British Groups

Lot 1428    SESSION 6 (9.30AM TUESDAY 31ST AUGUST)    British Groups

Estimate $3,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $7,500

GROUP OF FOUR: The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Companion (CB) (Military Division), neck badge, with silver-gilt hallmarks for London 1897; The Royal Victorian Order, Commander (CVO), neck badge in silver-gilt and enamel, reverse officially numbered, C305; Afghanistan Medal 1878-80, no clasp, with unofficial MID emblem; Queen's South Africa Medal 1899, (type 3 reverse), - five clasps - Belmont, Modder River, Paardeberg, Johannesburg, South Africa 1901, with unofficial MID emblem. First two orders unnamed as issued, Lieut: F.H.Hall. I/C. R.H.A. on third medal, Colonel: F.H.Hall, C.B., R.F.A. on last medal. The third medal impressed and the last medal officially engraved. Displayed in a felt lined timber, hinged-lid case with small brass shield on lid, the orders extremely fine, the medals with scratches on the obverse, otherwise good very fine - extremely fine.

Ex Spink Sale 12002 (lot 3) and previously ex C.S.Butcher Collection, Christie's Sale 4517, 30 April 1991.

CB: nominated 29/11/1900.

CVO: LG 23/4/1907 for services during the visit of King Edward VII to Malta in 1907.

MID: (1) LG 26/1/1900; (2) LG 16/3/1900 from Lord Methuen dated 15 Feb 1900 re Magersfontein - 'I again recognise the business-like manner in which Lieut.Col. Hall, commanding R.A., carries out his duties in the field.'; (3) LG 29/7/1902.

Francis Henry Hall was born in Ireland on 21Mar1852, the son of Rev Francis Henry Hall, Incumbent of Drumcullin, County Down and Mary Letitia, daughter of Rev James McCreight of Keady, County Armargh; Gentleman Cadet at Royal Military Academy at Woolwich 03Aug1869; to Lieutenant 15Dec1871; to 18 Bde Field Arty at Woolwich & Sheerness 1872-1876; 2 Bde Field Arty at Sheffield 1876-1877; C Bty, A Bde Horse Arty at East Indies 1878-1881; to Captain 13Jul1881; adjutant R Arty at Cochester 17Sep1883-25Jun1888; to Major 26Jun1888; CO of U Bty, 1 Bde Horse Arty at St Thomas Mount, Madras, India 1888-1889; CO 59 Bty, Field Arty at Neemuch & Nowgong, India 1890-1893; CO 1 Bty, 1 Div at Depot 1894-1895; CO 85 Bty, Field Arty at Woolwich 1896-early 1897; Instructor at School of Gunnery at Woolwich 06Feb-20Jul1897; to Lt-Colonel 13Jul1897; on Staff at Woolwich Jul1897-late 1899; CO III Bde, R Arty (18, 62 & 75 btys) & on Staff in South Africa Nov1899-late 1901; Member of Pretoria Committee on Artillery & Chairman of Field Artillery Sub-Committee; to Brevet Colonel 21Jul1901; CO 3 Bde, No.2 Depot (on passage to India, late 1901); Foreign Service Leave 21Jun1902; to Colonel 06Feb1903; on Staff, II Army Corps, Salisbury Plain 06Feb1903 - 20Jul1906 (CO R Arty, 6 Inf Bde, Portsmouth 1905); to Temp Brig General Jul1906; In Command of Administration at Malta 21Jul1906-mid 1908; In Command of Administration at Scottish Command Jul1908-Mar1909; Retired 21Mar1909; to Hon Brig General 10Feb1912; Died 19Nov1919.

Francis Hall served in Afghanistan 1878-1880 with C Battery of the Royal Horse Artillery and was mentioned in despatches. He also served in the Anglo-Boer War. He arrived in South Africa in November 1899 and joined Methuen's Force on the Orange River. He commanded the Brigade Division of Artillery (18, 62 and 75 Btys) with General French's Force. He was in 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. He commanded the Royal Artillery at the Battle of Modder River on 28 November 1899 and at Magersfontein in support of the Highland Brigade on 10-11 December 1899. At Paardeburg he commanded the 18th, 62nd and 75th Batteries where they bombarded the Boer laager 17 - 26 February 1900. He was also at the surrender of General Cronje with 4,068 Transvaaler & Free Staters.

Lt-Colonel Hall was appointed Commandant of Pietersburg and while in this position he received a letter written by Trooper Robert Mitchell Cochrane of the Bushveldt Carbineers, a former Justice of the Peace in Western Australia, sent on 4 October 1901 and signed by 15 members of the Bushveldt Carbineers. The letter referred to six 'disgraceful incidents' involving death and theft from captured enemy Boers and civilians and also the unlawful killing of one of their own men. As a result of the letter Lt-Colonel Hall summoned all Fort Edward officers and NCOs to Pietersburg on 21 October 1901. They were met by a party of mounted infantrymen and escorted into town like criminals. The Australian, Lieutenant Harry 'Breaker' Morant who had been on leave in Pretoria was arrested when he returned. Hall was posted to India before the various courts martial and subsequent execution of some men.

In his book, 'The Bushveldt Carbineers and the Pietersburg Light Horse', the late William (Bill) Woolmore on page 111 writes, '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.' The incidents were the subject of an Australian film made in 1980 titled, 'Breaker Morant'. The film won many awards and focused on the court martial of Lieutenants Harry 'Breaker' Morant (English actor, Edward Woodward), Peter Handcock (Australian actor, Bryan Brown), and George Witton (Australian actor, Lewis Fitz-Gerald) with the defence lawyer, Major James F.Thomas played by the Australian actor, Jack Thompson. Lieutenants Morant and Handcock were sentenced to death and executed by a firing squad and Lieutenant Witton was sentenced to death but commuted to life in penal servitude.

With research and a group b&w photo that includes Lt-Col Hall.

Ex. W (Bill) Woolmore Collection.