John Hall (RAF officer)
John Hall | |
---|---|
Born | Second World War
| 25 December 1921
Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar |
Relations | Glenvil Hall (father) |
John Hall,
Born in
Early life
John Anthony Sanderson Hall was born on 25 December 1921 at
Second World War
Following the outbreak of the
Hall, paired with Pilot Officer William Skelton as his radar operator, served with No. 85 Squadron until April 1943.[1] During his time there he was confirmed in his rank as a pilot officer and received a war substantive promotion to flying officer.[5] His next posting was to the Central Gunnery School at Sutton Bridge for a training course. As a result of his good performance there Hall returned to No. 51 OTU as an instructor the following month.[1][2] He was promoted to flight lieutenant on 20 September.[6]
Service with No. 488 Squadron
In late October Hall joined
While patrolling over Essex on the night of 21 March Hall shot down a Ju 88, the aircraft crashing onto an airfield at
Flight Lieutenant Hall is a highly efficient and courageous fighter. He has completed a large number of sorties and has invariably displayed notable keenness and devotion to duty. He has shot down 4 hostile aircraft at night.
— London Gazette, No. 36555, 9 June 1944[11]
Prior to the invasion of Normandy, No. 488 Squadron came under the control of the Second Tactical Air Force.[12] On the night of 5/6 June, it was tasked with patrolling the skies over the landing beaches. Hall and Cairns flew one patrol in the early hours of D-Day but saw no German activity. Following the establishment of the Allied beachhead at Normandy, No. 488 Squadron switched to offensive operations, operating from the permanent RAF station at Zeals, in Wiltshire.[13][14] The squadron patrolled over the beachhead protecting the land forces from night attacks mounted by German bombers but also carrying out intruder missions, seeking targets of opportunity such as transport vehicles and German aircraft.[15] On the night of 14 August, Hall destroyed a Ju 88 to the southwest of Caen. He had intercepted another German bomber earlier in the sortie but it evaded his attempt to shoot it down. The aircraft that he did destroy was the 50th success for No. 488 Squadron.[1][16]
Now operating from an airfield in France, No. 488 Squadron spent the final days of 1944 patrolling over Belgium and Holland. Hall destroyed a
On 27 March 1945 Hall destroyed a Ju 88 north of Emmerich, in Germany. One of the engines of his Mosquito was damaged by debris from the aircraft he had just destroyed. Although he was able to return to his squadron's airfield in Holland, he had perform another crash landing.[1] He and Cairns were awarded Bars to their DFCs in May. The published citation for Hall's Bar read:
This officer continues to show the greatest keenness and, in various sorties, has inflicted much loss on the enemy. Among his achievements is the destruction of 8 enemy aircraft at night. On the last occasion, in March, 1945, Flight Lieutenant Hall pressed home his successful attack from such close range that his own aircraft was badly damaged by flying debris. Nevertheless, he flew back to base and landed safely. This officer has displayed high qualities of skill and courage.
— London Gazette, No. 37070, 8 May 1945[18]
Hall ended the war credited with having shot down eight aircraft. He briefly served as the mayor of Gütersloh, and subsequently served in the British Air Forces of Occupation Communications Wing. Promoted to squadron leader, he commanded an armament practice camp at Sylt from October 1945 to August 1946. A posting to the headquarters of No. 2 Group followed. He then briefly served with No. 4 Squadron before he was released from the RAF in late 1946.[1]
Later life
Returning to civilian life, Hall, who had married Lola Crowe in 1945, commenced studying law at
For a number of years Hall served as a governor at
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Shores & Williams 1994, p. 308.
- ^ a b c d e "Squadron Leader John Hall". Telegraph. 6 February 2004. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ "No. 35225". The London Gazette. 4 November 1941. p. 6276.
- ^ Rawlings 1976, pp. 204–206.
- ^ "No. 35765". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 October 1942. p. 4704.
- ^ "No. 36183". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 September 1943. p. 4250.
- ^ a b Clayton 2019, pp. 125–126.
- ^ Clayton 2019, pp. 140–143.
- ^ Clayton 2019, p. 157.
- ^ Clayton 2019, pp. 192–193.
- ^ "No. 36555". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 June 1944. p. 2754.
- ^ Clayton 2019, p. 198.
- ^ Clayton 2019, pp. 199–201.
- ^ Thompson 1956, pp. 460–461.
- ^ Thompson 1956, p. 302.
- ^ Clayton 2019, pp. 233–234.
- ^ Thompson 1956, pp. 365–366.
- ^ "No. 37070". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 May 1945. p. 2415.
References
- Clayton, Graham (2019). Gone the Dark Night: The Story of New Zealand's First Night Fighter Squadron. Merthyr Tydfil, Wales: Bomber Command Books. ISBN 978-1-911255-38-3.
- Rawlings, John (1976). Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: MacDonald & James. ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
- Shores, Christopher; Williams, Clive (1994). Aces High: A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII. London: Grub Street. ISBN 1-8-9869-7000.
- Thompson, H. L. (1956). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force. OCLC 300089346.