16584 PTE. E. HALL. K.O.R.L.R.

 

Edward Hall was born in April 1877 in Bamber Bridge and baptised at St Saviour’s on 8 April.  His father was Thomas Hall (b. 1838 in Inskip), a police constable.  His mother was Jane Moon (b. 1835 in Catforth).  Thomas and Jane were married at Treals in 1859 and they lived there until 1875 when they moved to Samlesbury; they were living in Bamber Bridge when Edward was born but then moved to Livesey near Blackburn.  Edward was their youngest child and he had 6 older siblings: Alice Ann (b. 1865), Ralph (b. 1867), Thomas (b. 1869), William (b. 1870), Mildred (b. 1873) and Jane (b. 1875).

 

Thomas Hall died in 1885 and is buried at Treales.  After the death of her husband, Jane moved to Eaves Lane in Chorley where she lived with her son Edward and his wife Mary Ellen.  Edward had married Mary Ellen Whittaker at Chorley St James in 1899 and in 1901 was working in the bleachworks.  In 1905, they had a son, John Percival.  They also had another child who died.  Edward’s mother Jane died in 1908.  In 1911, Edward was still working in the bleachworks but the family had moved to Froom Street in Chorley.

 

He enlisted at the outbreak of war and was assigned service number 16584 and posted to the 8th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), part of 76th Brigade, 3rd Division.  The Battalion landed in France on 27 September 1915.  In 1915, 3rd Division had been engaged at Hooge and also in preparatory operations for the Battle of Loos.  In 1916, they were engaged in local operations at St Eloi, then on the Somme at the Battle of Albert, the Battle of Bazentin, including the capture of Longueval, but it would be at the Battle of Delville Wood that Edward would meet his death. 

 

After participating in the capture of Longueval, the Battalion had been at rest near Maricourt in early August but was made ready for action again.  They went into the support trenches on 15 August at Talus Boise, which is near Bernafay Wood.  The various companies of the Battalion were deployed into trenches that afternoon and overnight and were ordered to prepare to attack at 5.40pm on the 16th.  The attack began as scheduled but immediately encountered heavy machinegun and rifle fire and the line was broken.  Casualties were heavy.  A second attempt to advance was made but encountered the same stiff resistance.  The Battalion was eventually forced to withdraw, having gained no ground at all.

 

CWGC confirms that one officer and 45 other ranks from 8KORLR were killed on 16 August.  Of these, only four bodies were recovered.

 

Rank:  Private

Service No:  16584

Date of Death:  16/08/1916

Age:  39

Regiment/Service:  King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 8th Bn.

Panel Reference:  Pier and Face 5 D and 12 B.

Memorial:  THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

Additional Information:  Husband of Mary Ellen Hall, of 88 Eaves Lane, Chorley, Lancs.

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