Quartermaster William Nelson Edward Hall VC, RN

“First Nova Scotian Awarded Victoria Cross for gallant conduct at a 24-pounder gun”

What is known is that shortly after his birth, Hall’s parents found residence in Horton’s Bluff, a small village situated between Avonport and Hantsport(4). In his youth, he spent many days watching ships moving along the river and the Basin of Minas, longing “… for the life of a sailor.”(5) Not far from his home, his father worked at a shipyard at Half-Way River, Hantsport, and soon Hall joined him. Although he didn’t receive much of a formal education – a set public schooling system had yet to be established and options were limited for those who lived in remote areas – it may still be deduced from sources that Hall was a competent youth, both a quick learner and diligent worker. After a few years constructing and repairing merchant vessels, Hall joined the American Merchant Marines at the age of twelve. As noted by Blakeley, “In 1844… William shipped before the mast in a small vessel from Hantsport, for his parents were struggling to support a growing family.”(6)

Over the next six years, Hall served aboard merchant ships, building a wealth of experience and travelling to ports across the globe. Then, around the age of eighteen, Hall joined the US Navy, serving just over a year before finding himself in Liverpool, England. On February 2, 1852 he went to the RN recruiting office on Red Cross Street and enlisted. Now twenty, Hall was posted to HMS Victory, Nelson’s famous flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar, before transferring to HMS Rodney, where he served in the Channel Fleet(7).

Two years later, Hall, now an Able Seaman, sailed to the Mediterranean Sea. It was the beginning of the Crimean War and both Britain and France sent several troops and vessels to support Turkey in its fight against Russian forces. Rodney went to Malta and joined a fleet made up of warships from both countries. The flotilla wasted little time, travelling to the Black Sea and, in April, bombarded the Russian port of Odessa. Hall would later recount “We chastised the Russians for not recognizing the flag of truce.”(8) In November, Hall went ashore and was put in charge of a gun crew during the Battle of Inkerman (9). He then participated in the Siege of Sebastopol where “… he was one of the naval brigade which did such splendid service”(10). He was awarded both the Crimean and Turkish Crimean Medals for his service and, in 1856, joined HMS Shannon.

It didn’t take long for Hall to see combat again. The Indian Mutiny broke out in May 1857, and Shannon quickly set off for Calcutta. The British Army was in dire need of reinforcements and Hall, based on his gunnery experience, was selected to serve in a naval contingent – often referred to as the “Shannon Brigade” – to help with the relief of the besieged city of Lucknow. In August, they travelled up the Ganges River, taking six 68-pounders, eight 24-pounders, a battery of eight rockets and two howitzers(11). Not an easy task, but things only became harder the following month when they were forced inland. The terrain proved too difficult to move the larger guns, and so Shannon Brigade left them behind and focused on the 24-pounders. Hauling cannons over rugged, uneven earth, was a real challenge. The transport alone was grueling but sporadic attacks by rebel Sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British East India Company’s army) made matters even worse. On one occasion, Hall and his companions were forced to take shelter in a stone ruin. One of their guns was situated on the building’s wall to provide cover-fire for retreating British units. Naturally, the Sepoys tried to neutralize it, killing most of the crew operating it. Hall, manning another nearby gun, better protected from incoming fire, noticed his comrades’ plight and left his shelter to assist the survivors. The officer in charge, Lieutenant Noel Salmon, lay wounded on the ground amidst scattered sounds of musket fire striking battered stone walls when he noticed, through the smoke and haze, someone approaching. When he realized that it was Hall, his spirits brightened and he shouted, “Ah! Hall! You’re a man!” (12) Three more sailors, who’d seen what Hall had done, soon arrived and together, they managed to return fire, eventually forcing the Sepoys to retreat.

Finally, by November 16th, Hall and the rest of the brigade made it to outskirts of Lucknow. They were given the difficult task of breaching the walls of the Shah Najaf mosque, a well constructed building repurposed as a fort. The multi-story structure gave the Sepoys a strategic advantage and the twenty-foot stone walls, which seemed impervious to siege weapons, allowed the defenders to attack the British with “… unrelenting musketry, cannon grape shot and supporting cannon fire from the Kaisarbagh, as well as oblique cannon fire from secured batteries north of the Gumti River.”(13)

In contrast, the British were utterly exposed. Unlike the defenders, who were relatively protected and hidden along the mosque’s outer ramparts, the naval artillery were forced into open land, void of any natural or artificial features to use as shelter. No trees, rocks, hills, out-cropping, or buildings to protect them from incoming fire. And, in order to execute an effective attack, they would have to bring their guns closer to the enemy, in-turn making them easier targets. Hall, along with the other crews, pressed forward. Despite enemy fire, they dragged the heavy, iron weapons, inching towards the looming stone walls, until close enough to attack. They then secured and loaded the 24-pounders, letting loose a volley at the enemy. The guns roared, jolting back and belching smoke into the air but did little damage to the walls. They were too far and the shots simply bounced off the stone. Again, they were ordered to pull their guns forward to shorten the distance in the hopes of breaking through the enemy’s defences. Once within four hundred yards, they resumed the assault, but even three solid hours of continuous fire failed to breach the walls. The structure was simply too dense for their rounds to penetrate, even at the present range.

