HALL, Frank Sunderland
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 September 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Waverley, New South Wales, Australia, 24 September 1890 |
| Home Town: | Neutral Bay, North Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Church of England Grammar School and Sydney University,New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Natural causes, Forbes, New South Wales, Australia, 2 July 1967, aged 76 years |
| Cemetery: |
Gore Hill Cemetery, New South Wales Hall Family Plot - Presbyterian, Sect: O, 1 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 4th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant | |
| 9 Jan 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
| 20 Jan 1916: | Embarked Lieutenant, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Runic, Sydney | |
| 20 Jan 1916: | Involvement Lieutenant, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Runic embarkation_ship_number: A54 public_note: '' | |
| 26 Jul 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
| 24 Apr 1917: | Honoured Military Cross, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line, For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty near Le Barque, France on 25 February 1917 - he organised his men under very heavy fire, leading them forward to their objective and later organised the defence of the captured position. | |
| 2 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 20th Infantry Battalion, Shrapnel wound left eye. | |
| 27 Aug 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Captain, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
| 9 Oct 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Captain, 20th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Passchendaele , GSW back and buttock - severe. | |
| 16 Mar 1918: | Embarked AIF WW1, Captain, 20th Infantry Battalion, HS Wandilla, England and trans-shipped at Suez to HS Kanowna for return to Australia - arriving 24 May 1918. | |
| 24 Nov 1918: | Discharged AIF WW1, Captain, 20th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Michael Silver
A descendant of pastoral families that held property interests in Victoria and the Central West of New South Wales, Francis (Frank) Sunderland Hall was the eldest of two sons of Francis Sunderland Hall Snr, a bank officer, pastoralist and investor and his wife, Alice Mary (Lillie) Phillips from Warnambool, Victoria.
Born at Waverley, New South Wales in 1890, Frank Hall was educated at the Sydney Church of England Grammar School and Sydney University where he studied economics and commerce.
Employed by pastoral and agricultural company, Dalgety & Company Limited, he enlisted for war service in early September 1915 and was assigned to the 11th Reinforcements of the 4th Battalion. However, he was struck off these reinforcements, which left for the front on 13 October 1915, and offered a commission.
Appointed Second Lieutenant in December 1915, he embarked for overseas the following month and was taken on strength of the 20th Battalion in June 1916. Soon after, he was promoted to Lieutenant.
At Le Barque, France on 25 February 1917 he showed great gallantry and initiative in leading his men forward under a heavy barrage to secure and then maintain the objective – an action for which he was awarded the Military Cross.
He was wounded on two occasions in 1917 – the first, in June, was a shrapnel wound to his left eye in June from which he recovered. Promoted to Captain in August, he was severely wounded in the advance on Passchendaele on 9 October 1917. Commanding ‘A’ Company, he was shot in the back and buttock and left stranded in the field of fire before being rescued by stretcher bearer 3850 Private John William Naylor MM (KIA 08.04.1918). Serious wounded, he was invalided to England for treatment - his injuries brought an end to his military career.
At the 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth on 14 January 1918 he was decorated with the Military Cross by Colonel Sir Douglas Dawson, Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Department on behalf of the King.
In March 1918 he embarked the Hospital Ship ‘Warilda Castle’ for repatriation to Australia. At Suez, he was trans-shipped to Hospital Ship ‘Kanowna’ and reached Sydney on 24 May 1918. His appointment was terminated in November 1918.
After the war he took up a grazing property at ‘Coobang’, Ootha near Forbes.
On 9 February 1927 he married Lois Emily Gavel (1905-1997) of ‘Gulgo’ Condobolin at her parent’s Sydney residence ''Okarita,' Point Road, Northwood on the Lane Cove River. The couple were to have two sons and lived at ‘Coobang’ for whole of their married life.
Captain Frank Sunderland Hall MC died on 2 July 1967 at the Mater Misericordiac Hospital, Forbes at the age of 76 and was buried in his family’s plot in Gore Hill Cemetery, St Leonards.
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