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Squadron Leader John Hall, DFC* (deceased) - Art prints and originals signed by Squadron Leader John Hall, DFC* (deceased)

John Hall

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The signature of Squadron Leader John Hall, DFC* (deceased)

24 / 9 / 2015Died : 24 / 9 / 2015

Squadron Leader John Hall, DFC* (deceased)

John Anthony Sanderson Hall was born in Oxford on Christmas Day 1921. His father was William Glenvil Hall, MP for Colne Valley and Financial Secretary to the Treasury in Attlee's government. From his father, a life-long Quaker, John inherited a belief in practical action rather than ideology, along with a sense of decency and respect for the rights of individuals. He attended the Quaker co-educational Leighton Park School, Reading, then worked briefly as a publisher's reader and studied at the Sorbonne before returning to this country and joining the RAF at the height of the Battle of Britain. After training as a night-fighter pilot, Hall joined No 85 Squadron, At that time, 85 Squadron flew twin engine Havocs, a night fighter version of the American light bomber, the Boston, with the radar operator where the Boston's gun turret would have been and 12 machine guns in the nose, in place of the Boston's navigator. The radar then was the Mark 4, not very reliable, and with a very limited range. During 1942, the Squadron re-equipped with the much faster and more maneuverable Mosquito, with a scanner in the nose for the infinitely more effective Mark 8 radar and 4 cannon. After excelling on an air gunnery course at the Central Gunnery School, Hall became an instructor at No 51 Operational Training Unit. He became an ardent believer in the need for fighter pilots to understand fully the basics of air-to-air shooting, something that he felt most of them lacked. He likened the problem to shooting game birds when an estimate of range, line and deflection held the key to success. Hall joined the New Zealanders of No 488 in November 1943, and was crewed up with Cairns, an experienced radar operator. Two months after their initial success, Hall and Cairns were on a routine patrol over Essex when they were directed to a contact flying at 18,000ft. They identified a Junkers 88, which they shot down and saw crash with a tremendous explosion. The enemy aircraft had landed on a group of dispersed bombers on the USAAF airfield at Earls Colne, severely damaging a number of them. Hall was doubtful about claiming this as a kill. He shot down another bomber off the Essex coast on April 19 1944. As he approached to land, he was told to wait until another Mosquito had landed ahead of him. In the event, the other Mosquito turned out to be a Junkers 88; the crew claimed they thought they were landing in Holland. After shooting down their fifth German bomber, as it attacked Bristol on May 22, both Hall and Cairns were awarded the DFC. Hall's citation described him as a highly efficient and courageous fighter. On the night before D-Day, Hall flew one of the many night fighters that patrolled over the beachhead keeping German bombers away from the invasion fleet. By mid-August, the crews of No 488 had destroyed 49 enemy aircraft. The sum of £50 had been accrued at various fund-raising events, and it was agreed that this should go to the ground crew of the aircraft achieving the squadron's 50th success. During the night of August 14/15, Hall attacked a German bomber, but it escaped. Shortly afterwards a second bomber was attacked and Hall succeeded in shooting it down 20 miles south of Caen, much to the delight of his ground crew. After moving to an advanced airfield in France, further success came on the night of December 23/24. Two days later, however, Hall had a narrow escape. Flying in atrocious weather in an attempt to support Allied troops under attack during the German's lightning Ardennes offensive, he was prevented by blizzards from returning to his base at Amiens. With virtually no fuel, he saw a light and crash-landed on a US forward grass airstrip and the Mosquito was wrecked. Hall scored his last kill on March 27 1945. He pressed home his attack from such close range that his Mosquito was hit by debris from the enemy bomber. The port engine was damaged and subsequently caught fire, but Hall managed to crash land on an airfield in Holland; his aircraft was almost completely burnt out. A few days later, he and Cairns each received a Bar to their DFCs. After leaving the RAF at the end of 1946, Hall went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, to read Law. He was called to the Bar by Inner Temple in November 1948, and joined chambers at Lamb Building. He died on 24th September 2015.


Items Signed by Squadron Leader John Hall, DFC* (deceased)

 The ever-vigilant crew of this Mosquito night-fighter successfully intercept a Luftwaffe Bf110 as it heads towards a bomber stream over target in Germany. ......Night Hawks by Philip West.
Price : £125.00
The ever-vigilant crew of this Mosquito night-fighter successfully intercept a Luftwaffe Bf110 as it heads towards a bomber stream over target in Germany. ......

Quantity:
 The ever-vigilant crew of this Mosquito night-fighter successfully intercept a Luftwaffe Bf110 as it heads towards a bomber stream over target in Germany. ......Night Hawks by Philip West (AP)
Price : £150.00
The ever-vigilant crew of this Mosquito night-fighter successfully intercept a Luftwaffe Bf110 as it heads towards a bomber stream over target in Germany. ......

