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Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 246

A Boer War C.B. and Malta 1907 C.V.O. group of four awarded to Brigadier-General F. H. Hall, Royal Field Artillery late Royal Horse Artillery, who was four-time 'mentioned' during his career

More noteworthy was the fact that he ordered for the arrest of Lieutenant H. 'Breaker' Morant, Bushveldt Carbineers, who had carried out 'disgraceful incidents' including the unlawful killing of one of their own men

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Military Division, Companion's (C.B.) neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, converted from a breast Badge; The Royal Victorian Order, Companion's (C.V.O.) neck Badge, reverse officially numbered 'C305', silver-gilt and enamel; Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Lieut: F. H. Hall. 1/C. R.H.A.), with unofficial M.I.D. emblem; Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Belmont, Modder River, Paardeberg, Johannesburg, South Africa 1901 (Colonel: F. H. Hall, C.B., R.F.A.), with unofficial M.I.D. emblem, very fine (4)

C.B. London Gazette 19 April 1901.

C.V.O. London Gazette 23 April 1907.

M.I.D. London Gazette 26 January & 16 March 1900 and 29 July 1902.

Francis Henry Hall was born in Ireland on 21 March 1852, the son of Rev. Francis Henry Hall of Drumcullin, County Down and Mary Letitia, daughter of Rev. James McCreight of Keady, County Armagh. He became a Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich on 3 August 1869 and was promoted Lieutenant on 15 December 1871.

First posted overseas on his appointment to 'C' Battery, 'A' Brigade Royal Horse Artillery in the East Indies from 1878-81. Seeing active service in the Afghanistan campaign, Hall took his first 'mention' and was made Captain in July 1881. He also serves as Adjutant from September 1883-June 1888. Promoted Major in June 1888, his first command was of 'U' Battery, 1st Brigade, Horse Artillery at St Thomas Mount, Madras, India between 1888-89.

Thence Commanding Officer of 59 Battery at Neemuch & Nowgong, 1 Battery, 1 Division at Depot 1894-95 and 85 Battery with the Field Artillery at Woolwich from 1896. Made Instructor at the School of Gunnery from February-July 1897, Hall was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 21 July 1897.

With the outbreak of the Boer War, he joined the command of Lord Methuen on the Orange River. Firstly commanding III Brigade (comprising 18, 62 & 75 Battery's) with General French's Force. He was present at the advance on Kimberley and present at actions at Belmont on 23 November 1899 and at Graspan on 25 November 1899, where he advanced close to the enemy with his guns. Hall commanded the Royal Artillery at Modder River on 28 November 1899 and at Magersfontein in support of the Highland Brigade on 10-11 December 1899. At Paaderberg his command bombarded the Boer laager between 17-26 February 1900 and was present at the surrender of General Cronje along with 4,068 Transvaaler and Free Staters. Additionally a Member of the Pretoria Committee on Artillery & was the Chairman of Field Artillery Sub Committee.

'Breaker' Morant - key player

Hall was to leave the field in order to take up an administrative position as Commandant of Pietersburg and its districts. At this time, he received a letter written by Trooper R. Cochrane, Bushveldt Carbineers.

Cochrane, a former J.P. in Western Australia, sent a letter on 4 October 1901 which was signed by 15 members of the unit, recalling no less than six '...disgraceful incidents' involving death and theft from captured enemy Boers and civilians, also the unlawful killing of one of their own men. As a result of this letter, Hall summoned all Fort Edward Officers and N.C.O.s to Pietersburg on 21 October 1901. Five of the Officers were met by a party of Mounted Infantry and escorted into town. One officer namely Lieutenant H. H. Morant had been on leave in Pretoria. Hall ordered for his immediate arrest upon his return.

Woolmore wrote:

'...Colonel Hall, who could have been a crucial witness for the defence, was transferred to India with indecent haste before the courts martial began. Additionally, Colonel Hall's presence at the Court Martial may have been an embarrassment to the prosecution's case as ex-Captain Robertson, who had turned King's evidence, had left the Army in disgrace only a few months earlier following a demand by Colonel Hall for his resignation. Hall was posted to India before the various Courts Martial and subsequent execution of Morant and Hancock men.'

Morant and Hancock were subsequently executed by firing squad, made up from the Cameron Highlanders at Pietersburg on 27 February 1902. It is claimed that Morant's final words were:

'Shoot straight you bastards, don't make a mess of it.'

George Whitton protested his sentence and received clemency, he was instead, sentenced to penal servitude for life after the intervention of Kitchener. A legal opinion was sought from Sir Isaac Isaacs KC (9th Governor General of Australia). After a petition to the King and further protests he was finally released from prison in August 1904, returning to Australia on 12 November 1904. Within a few years Whitton published Scapegoats' of the Empire.

Hall was promoted Colonel in February 1903 and was placed on the Staff, serving as Colonel on the Staff for II Army Corps and also Colonel on the Staff for Royal Artillery, Southern Command based at Salisbury Plain. He was promoted Temp. Brigadier-General in July 1906. In Command of Administration on Malta from 1906-08, a period which included the Royal Visit of King Edward VII & Queen Alexandra from 13-17 April 1907. The King unveiled statues, visited Valletta & Attard and undertook a review of Troops, including a Guard of Honour by the Royal Malta Artillery and Royal Artillery. Six awards, including Hall, of the C.V.O. were conferred on 15 April 1907.

In Command of Administration at Scottish Command from July 1908-March 1909, Hall retired later that year. He was made Hon. Brigadier-General on 10 February 1912, he died at Leckhampton, Gloucestershire on 19 November 1919.

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Estimate
£2,800 to £3,200

Starting price
£2500