Name
John Hall
1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
265463
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial,
United Reformed Church Memorial, Bishop's Stortford,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
John Hall was born in Hildersham (near Linton), Cambridgeshire in 1897, the second son of Martin and Esther Hall.
The family soon moved to Bishop's Stortford and were living there on the 1901 and 1911 Censuses at 4 Northgate End. In 1911 John (aged 14) was working as a Cellar Boy for a wine merchant (his father was a drayman for a brewery), and before he enlisted he worked at the London Central Meat Company's shop in North Street.
Wartime Service
Before the war he was a member of the Herts Territorials and served in France from 10 July 1915.
He initially served in the Herts Regt as a Private under Service no. 2458, then transferred to the Beds & Herts.
John was reported missing after the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele), the most costly day of the war for the Hertfordshire Regiment. While attacking the Langemarck Line, all 20 officers and 459 other ranks were killed near the village of St Julien within 2 hours. John's pocket wallet was sent home to his parents but his body was never found.
They had to wait 10 months for confirmation of his death.
Additional Information
His father Martin received £14 war gratuity and pay owing of £5 11s 6d.
His brother Able Seaman Stanley Hall died in an accident while returning to his ship from leave and is buried in Bishop's Stortford Old Cemetery.
He is also named on the Town memorial and United Reformed Church memorial, Bishop's Stortford.
N.B. some records show the surname Halls rather than Hall.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jenny Clough, Jonty Wild