While the smoke from the cannons helped provide some cover for the British, the Sepoy were unwavering in their counter-fire. Muzzle-flashes from the 24-pounders shone through the dense haze, momentarily providing the defenders a target. More and more musket fire scored hits, punching through clothing and flesh or splintering against iron, sending shrapnel into nearby sailors. British losses were steadily mounting.

If they didn’t breach the walls soon, there would be no one left to operate the guns.

The order was given to send the 93rd highlanders to assault the mosque. Fifty of them charged the fort, but without a clear access point, or ladders to scale the walls, they were forced to frantically circle the mosque in search of a way in. Overhead, defenders trained their muskets downward, picking the soldiers off one by one. In short order, dozens had fallen.

Shannon’s Captain, Sir William Peel**, realized the highlanders would soon be wiped-out and decided upon sending two of his 24-pounders even closer to the building, hoping the short range would be enough to punch a hole through the wall. It would leave the gunners critically exposed – a suicidal move – but what choice did they have? Unfortunately, one of the cannons was short a man. Without hesitation, Hall stepped forward and volunteered.

“I guess I’ll go with you,” he told his Captain.

“You had better not”, Peel replied, “it means almost certain death.”

Hall was determined, “I will take the chance, sir.”(14)

Rough and bloodied hands grasped lines, blocks creaked under pressure, and the guns were gradually pulled to within twenty feet of their target. The defenders naturally took notice and promptly diverted their musket fire at the two gun crews. Immediately, men began to fall while the others were forced to carry-on despite the rounds whooshing past their bodies and striking the earth in puffs of dirt. They couldn’t last long under such conditions – if not for the lingering cloud of gun smoke most of them would already be dead.

Hall recalled the experience vividly: “each round we ran our gun forward, until at last my gun’s crew were actually in danger of being hurt by splinters of brick and stone torn by the round shot from the walls we were bombarding.” (15)

All six gunners of the lead gun were now cut to pieces, leaving only Hall and a wounded Lieutenant Thomas James Young alive, although the latter gravely injured. Despite heavy and sustained enemy fire, Hall continued loading, firing, sponging, and inching forward the 24-pounder on his own. As noted by Blakeley, “With his own gigantic strength he brought back the gun and fired the charge which made a breach in the wall, just large enough to allow a man to climb over.” Hall had finally done it – he’d broken through. The mighty wall shook as the sound of stone caving-in and men screaming rang through the structure. Sepoy musket fire promptly stopped, the defenders either thrown off their feet or retreating into the fortress. The surviving highlanders stormed through the opening with bayonets fixed, moving into Shah Najaf and, eventually, securing the mosque.

Shannon Brigade stayed for the following months until the city came completely under British control. On September 15 , 1858, the ship hoisted sail and made for home.

Hall’s gallantry didn’t go unnoticed. Both he and Young, in addition to receiving the Indian Mutiny Campaign Medal, were nominated for the Victoria Cross (VC). On February 1, 1859, Hall’s citation appeared in the London Gazette:

Hall… and his colleagues were attempting to breach the walls of the Shah Najaf mosque as rebels shot at them. The enemy concentrated its fire on the gun crews until Hall and an officer, Lieutenant James Young, were the only ones left. They continued to load and fire the last gun until the wall was breached, giving the soldiers of the British garrison enough room to scramble through.

Salmon, now a captain (and later to become a Rear-Admiral), commented on Hall’s award, noting that “he was a fine powerful man and as steady as a rock under fire.”(16) It wouldn’t be until October that Hall would be presented with the medal aboard HMS Donegal in Ireland. He became the first Nova Scotian, first Canadian sailor, and first black member of any of the commonwealth’s armed forces, to receive the honour.

Hall continued to serve with the RN. In 1860 he was selected to join HMS Hero, a 91-gun warship powered by both screw and sail, for a special trip – to bring 18 year-old Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, and future King Edward VII, to Nova Scotia for a royal visit to Canada and the United States. The ship was purposely crewed entirely of veteran sailors. Years later, Lieutenant Thomas Gough, who had been aboard the ship, reflected that “We had one Victoria Cross man amongst them; curious to say, he was a negro, by name William Hall. V.C.’s were not so plentiful then as they are now”(17) .

In 1876, after having served “… twenty-two years and 258 days of active service in the navy”(18) Hall swallowed the anchor and retired. He’d achieved the rank of Quartermaster, roughly comparable to a Petty Officer First Class***, and was presented with a Certificate of Good Conduct for his many years of loyal service. As a recipient of the VC, Hall was offered a post at Whitehall in London, which would have afforded him a comfortable life. However, Hall yearned to return to Nova Scotia – he wanted to be home with his family.

