near Winchester, Haileybury College, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. Yorkshire Regt. 8 Jan. 1901, and promoted Lieut. 19 Feb. 1904; transferred to 98th Infantry, Indian Army, the same year, and became Capt. 8 Jan. 1910; took part in the expedition to German East Africa, and was killed in action there, at Tanga, 4 Nov. 1914. He _m._ at Grove Park Church, Chiswick, 11 July, 1907, Lucie Gertrude, dau. of the late Thomas Bannerman Grainger, and granddau. of the late Thomas Bannerman Grainger, of Bridge House, Cuckfield, Sussex, and had two daus.: Mollie Helen Valerie, _b._ 20 May, 1908; and Aline Betty, _b._ 4 Jan. 1911.

=HALL, EDWARD=, E.R.A., 2nd Class, 271121, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=HALL, ERNEST ALBERT=, Stoker, 1st Class, S.S. 111024, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.

=HALL, FREDERICK=, Private, No. 6779, 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards, 4th _s._ of George Hall, of Wickham Market; _b._ Wickham Market, co. Suffolk, 15 May, 1884; educ. National School there; enlisted, 22 May, 1906; served three years with the Colours, then joined the Reserve; mobilised 5 Aug. 1914; went to France with the Expeditionary Force, 12 Aug. following, and was killed in action at Zonnebeke, 23 Oct. 1914. He _m._ at Lopen, 28 Oct. 1909, Rosa (Pear Tree Cottage, Lopen Seavington, Somerset), dau. of William Harris, and had three children: William Frederick, _b._ 3 May, 1910; Ethel Florence, _b._ 1 Oct. 1912; and Winifred May, _b._ 29 April, 1915.

=HALL, GEORGE WALTER=, Stoker, P.O. 309236, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.

=HALL, GEORGE WILLIAM=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 3209 (Ports), H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=HALL, GERALD PERCY=, Lieut., 2nd Battn. Highland Light Infantry, 2nd _s._ of Robert Hall, of Glen Mervyn, Glanmire, co. Cork, by his wife, Isabel Travers, dau. of the Very Rev. R. W. Forrest, D.D., Dean of Worcester; _b._ Glanmire, 11 Feb. 1894; educ. Clifton College; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 4th (Extra Reserve Battn.), 23 Aug. 1913, and promoted Lieut. 21 Aug. 1914; went to France on the outbreak of war, and was killed in action at Ypres, 13 Nov. 1914; _unm._

=HALL, HARRY FRANK=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 5034), 180634, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=HALL, HENRY=, A.B., 223106, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=HALL, HENRY JOSEPH=, Private, No. 81347, 30th Battn. Canadian Expeditionary Force, _s._ of James Hall, of 146, Maynard Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia; _b._ Halifax, N.S., 1889; educ. there: joined the Canadian Militia about 1913, and on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914, volunteered for service overseas; left Canada with the first contingent, and was killed in action, 22 Nov. 1915; _unm._

=HALL, JOHN FREDERICK=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 11551, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.

=HALL, SYDNEY ALBERT=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 4056), S.S. 103873. H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov 1914.

=HALL, THOMAS ALLISON=, Armourer’s Crew, M. 3951, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=HALL, THOMAS HOWARD=, Private, No. 10798, 3rd Battn. Coldstream Guards, eldest _s._ of Thomas Hall, of 47, Broadwell Road, Oldbury, Worcester, Blacksmith, by his wife, Annie, dau. of Dixon Parsons; _b._ Cradley Heath, co. Stafford, 19 July, 1894; educ. Oldbury National Schools; enlisted 16 July, 1914; went to France, 24 Oct. and was killed in the heavy fighting at Guivenchy Brickfields, 6 Feb. 1915; _unm._

=HALL, WALTER CHARLES NELSON=, Leading Cook’s Mate, M. 922, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=HALL, WILLIAM=, Rifleman, No. 5312, 2nd Battn. The Rifle Brigade, 3rd _s._ of the late Charles Hall, of Macclesfield, by his wife, Jane (28, Bridge Street, Macclesfield), dau. of George Lane, of Bollington Cross, co. Cheshire; _b._ Macclesfield, co. Cheshire, 9 Nov. 1895: educ. Hurdsfield Boys’ School there; enlisted Jan. 1914; went to France in Nov. and was killed in action, near Neuve Chapelle, 9 May, 1915, while bomb throwing; _unm._ A comrade wrote: “Although he was but a youngster, he was a little hero all through and knew no fear.”

