The Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday Medal of Valour awarded to Gunner W. Hall, Royal Artillery, for his gallantry in saving the lives of a man and his three children from a house filled with potassium cyanide fumes in Clerkenwell, London, on 28 December 1898, an act of valour for which he also received the Royal Humane Society’s Stanhope Gold Medal for the outstanding rescue act of the year

Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday Medal of Valour, 36mm, silver, the reverse inscribed ‘William Hall. Clerkenwell. December 28th. 1898.’, with straight bar suspension and top Spink, London, silver riband bar, good very fine, rare £300-£400

William Hall, a Gunner in the Royal Artillery, was born in St. Pancras, London, in 1875 and attested for the Royal Artillery on 15 February 1893. He was awarded the Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday Medal of Valour ‘for his conspicuous gallantry, while on furlough, in saving the lives of 4 persons from certain death in Clerkenwell on Wednesday, December 28th, 1898.’

For his gallantry that day Hall was also awarded the Royal Humane Society’s Silver Medal (case no. 29,865), the citation stating:
‘At 3.40 p.m. on the 28th December, 1898, a man named Carrington Franklin was at work in an electro-plating establishment in an upstairs room at 42, Clerkenwell Close, Clerkenwell, London, when he was visited by his wife and three children aged respectively ten, four, and two years. On the floor were various vessels containing chemicals used in the business, and it is supposed that the children in their play upset two basins containing cyanide of potassium and vitriol. Fumes of prussic acid were at once generated and filled the room, rendering Franklin and the children unconscious. Mrs Franklin managed to escape, and called for help. Gunner Hall, who was on furlough, happened to be passing, and on being told what had occurred he, without hesitation, stuffed his handkerchief into his mouth, and rushing in found the eldest boy near the bottom of the stairs and carried him out. He then made three journeys up the stairs and into the room where the others lay, bringing out first the children and last of all the father. From inhaling the fumes he was now so exhausted that he fell with Franklin at the foot of the stairs, and was assisted out by his brother, who had come on the scene. When outside he became unconscious, but soon recovered. Extreme risk was incurred, and without doubt all four persons would have lost their lives but for his prompt action and presence of mind.’

Hall was further awarded the Royal Humane Society’s Stanhope Gold Medal for 1899, his act of bravery having been adjudged the outstanding life-saving feat of the previous year.