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Auction: 12002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 3

A Fine 1900 ´Boer War´ C.B., ´Royal Visit´ 1907 C.V.O. Group of Four to Brigadier-General F.H. Hall, Royal Artillery, Who Commanded the 3rd Brigade With Distinction During the Boer War, Including the Artillery at the Battles of Belmont, Graspan, Modder River, Magersfontein and Paardeberg; In His Capacity as Commandant of Pietersberg Hall Arrested ´Breaker´ Morant, October 1901, Prior to His Infamous Court-Martial and Subsequent Execution For Murder a) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Military Division, Companion´s (C.B.) neck Badge, silver-gilt (Hallmarks for London 1897) and enamel, converted for neck-wear b) The Royal Victorian Order, Commander´s (C.V.O.) neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel, reverse officially numbered ´C305´ c) Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Lieut. F.H. Hall. I/C. R.H.A.) d) Queen´s South Africa 1899-1902, five clasps, Belmont, Modder River, Paardeberg, Johannesburg, South Africa 1901 (Colonel: F.H. Hall, C.B., R.F.A.), scratch marks to obverse of campaign medals, therefore very fine, with a photographic image of recipient in uniform (4) Estimate £ 1,800-2,200 C.B. London Gazette 19.4.1901 Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Henry Hall, Royal Artillery ´In recognition of services in connection with the Campaign in South Africa, 1899-1900.´ C.V.O. London Gazette 15.4.1907 Brigadier-General Francis Henry Hall, C.B., Brigadier-General in charge of Administration, Malta ´On the occasion of His Majesty´s visit to Malta.´ Brigadier-General Francis Henry Hall, C.B., C.V.O. (1852-1919), the son of the Reverend F.H. Hall of Drumcullin, County Down, Ireland; entered Woolwich as a Gentleman Cadet, 1869; commissioned Lieutenant, Royal Artillery, 1871; served with "C" Battery, "A" Brigade", Royal Horse Artillery in Afghanistan 1878-80 (M.I.D.); Captain 1881; advanced Lieutenant Colonel, 1897; arrived in South Africa, November 1899, and joined Lord Methuen´s force on the Orange River for the advance on Kimberley; Hall Commanded 3rd Brigade, Royal Artillery, which included the 18th, 62nd and 75th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery; he commanded the Artillery at Belmont (23.11.1899), where ´at 4.20, Colonel Hall, commanding the artillery, came up with the 18th Battery on the right rear of the Guards, and shelled the farther ridges where the Boers were now swarming hurriedly to take up their second position´ (The Times History of the War in South Africa 1899-1900, Vol. II, refers); he also commanded the Artillery at Graspan two days later, and at Modder River (28.11.1900), where ´Colonel Hall now rode up and ordered the 75th to advance. In the teeth of a terrible fire the guns trotted right up to the very front of the Coldstream line and unlimbered within 1200 yards of De la Rey´s trenches. Somewhat later the 75th were joined on their left by the 18th, and together the two batteries kept up all day an intense and continuous (nearly 1100 rounds were fired during the day by the 75th alone. Such firing is a heavy strain.) rain of shrapnel on the centre of the Boer position. It was a magnificient piece of work´ (ibid); Hall and his men excelled again at Magersfontein the following month, when they were in support of the Highland Brigade; he commanded the Artillery at Paardeberg during the bombardment of the Boer laager, 17th-26th February, 1900, and was present at the surrender of General Cronje and 4,000 men (C.B.; Brevet Colonel; Thrice M.I.D.); Member of the Pretoria Committee on Artillery, 1900, and was Chairman of the Field Artillery sub-committee; in April 1901, ´Lieutenant-Colonel Hall, R.A., was placed in command of the whole line from Pienar´s River to Pietersburg´, and it was as Commandant of Pietersberg that he ordered the arrest of Lieutenant Harry ´Breaker´ Morant and his men, 24.10.1901; Hall was posted to India before Morant´s subsequent infamous court martial and execution for murder (the subject of an Australian film starring Edward Woodward in 1980); later postings included as Brigadier-General in charge of Administration, Malta, 1906-07 (C.V.O. for services during the visit of King Edward VII to Malta, 1907) and with the Scottish Command, 1908-09; retired 21.3.1909; Honorary Brigadier-General 10.2.1912. Provenance: C.S. Butcher Collection, Christie´s, April 1991

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£4,200