Hall, Richard (Sr.)
Private # 189971
Born: May/27/1888, Killed In Action, France November 3, 1916. (28 years old)
Richard Hall (Sr.) was father to Richard Maxwell “Scottie” Hall, both of whose names are engraved on the memorial marker in Strathroy Cemetery. He was born in Manchester Lane, England and was married to Janet Hall. Her address was given as Free Church lodge, Canonbie, Scotland, but the Canadian War Graves Commission Certificate shows her address as Colborne Street, Strathroy, Ontario. His mother was Mrs. I. Hall of Kingstown, Scotland Rd., Carlisle, England and she received his Memorial Cross after Richard’s death. He was not eligible for the 14-15 Star.
He was a labourer by trade on his attestation papers filed in St. Thomas, Ontario on February 10, 1916. He was relatively short at 5′ 2 1/2″. He had blue eyes and brown hair, weighed 140 pounds and registered as Presbyterian. He had 3 vaccination marks and was in “good” physical condition when he attested.
Richard enlisted in “C” Company of the 91st Ont. Battalion when he attested in St. Thomas but was immediately transferred to the 38th Battalion (Eastern Ontario Regiment). He embarked from Halifax on June 29, 1916, and disembarked from the S.S. Olympic at Liverpool on July 5, 1916. Upon arrival, he was transferred to the 36th Battalion. On August 20, 1916, he was transferred back to the 38th Battalion, 4th Canadian Division, and on August 21, 1916, he was taken on strength at Havre, France. On September 5th he left to join his Unit in the field of battle. On September 5th, he joined his unit. On November 3rd, less than 2 months later, he was killed in action.
The War Diary for the 38th Battalion shows that Richard was on the Somme Front, France, at Tara Hill Camp Albert, with the Battalion in Chalk Pits, in wet weather. It had been raining since October 22nd with the Battalion in the trenches the whole time. On October 27th the diary records that Major McNeill was wounded. (Note: war diaries only name officers who are killed or wounded and anyone else is recorded as “all other ranks”) On the afternoon of October 31st, their Transport Lines were heavily shelled. By November 2nd the weather was so wet that pay detail was postponed and the Battalion was ordered back into the trenches in the afternoon. When the Battalion returned from the trenches to the transport lines on November 3rd, Richard Hall was not with them. He was declared to be killed in action, as “reported from base”. The survivors of the Battalion were given clean clothing and moved to Bougincourt at 2:30 pm on November 3rd. Because Richard Hall’s remains were still in the field unfound, his name is recorded on the Vimy Memorial as well as on the family grave memorial marker in Strathroy Cemetery, above.
The following are most of Richard Hall’s military records, originally created over 100 years ago:
