John Hall

Story:
John Hall was born in 1884 in Spetisbury, Dorset, and baptised there on 11th May, 1884. He was the son of Daniel Hall, a Farm Carter, and Mary Hall (née Dennis). On 7th October, 1905 he married Emily Harris at Sixpenny Handley, Dorset. They had two children, both boys. John's mother died in 1907 and his father in 1910. At the time of the 1911 Census John was working as a Farm Labourer and living at Dean End, Woodcutts, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, with his wife and the two children. He enlisted in Wimborne, Dorset, on 2nd February, 1915 and joined the 1st Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 12893). He served in Salonika from 15 Oct 1915 and later, on 25 Dec 1915, transferred to France & Flanders where he was attached to the 7th Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers from 10 Aug 1916. He had been promoted to Lance Corporal on 23 Mar 1916. He was wounded in battle on 13 Apr 1918 and transferred to the 6th General Hospital, Rouen, France, where he died on 21 Apr 1918 from the effects of gas shell wounds and of an earlier episode of gassing. He was buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France (grave id. P.VII.A.6A). He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1915 Star. He is remembered on the Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, War Memorial.

His wife Emily was awarded a widow's pension of £1.5s.5d. (£1.27p) per week for herself and the children.