Auction Catalogue

4 & 5 March 2020

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 550

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4 March 2020

Hammer Price:
£200

Six: Gunner J. A. Hall, Royal New Zealand Artillery late New Zealand Infantry, who was wounded in action twice during the Second World War, firstly at the Third Battle of Monte Cassino in March 1944, and then by mortar fire at Florence in August 1944

1939-45 Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; New Zealand Service Medal; Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (206007 Gnr. J. A. Hall); U.N. Korea 1950-4, unnamed as issued, very fine (6) £140-£180

John Andrew Hall was born in 1923 at Rangataua, New Zealand. He attested for the New Zealand Army on 9 July 1941 and served with the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force during the Second War, embarking from Wellington on 14 May 1943 and disembarking in Egypt on 11 June 1943. He further embarked at Alexandria on 5 October 1943, bound for Italy where he served with the 25th Battalion as part of the 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd New Zealand Division from 23 October 1943 to 20 October 1945. He was wounded in action on 15 March 1944 at the Third Battle of Monte Cassino when the 25th Battalion (New Zealand), tasked with capturing the western side of the town of Cassino, suffered heavy casualties. Here the rubble caused by previous bombardments impeded the movement of supporting allied armour and only served to assist the already stubborn German resistance.

He was wounded a second time on 1 August 1944, this time receiving a mortar wound at Florence, and was treated in the 2nd and 3rd General Hospitals for a period of three months. Returning to New Zealand on 14 January 1946 he was discharged on 22 March 1946.

Hall was back in uniform on 28 August 1950 when he attested for service in the Royal New Zealand Artillery shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War. He served in Korea as a Gunner with the 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery from 10 December 1950 until 6 June 1952 and was discharged in New Zealand on 29 August 1952. He died in Scotland in 1981.

Sold with copied research.