Quantity:
 Late 1944 and as the sun sets, Mark XIX Mosquito night fighters from 85 and 157 Squadrons based at RAF Swannington crew up for their next operation over hostile territory. These Mosquitoes scored many victories in the defence of Bomber Command aircr......
Time To Go by Philip West.
Price : £150.00
Late 1944 and as the sun sets, Mark XIX Mosquito night fighters from 85 and 157 Squadrons based at RAF Swannington crew up for their next operation over hostile territory. These Mosquitoes scored many victories in the defence of Bomber Command aircr......

Quantity:
 Late 1944 and as the sun sets, Mark XIX Mosquito night fighters from 85 and 157 Squadrons based at RAF Swannington crew up for their next operation over hostile territory. These Mosquitoes scored many victories in the defence of Bomber Command aircr......
Time To Go by Philip West. (AP)
Price : £195.00
Late 1944 and as the sun sets, Mark XIX Mosquito night fighters from 85 and 157 Squadrons based at RAF Swannington crew up for their next operation over hostile territory. These Mosquitoes scored many victories in the defence of Bomber Command aircr......

Quantity:
 With its mission completed, the mighty Lancaster slowly rolls to a halt on the lonely dispersal point, the roar of its four pulsating Merlin engines steadily slackens, replaced by an eerie silence, broken only by the snapping cracks of cooling metal......
Day Duties for the Night Workers by Robert Taylor. (AP)
Price : £295.00
With its mission completed, the mighty Lancaster slowly rolls to a halt on the lonely dispersal point, the roar of its four pulsating Merlin engines steadily slackens, replaced by an eerie silence, broken only by the snapping cracks of cooling metal......

Quantity:
 With its mission completed, the mighty Lancaster slowly rolls to a halt on the lonely dispersal point, the roar of its four pulsating Merlin engines steadily slackens, replaced by an eerie silence, broken only by the snapping cracks of cooling metal......
Day Duties for the Night Workers by Robert Taylor. (B)
Price : £250.00
With its mission completed, the mighty Lancaster slowly rolls to a halt on the lonely dispersal point, the roar of its four pulsating Merlin engines steadily slackens, replaced by an eerie silence, broken only by the snapping cracks of cooling metal......

Quantity:
 With its mission completed, the mighty Lancaster slowly rolls to a halt on the lonely dispersal point, the roar of its four pulsating Merlin engines steadily slackens, replaced by an eerie silence, broken only by the snapping cracks of cooling metal......
Day Duties for the Night Workers by Robert Taylor. (C)
SOLD OUT
With its mission completed, the mighty Lancaster slowly rolls to a halt on the lonely dispersal point, the roar of its four pulsating Merlin engines steadily slackens, replaced by an eerie silence, broken only by the snapping cracks of cooling metal......NOT
AVAILABLE

Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Squadron Leader John Hall, DFC* (deceased)


Pilot Signed Mosquito Aircraft Prints.
Pack Price : £320.00
Saving : £370
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Time To Go by Philip West.
Night Raiders by Ivan Berryman. (C)
A De Havilland Beauty by Ivan Berryman.
Shining the Way (Mosquito) by Ivan Berryman.

Quantity:
Mosquito Aircraft Prints by Philip West and Nicolas Trudgian.
Pack Price : £170.00
Saving : £165
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Time To Go by Philip West.
Trainbusters by Nicolas Trudgian. (APB)

Quantity:
Pilot Signed Mosquito Prints by Philip West and Ivan Berryman.
Pack Price : £120.00
Saving : £130
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Time To Go by Philip West.
A Moment's Peace by Ivan Berryman. (C)

Quantity:
WW2 Mosquito Aircraft Prints by Philip West and Stuart Brown.
Pack Price : £130.00
Saving : £200
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Time To Go by Philip West.
The Berlin Express by Stuart Brown.

Quantity:
de Havilland Mosquito Aviation Prints by Philip West and Anthony Saunders.
Pack Price : £110.00
Saving : £110
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Time To Go by Philip West.
Return From Leipzig by Anthony Saunders.

Quantity:
Pilot Signed Mosquito Prints by Philip West and Anthony Saunders.
Pack Price : £135.00
Saving : £145
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Time To Go by Philip West.
Return From Leipzig by Anthony Saunders. (D)

Quantity:
Mosquito Aircraft Prints by Philip West and Robert Taylor.
Pack Price : £150.00
Saving : £150
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Time To Go by Philip West.
Night Intruder by Robert Taylor.

Quantity:
Squadron Leader John Hall, DFC* (deceased)

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