James Hall (soldier)
Encyclopedia
James 'Jack' Hall DCM, MM (1893-1968) was a British soldier in the Green Howards Regiment from the North East mining town of Murton, County Durham
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James was born on 26 January 1893 and died on 17 March 1968 at the age of 75. Prior to his service in the Green Howards regiment, he was employed as a coal miner. Members of his family have speculated that perhaps he joined the army as a means of escaping from the dangers of life in the coal mines.
He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal
for bravery during fighting near the French town of Armentieres
. On 19 December 1915, the Green Howards were facing heavy bombardment from German artillery, see History of 10th Battalion Green Howards As a result of this shell fire a wall collapsed, burying two soldiers. Despite being under fire from the enemy, James dug out the stricken men, although one of the men rescued lost an arm in the incident.
In recognition of his bravery and for receipt of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, James was presented with an engraved cigarette case by the people of Murton village. This case, along with James' medals, and a strip of cloth from his uniform which contains a letter to his mother are currently on display at the Green Howards Museum in Richmond Yorkshire.
In addition to the DCM, James was also awarded the Military Medal
. However, the records detailing the reasons for this award were lost during the blitz in World War II. What is known, is that at some stage in the war James suffered a shrapnel wound that caused him to lose part of his lung.
The only surviving picture of James Hall pictures him standing with his friend William McNally
. McNally was a winner of the Victoria Cross
and a resident of Murton.
James had four children; Jack, James, Mary and Irene. He is buried in the cemetery of St Joseph’s R.C. Church in the village of Murton.
Murton, County Durham
Murton is a village in County Durham, England. Lying six miles east of the city of Durham and seven miles south of Sunderland, it has a population of 7,339....
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James was born on 26 January 1893 and died on 17 March 1968 at the age of 75. Prior to his service in the Green Howards regiment, he was employed as a coal miner. Members of his family have speculated that perhaps he joined the army as a means of escaping from the dangers of life in the coal mines.
He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
for bravery during fighting near the French town of Armentieres
Armentières
Armentières is a commune in the Nord department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole, and lies on the Belgian border, northwest of the city of Lille, on the right bank of the river Lys....
. On 19 December 1915, the Green Howards were facing heavy bombardment from German artillery, see History of 10th Battalion Green Howards As a result of this shell fire a wall collapsed, burying two soldiers. Despite being under fire from the enemy, James dug out the stricken men, although one of the men rescued lost an arm in the incident.
In recognition of his bravery and for receipt of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, James was presented with an engraved cigarette case by the people of Murton village. This case, along with James' medals, and a strip of cloth from his uniform which contains a letter to his mother are currently on display at the Green Howards Museum in Richmond Yorkshire.
In addition to the DCM, James was also awarded the Military Medal
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
. However, the records detailing the reasons for this award were lost during the blitz in World War II. What is known, is that at some stage in the war James suffered a shrapnel wound that caused him to lose part of his lung.
The only surviving picture of James Hall pictures him standing with his friend William McNally
William McNally
William McNally VC, MM and Bar was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
. McNally was a winner of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
and a resident of Murton.
James had four children; Jack, James, Mary and Irene. He is buried in the cemetery of St Joseph’s R.C. Church in the village of Murton.