Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second World War M.M. group of eight awarded to Sergeant F. W. Hall, Royal Sussex Regiment

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (6398643 L/Cpl., R. Suss. R.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (6398643 Pte., R. Suss. R.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, generally nearly extremely fine (8) £1600-1800

M.M. London Gazette 23 April 1942. ‘... in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East’. Recommendation states: ‘During the breakout from Benghasi by one of the columns of the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade, L/Cpl. Hall was medical orderly to the battalion. On 29th of January 1942, the column was subjected to severe and very accurate dive bombing and machine-gun attacks which caused a number of casualties. With complete calm and outstanding efficiency L/Cpl. Hall assisted the Medical Officer in dealing with and evacuating casualties. Having no ambulance, this N.C.O. devised an ingenious method of loading two 3 ton vehicles to make the badly wounded reasonably comfortable for a further 150 miles of bad desert going. For two days and one night, this N.C.O. never left the wounded, attending to their wants and keeping them cheerful. The devotion to duty of this N.C.O. was a subject of comment among his comrades and this, together with the calm he displayed under exceptionally trying circumstances, was worthy of the highest praise’.

Frank William Hall was born on 17 February 1915. A Farm Labourer by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Sussex Regiment on 7 November 1934. With the 1st battalion he served in Jerusalem, December 1936-October 1937; Egypt, October-November 1937; Cyprus, November 1937-December 1938; Egypt, December 1938-December 1940; Sudan, December 1940-April 1941; Egypt, April 1941-March 1942; Cyprus, March-August 1942; and Egypt, August 1942-August 1943. From November 1939 onwards being employed as Orderly to the Medical Officer. He returned to England, August 1943 and was posted to the 6th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment. Further active service followed; entering the North West Europe theatre of war on 23 August 1944 and in October he was posted to the 6th Battalion Green Howards. Returning to England in December 1945, he was later placed on Reserve.

Sold with a quantity of copied service papers and records.