Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookenemy machine gun nests and snipers were to be killed or captured in VILLERS BRETONNEUX, and this duty was assigned to a certain unit in the Brigade to carry out. Major Hall happened to arrive at the railway station in the above village when the last of the enemy were being dealt with. The enemy suddenly opened up with a very heavy barrage on the railway station, and a call was made for 20 men of the Durham L.I. to reinforce another unit in a house which was about 50 yards from the railway embankment. Major Hall immediately got on to the railway, and displaying the utmost coolness and disregard for personal danger, got together some men with a L.G. and M.G., and led them forward over the embankment and across a road, which was being badly sniped, to the assistance of the Regt. occupying a house, and firing on an enemy M.G. This Officer again returned from the house and brought forward more men, and at the same time took across a most important message from Brigade H.Q., and at this time the occupied house was then being shelled very heavily by the enemy, he again came back to the railway, and took across to the French troops on the right a message as to the dispositions, etc., of our own men, he then returned for the third time to the house, and organised the men he had led across, and rendered most valuable services in withdrawing men of another unit and helping the wounded. Without doubt, the cool and brilliant example set by this Officer at a very critical moment inspired all the men with the greatest confidence. B. C. JAMES, Lieut.-Colonel, Cmdg. 22nd Bn. Durham L.I. (Pioneers). [Illustration: =John H. L. Haller.=] =HALLETT, ARTHUR=, Ship's Steward's Assistant, M. 1451, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =HALLETT, THEO BENNETT=, Trooper, No. 1884, Royal Horse Guards, yst. _s._ of the late George Henry Hallett, for many years H.B.M. Vice-Consul at Ghent, by his wife, Clara, dau. of the late John Lewis, of St. Albans; _b._ Ghent, 22 Feb. 1897; educ. L'Athenée Royal, Ghent; after the German occupation came to England with his family, 21 Aug. 1914; volunteered and enlisted in the Royal Horse Guards, Oct. 1914; went to France, April, 1915, and was killed in action on the Menin Road, Hooge, near Ypres, 13 May, 1915, while crossing an open space with his regt. with three machine-guns firing on them; _unm._ [Illustration: =Theo Bennett Hallett.=] =HALLETT, WILLIAM=, Leading Seaman, 202703, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =HALLIDAY, JAMES STOREY=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 5791), 177204, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._ =HALLIDAY, JOHN ALEXANDER=, Capt., 11th Hussars, eldest _s._ of the late John Halliday, of Chicklade House, co. Wilts (_d._ 13 Feb. 1915), by his wife, Maria (_d._ 25 Feb. 1916), dau. of Richard Brown, of Ebbw Vale, Monmouth; _b._ 10 April, 1875; educ. Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge; was gazetted 2nd Lieut. from Militia to the 11th Hussars, then in India, 5 Jan. 1898, and promoted Lieut. 3 March, 1900, and Capt. 18 March, 1905; served in the South African War on the Staff as Special Service Officer, 25 July to 22 Aug. 1901, and as Signalling Officer, 23 Aug. 1901 to 14 June, 1902 (Queen's Medal with five clasps); was Adjutant 11th Hussars, and afterwards of the Leicestershire Yeomanry; went to France with the Expeditionary Force, 15 Aug. 1914; served through the retreat from Mons, the Battle of the Marne, the 1st Battle of Ypres, &c., and died in the Duchess of Westminster's Hospital at Le Touquet, 13 Nov. 1914, of wounds received in action at Messines, 31 Oct. previously; _unm._ Capt. Halliday was a good all-round athlete, and was in both cricket and football elevens at Harrow; capt. of the Gymnasium eight; champion heavy weight boxer for the Public Schools Competition at Aldershot, 1894, and threw the hammer for Cambridge in the University Sports, 1896-7. He was well known in the hunting-field in Ireland and South Wiltshire. [Illustration: =John Alexander Halliday.=] =HALSALL, EDWARD=, Private, No. 3817, 10th Battn. (Scottish) King's Liverpool Regt. (T.F.), only surviving _s._ of Frederick Halsall, of Hougoumont, St. James' Road, New Brighton, co. Chester, General Merchant, by his wife, Caroline Elizabeth, dau. of Frederick (and Caroline) Middleton; _b._ Rock Ferry, co. Chester, 27 Oct. 1882; educ. Wallasey Grammar School; joined the Liverpool Scottish when the Battn. was first formed and served five years. He was in business with the Johnstone Line, Liverpool, and on the outbreak of war when some of their ships were taken over by the Government for military purposes, asked for and obtained permission to join the s.s. Rowanmore to assist in transport work. At the end of two months the Rowanmore was recalled and he then rejoined his old regt., and though offered a commission elected to serve as a private. He left for France in Jan., and was shot by a sniper in action near Ypres, 17 March, 1915; _unm._ Halsall was a member of the New Brighton Football Club and of the West Cheshire Yachting Club, and in connection with the latter had held the cup and won several prizes; he was also a keen golfer. [Illustration: =Edward Halsall.=] =HALSEY, JOHN=, Stoker, Petty Officer (R.F.R., B. 3747), 299252, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =HALSTEAD, ARTHUR FREDERICK=, Lieut., 15th Rifle Brigade, attached to 1st Battn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers, only _s._ of Arthur Frederick Halstead, of Sale, co. Chester, M.I.Mech.E., A.C.I.S.; _b._ Rosario de Sante Fé, Argentine Republic, 26 May, 1893; educ. High School, Sale, and Shrewsbury School; was an articled pupil with the firm of Jones, Crewdson and Youatt, of Manchester, chartered accountants, but enlisted in the 8th Rifle Brigade following the outbreak of war, 30 Aug. 1914; was given a commission two months later, 1 Nov., and promoted Lieut. the 14th of that month. He was killed in action on the night of 28-29 June, 1915, during a counter-attack by the Turks on the British lines, and was buried on the west side of the Saghir (Dene) Mullah, Gallipoli; _unm._ His commanding officer wrote to his father that on this occasion "he was sent out with a platoon to reinforce the left of our line.... It was a very dark night and a very unfortunate one, as we lost 10 officers killed and one wounded"; and added: "The regt. being in the open and enveloped by Turks, I should like to tell you it was due to the gallantry of your son and other officers on that flank that a very serious situation did not arise." Sergt. P. Doyle, No. 7 Platoon, X Coy., in sending Lieut. Halstead's identity disc, said "his untimely end created a terrible blow to us (the platoon), who absolutely idolised and admired him for his fearlessness. There is scarcely a day that passes in the trenches but what his name is not mentioned in loving memory by those with whom he came in contact." Lieu |