Name
Edward Alfred Hall
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/01/1915
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
16836
Grenadier Guards
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GUARDS CEMETERY, WINDY CORNER, CUINCHY
V. G. 12.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Abbots Langley Village Memorial, St. Lawrence Church Memorial, Abbots Langley
Biography
Edward Hall was born in Abbots Langley in the Spring of 1892. In 1911 he was living in Asylum Road (now College Road), the son of Hermon Alfred Hall, a Jobbing Gardener from Pimlico, and Agnes Sarah Hall. His elder sisters, Alice and Maud worked as Laundry Maid and Chocolate Maker respectively, and in the 1911 Census Edward was recorded working as a Gardener Domestic.
Edward enlisted with the 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards in Dublin early in 1914, and was killed In action on 2nd January 1915. He was buried at “Windy Corner Cemetery” in Cuinchy, a village five miles to the east of Bethune in northern France. The cemetery was begun by the 2nd Battalion in January 1915 in a field adjacent to the battalion head-quarters which was sited in a house named “Windy Corner”.
The War Diary of the 2nd Grenadier Guards for this period recorded that the battalion had spent an uncomfortable Christmas period in trenches waist deep in water. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day their trenches were constantly sniped and bombarded, and the Germans had launched a number of attacks. On these two days 22 men were killed, 46 wounded and 7 reported missing. On Boxing Day a further 22 men were sent to hospital with severe frost-bite, and on 27th December another 24 went to hospital suffering from the same condition. The trenches were deep with mud and water. After another night of thunder, hail and terrific rain the battalion was relieved, but the next day was back in the line, once again in flooded trenches and pouring rain. On New Year’s Day the trenches came under attack and the Guards lost four men whilst trying to repair their trenches. The following day, 2nd January, the sniping and bombing continued, and two Lieutenants and one man were killed – could that man have been Edward Hall? That night the Guards were relieved at 7.00pm by the South Staffords.
In the St Lawrence Church Parish Magazine of February 1915 Vicar Parnell recorded
“We deeply regret an addition to the former list in our Roll of Honour. Edward Alfred Hall, of the 2nd Grenadier Guards, was killed in action in Belgium (sic) on January 2nd. He was well known in Abbots Langley as a steady, self-respecting young man, and he had the esteem of all who knew him. He joined the Grenadier Guards a little over a year ago. The sympathy of us all will go out to his father and mother, who have the satisfaction of knowing he lived a straight life and died in giving of his best for his country. May he rest in peace.”
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
