WW1 Vincent and Lionel Hall

Vincent John Baird Hall was a teacher at New Plymouth Boys High School. His parents were Thomas Hall and Helen Baird Hall of Arney Rd, Remuera.

He received a Master of Arts from Victoria College (University) in 1913. He was already a 2nd Lieutenant in the Territorial Force when he enlisted 2 weeks after NZ Joined Britain in declaring war on Germany on 4 August 1914 and rapidly became a lance-corporal and then corporal in the Wellington Infantry Battalion. He took part in the landing at Gallipoli in April, 1915, but in the following month was severely wounded in the thigh and died a few weeks later in the 15th General Hospital at Alexandria in Egypt on 2nd June 1915. He is buried in the Chatby Military and War Memorial Cemetery at Alexandria in Egypt.

His brother Lionel William Baird Hall, a Lance Corporal with the New Zealand Engineers, was also at Gallipoli. He studied at Victoria University from 1909 to 1912. When he enlisted in August, 1914, he was with a Government Survey party in the King Country. Sailing with the Main Body Divisional Signalling Company, he also took part in the landing on Gallipoli and in the subsequent operations. He crossed to France with the division and saw active service until he was killed by a shell on 12th June, 1917 at the Battle of Messines.

He is buried in the Motor Car Corner Cemetery, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium and is remembered on memorial plaques in St Mark’s Anglican Church, Remuera Road, Remuera and St David’s Presbyterian Church, Khyber Pass, Grafton.