=HALL, WILLIAM FREDERICK=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., Ch. B. 9080), 294862, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=HALLAM, WALTER, D.C.M.=, Private, No. 7540, 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Samuel Hallam, Private Estate Steward; _b._ Horsham, co. Sussex, 11 May, 1886; enlisted 25 Nov. 1907; killed in action at Rentel Woods, 11 Nov. 1914. The officer to whom he acted as servant wrote: “We were holding the trenches in front of Ypres in a wood just by a place called Rentel. There was a German attack in progress, and they were firing hard at that part of the line. Hallam, with his accustomed fearlessness, was firing, with his head well above the parapet, and was most unfortunately shot right through the head.” He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, 17 Dec. 1914, the official record [London Gazette, 17 Dec. 1914], stating that he “always volunteered and carried out successfully duties of an extraordinary dangerous character, such as sniping and patrol work. Has shown great qualities of nerve and resource in difficult situations.” He _m._ at Paddington, 13 Dec. 1913, Harriette Matilda, dau. of Henry George Shore, and had a dau., Lily Edith Walter Jessie, _b._ 12 Aug. 1914.

=HALLAN, ROWLAND=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 11413 (Ports), H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=HALLER, JOHN HENRY LYLE=, Lieut. and posthumous Capt., 3rd (Reserve), attd. 2nd, Battn. East Surrey Regt., elder _s._ of George Haller, of Langham House, 197, Albany Street, Regent’s Park, N.W., and 52, Leadenhall Street, E.C., Chemical Merchant, by his wife, Agnes Mary, dau. of the late David Watts, of 17, Albert Road, Regent’s Park; _b._ Regent’s Park, London, N.W., 21 Dec., 1894; educ. Merchant Taylors’ School, and Lancing College, and afterwards in France and Germany. Intended for a commercial career in connection with applied science, he worked for some time in the laboratory of Dr. Danysz at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and attended a full course of lectures in the same institution, besides doing practical work in a manufacturing laboratory. At Lancing he had joined the O.T.C., and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 3rd East Surreys, 11 May, 1912. and served for six months in Ireland with the 1st Battn. of that Regt.; gazetted Lieut. to the Special Reserve of the 3rd Battn 3 May, 1913, he rejoined the 1st Battn. on the outbreak of war and went to France in Sept. 1914. There he was transferred to the 2nd Battn. and was killed in action near Lindenhock, Flanders, 12 March, 1915; _unm._ Capt. S. P. White, 1st East Surreys wrote: “I had known Lyle before the war, and for a time he was my subaltern out here. I never had a better officer serving with me or a braver comrade. Soon after our 2nd Battn. came out, they had great losses in officers, and needing experienced officers to help them tide over their temporary difficulties. Lyle was ordered by name by the Corps Headquarters to be transferred. This battn. lost a good officer then, and one of the cheeriest and best of companions, and now the regt. is the poorer.” Capt I. L. Le Fleming, temporarily commanding 2nd East Surreys, wrote: “Lieut. Haller was shot through the head by a German bullet, whilst himself firing over the parapet at the Germans. His death was instantaneous. Lieut. Haller had just been recommended by me for promotion to the rank of Capt. and the letter was in my pocket-book when he was shot. I valued his services immensely, and in him I have lost a most gallant and competent officer. He was also my subaltern in the 1st Battn. at the end of Oct. last year. Lieut. Haller was buried in Kemmel Churchyard, Belgium [Grave No. 12],” and Lieut. Gudon, 2nd East Surreys: “I was within a few yards of your son when he died. He was killed about 4.20 p.m. on March 12, whilst actually firing at a German from over the parapet. The exact place was about 120 yards south of Lindenhoek and about 150 yards N.E. of a hamlet called Sparnbrook.” He was gazetted Capt. 9 April, 1915, to rank as from 2 Feb. and was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French’s Despatch of 31 May, 1915, for gallantry in the field.

_COPY._

TEMP. CAPT. (ACTING MAJOR)

CECIL CHARLES HATFIELD HALL, D.S.O.

On the afternoon of the 26th April, orders were received that all enemy machine gun nests and snipers were to be killed or captured in VILLERS BRETONNEUX, and this duty was assigned to a certain unit in the Brigade to carry out.

Major Hall happened to arrive at the railway station in the above village when the last of the enemy were being dealt with.