Frederick William Hall

Frederick William Hall, VC (February 8, 1885 – April 24, 1915) was an Irish-born soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War.

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Life

Born in Kilkenny, Ireland on February 8, 1885, Hall emigrated to Canada approximately 1910, and lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was 30 years old, and a Company Sergeant-Major in the 8th (Winnipeg Rifles) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War when he performed a deed for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

It was on the night of April 23/24, 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium that Hall discovered a number of men were missing. On the ridge above he could hear moans from the wounded men. Under cover of darkness, he went to the top of the ridge on two separate occasions and returned each time with a wounded man.

By nine o'clock the next morning (April 24) there were still some men missing. hi daylight and under a hail of enemy fire, Hall, Cpl Payne and Pvt Rogerson crawled out toward the wounded. Payne and Rogerson were both wounded, but returned to the shelter of the front line. When a wounded man who was lying some 15 yards from the trench called for help, Company Sergeant-Major Hall endeavored to reach him in the face of very heavy enfilade fire by the enemy. He then made a second most gallant attempt, and was in the act of lifting up the wounded man to bring him in when he fell, mortally wounded in the head. The soldier he had attempted to help was also shot and killed.

Tributes

Frederick William Hall lived on Pine Street, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 1925,Pine Street was renamed Valour Road because three of Canada's Victoria Cross recipients resided on the same 700 block of that street: Mr. Frederick Hall, Leo Clarke and Robert Shankland. It is believed to be the only street in the British Commonwealth to have three Victoria Cross recipients to live on it, let alone the same block. A bronze plaque is mounted on a street lamp at the corner of Portage Avenue and Valour Road to tell the tale of these three men.

References

Listed in order of publication year

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