Tyne Cot Memorial
Tyne Cot Memorial: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Charles Frederick Hall, one of 8 children of whom only 7 survived was the youngest of his siblings. His father Charles Hall originated from Woodstock, Oxfordshire where he was baptised at Kidlington, June 8th 1856. At the age of 16 Charles was employed as a groom, employed in the household at Witton-le-Wear, County Durham, of George Horne, a retired Army officer and now an adjutant of the Volunteers. Mr and Mrs Horne and their son George Jnr also employed a housemaid and a cook. Ten years later he was working as a coal miner, living as a boarder at Roddymoor Row, Crook and Billy Row, in the home of Jonathan and Jane Ellwood, their 3 children and granddaughter. He went on to marry their eldest daughter Margaret Ann Ellwood, born 1865 at Crook in the district of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, during the 3rd quarter (Apr/May/Jun) 1882. Their daughter Emma was born that same year, Jonathan in 1883, Margaret Jane 1885 and William in 1887, all at Crook. By 1891 the family had moved to 110, Close Row, Esh, Charles was employed at the colliery and the older children were scholars. Margaret Ann gave birth to a further 3 children all registered at Quebec, Ada in 1892, Lily 1894 and Charles Frederick 1899. They had returned to Crook by 1901 and occupied 16, Dyke Street, Charles had been joined at the colliery by Jonathan (18) a putter, and William, only 13 years of age, as a driver, Emma (19) was employed as a general servant, Margaret Jane as a dressmaker, Ada (8), Lily (6) and Charles Frederick (2) remained at home with their mother. Ten years later they were still living at the same address, William was now the eldest living at home helping his parents to maintain his siblings Ada (18), Lily (16) neither of whom were employed, Charles Frederick (12) a scholar also Margaret Ann Gargett (8) his niece, working as a coal hewer.
When war was declared with Germany in 1914 Charles was only 15/16 years of age, unlike his brother William, he was still too young to enlist. William Hall joined the East Yorkshire Regiment and was killed in action August 9th 1915, two days after his arrival in Gallipoli. Charles joined his father at the colliery whilst continuing to live at the family home at 16, Dyke Street, Quebec. He is deemed to have enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, December 17th 1916 but not called up for service until 1918. April 2nd 1918 he was examined at Consett and officially enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Northumberland Fusiliers depot June 26th and posted that same day to the 3rd Battalion Durham Light Infantry as Private 104501. The battalion was part of the North East Coastal Defences but also trained recruits and re-trained the wounded for active service overseas. In preparation for this Private Hall was vaccinated at St. John’s Hospital, South Shields, July 7th and posted to the British Expeditionary Force, October 16th 1918. He departed with his regiment from Folkestone disembarking at Boulogne arriving at the 3rd Echelon Depot October 17th where he was assigned to the 19th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry. The 19th was a Bantam Battalion initially made up of men of below the required height of 5’ 3”, however, by 1918 due to huge losses had few of the its original men.
Private Hall joined his regiment in the field on the Ypres salient in Belgium where they had engaged the Germans since September 1918 at the Third Battle of Ypres (July 31st-November 10th 1918) and had been one of the first to enter Coultrai. Private 104501 Charles Frederick Hall Durham Light Infantry was listed as missing and after extensive investigations as to his whereabouts was struck off and is deemed to have been killed in action October 31st 1918, 2 weeks after his arrival at the front and 11 days before the declaration of the Armistice.
His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 35,020 names inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing which forms the perimeter wall of Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Belgium, commemorating British and New Zealand servicemen who have no known grave who died between August 1917 and November 1918. Private 104501 Charles Frederick Hall Durham Light Infantry was 19 years of age and single.
His parents received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to them at 16, Dyke Street, Quebec, County Durham.
Details as regards the demise of Charles Hall are as yet unknown, Margaret Ann Hall nee Ellwood died in 1927 aged 61 years, death registered in the district of Lanchester, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Charles Frederick Hall is not remembered at Quebec or any other local War Memorial.
He is remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 301 and in The 19th DLI Roll of Honour page 8
