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From Narelle Howe and Sue Guinan

Cpl Walter Hall. Born Pinewood (between Penguin & Riana) Son of James & Isabella Hall.(nee kaine) Enlisted 15/4/15 26th Battalion 1116. Was injured 3 times but came home 11/4/19. His brother John Thomas Hall, photo on the right enlisted 26/10/15 12th Battalion 4811. Died Broodseinde Ridge 6/10/17. No known grave.

Sue GuinanAdmin
A PINE ROAD SOLDIER.
Mr. W. Hall, of Pine Road, Penguin has received the following interesting letter from his brother Pte. W. Hall, who has been serving in France but is now in hospital in England, suffering from gunshot wounds in both legs: — .-

"I am doing well, although one leg is very painful: .I was wounded on August 5th, and got to this hospital on August 10. We were ordered to make a charge on July 28. The battalion went over with -- men, and came out with -- . men in one night. That is war for you. But we made up for it on August 4. I shall never forget it, it was awful to see the dead and wounded ; some were blown to pieces. The Germans were lying in thousands. We took over 1.000 prisoners. Fritz took shelter in dugouts there were 32 in some of them. They would not come out of one so one of our boys threw a tin of petrol in. and burnt them in it, and then we filled it up with dead Germans and dirt. The shells from Fritz started to fall round us, thousands of shells fell, but we only lost about 100. it was marvellous: We then fell back to our second line of trenches, the one we had just taken from old Fritz, and that is where I got wounded. 1 had just finished bandaging the wounds of a mate, and asked for assistance to carry him out, for we were in a shell hole when another 9 in shell fell in and killed the man I, called on and wounded myself, but never hurt my wounded mate. I was blown into the air 10 feet. I got a bullet right through one thigh and a piece of shell in the other one about 4in Iong. There were two Australians killed and two wounded in the same hole, and also two Germans killed and two wounded. The first charge we made in the night and the morning after I found a bullet and piece of shrapnel in my pocket in which I was carrying bombs. They saved me from setting wounded that, for the bullet struck them. We have got 5,000 big guns on a one mile front, and some of their wheels are touching. General Birdwood is a nice man he patted us on the back as we came into the dressing station and said, 'Well done boys, I am proud of you. you have done as you were told and a little more.'' All the boys like him; he is a gentlemen. We have some brave officers: the finest men God ever made! We are well cared for in the hospital. The nurses are very gentle and kind, and the people here are very good to us also, I am able to go outside now, my mate wheels me out in a chair, and the ladies come in of an evening and wheel the piano out on the green and give us two hours entertainment. They are very good to us, you need not worry over me, I am being well cared for. The girls are very fond of us Australians also, they can pick us out from all the others although we are all dressed alike In hospital .clothes. It will be two months before I can get back to my battalion. I have lost some of my best mates here, including Charles True of Ulvestone. Frank Davis and Will Barnes are well, though slightly wounded. .This is the second time Private Hall has been wounded, the first occasion being at Gallipoli. Another brother. Private Jack. T Hall is also serving in France."
The Northern Advocate 19th October 1916

Examiner Tuesday, 30th October 1917.
"When Mr James Hall (Pine Road) reached Penguin on Friday night on return from a visit to Hobart, he found a message awaiting him that his son, Private Walter Hall, had been wounded again-the third occasion since he had been in France. Shortly afterwards there came another message to Rev W. T Abbott stating that another soldier son, Private John Thomas Hall had been killed in action on October 6. In the absence of Mr Abbott at Hobart, the sad duty of breaking the unwelcome news was undertaken by Mr Frank Fielding, who had been a fellow passenger to and from the Methodist Assembly, Hobart. Much sympathy is felt for the bereaved relatives."