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| John Hall |
December 1889 John Jack Hall was born in Hinckley to John (aged 40) and Eliza Hall of 25 Duke Street, Hinckley, Leicestershire.
John had a brother named James who was 3 years older and also a sister named Eliza Ellen.
He became an altar boy at St Peter's Church, Hinckley.
John would work in his father’s building company ‘John Hall & Sons’ which was started in 1891 along Duke Street in Hinckley who were listed in the trade directories at the time as ‘Builder, Bricklayer, Joiner and Undertakers’.
Some of the buildings they built were St. Peter's School along London Road and a row of terraced houses along Duke Street, which is now known as Southfield Road.
December 1907 John aged 18 got married 19-year-old Jessie Bradbury in Hinckley and stayed living in the area.
John and Jessie would have five children: Winifred (1907), Mary Magdalen (1910), John Edward (1911), Rose Elizabeth (1912) and Lawrence F (1914).
Late 1914 John enlisted in to the Army at Leicester, he was enrolled into the 7th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment and was given the regiment number of 11718.
John would have trained at the Glen Parva Barracks as this was the depot of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment, tens of thousands of recruits and conscripts were trained there for deployment during the First World War.
September 1914 During the First World War, the Leicestershire regiment increased from five to 19 battalions, the 7th Battalion was one of the new battalions that was created and joined 15th (Scottish) Division as Divisional Troops.
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| John Hall as a choir boy at St Peter's church |
April 1915 The 7th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment transferred to 110th Brigade of the 37th Division. The 110th Infantry Brigade was also known as the Leicester Tigers Brigade which consisted of the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Service Battalions of the regiment as well as the 110th Machine Gun Company and 110th Trench Mortar Battery.
29th July 1915 The 7th (Service) Battalion landed in France as part of the 110th Brigade for service on the Western Front, concentrating near Tilques.
7th July 1916 They transferred with 110th Brigade to 21st Division which was under the command of Major-General David Campbell.
July 1916 The 7th Battalion took part in the attacks on the Bazentin-Le Petit wood and village in the Battle of the Somme, this is a battle that was won by the British.
14th July 1916 John was killed in action at the battle of the Somme, he had reached the rank of Acting Lance Corporal.
John Hall is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2 C and 3 A) at Somme in France.
John Hall’s Wife and all his children survived him.
John Hall's name was added to a tablet on the Hinckley War Memorial along with many others from Hinckley that lost their lives in the First World War.
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| John Hall's daughters Winnifred & Mary Magdalen sitting on the bench at Sutton Wharf. |