“I want to spend my days in the old place,” he said, “the land of my birth.”(19)

Two of Hall’s sisters, Mary Hall and a Mrs. Robinson, lived on a small farm in Avonport, and he moved into a house already situated on the land. It was comfortable, quiet, and peaceful, just the sort of setting he’d hoped for. Hall quickly settled into seclusion, keeping to himself and finding peace in working the land. He did little socializing and when he did encounter neighbours or people at local markets, he rarely spoke about his time in the navy. As such, most had no idea a war hero lived among them.

In 1899, the Boar War began. It would mark Canada’s first involvement in an overseas conflict and interest in local veterans – especially highly decorated ones – prompted reporter D.V. Warner to track down the old naval hero. He’d heard rumours that a VC winner lived in the area and, after some digging, found Hall’s address. In September 1900, Warner set off to pay the old salt a visit and interview him for an article. Initially, he had trouble finding Hall’s home as a row of spruce trees sheltered the property from high winds and made it difficult to spot from the road. However, Warner decided it was best to double check, and rounding the trees discovered a two-acre orchard and small farm, replete with cattle and chickens(20). The home itself was on a slight hill with a commanding view of the Minas Basin. It had a peaceful feel, and as he approached the dwelling, he noted an elderly man sharpening a scythe with a young boy working the grindstone. The man was old, the lines on his face hinting of decades of experience and a life spent abroad. However, despite his age, he appeared strong, handling the tool with skill. As bits of rough and bent steel sparked against the stone, Warner came up, introduced himself, and offered to take over spinning the wheel.

“It’s rather late for haying, isn’t it?” he noted as he started pumping the pedal.

“I just want to get a little salt hay off the marsh,” Hall replied as he pressed the steel again to the stone.

Warner focused on the task. Again, sparks flew as the old man skillfully edged the blade. He waited until the scythe was lifted off the wheel before asking, “By the way, haven’t you been in the British navy?”

“Yes,” Hall answered, checking the sharpness with his calloused thumb, “I served a good many years in the navy.”

Again, the old man studied the blade. “I think she’ll cut the grass all right.”

Warner asked about Hall’s VC, and after some persuading, the old man took him inside his home and to a well-furnished room covered with paintings of various warships. A small box sat atop the mantel of a fireplace and Hall brought it to a table. Inside were four medals and some letters. Warner noted that the “… blue ribbon on which the Cross had been originally suspended was missing, having been ‘borrowed’ by a relic hunter.” Hall had fastened the medal to a long watch chain so that it could be suspended from the pocket of his blazer. Warner held the medal and noted the date inscribed – 16 November 1857. “It’s nothing to have a Cross now,” Hall noted as the reporter studied the medal, “they’re as thick as peas. It isn’t worth very much to a man after all, only ten pounds a year.”
He shrugged. “If it wasn’t for my regular navy pension of forty pounds a year I don’t know how we’d get along here. The farm is small, and my two sisters live with me, you know.”(21)

In 1901, the Duke of Cornwall and York (and future King George V) and Queen Mary visited Halifax. The Royal British Veterans Society, having read Warner’s article, brought Hall to the reception as a special guest. He was, at the time, the only Nova Scotian with the VC and, as the Halifax Morning Chronicle noted in an article on October 21, 1901, “the only known coloured man who wears the Cross.”(22) While unveiling a monument, the Duke noticed Hall’s medals and struck-up a private conversation with the old war hero.

Three years later, Hall died at his home on August 25, 1904. A small cemetery in Lockhartville became his resting place. On September 27th, the Brooklyn Baptist Church held a service for Hall and many from the community came to pay their respects to the humble naval hero. Reverend B. D. Knott gave an address described Hall as “… a peaceable God-fearing citizen” who was “honoured and repsected by all who knew him.” He also noted that many were surprised to discover he was a recipient of the VC. As Knott explained, Hall “was ever humble.”(23)

Over the years, the cemetery suffered from neglect. In 1945, Hall’s body was exhumed and moved to Hantsport to a plot given to the Royal Canadian Legion. There, Hall was given a place of honour, his gravestone noting his VC. Three years later, the Hants County Legion, along with the William Hall V.C. and Lucknow branches****, in addition to dozens of other surrounding branches, raised funds to erect a memorial plaque and cairn in his honour. Built by Embert A. Gollan, the monument also included a bronze replica of the Victoria Cross(24).

On November 9, 1947, a ceremony took place to unveil the new monument, beginning with a parade. HMCS Stadacona’s band were at the fore, followed by Lieutenant D.H. Newton RCN and a division from Halifax’s naval detachment. Behind, Major W. L. McQuarrie led the 88 th Anti-Tank Battery, and then veterans from several of the aforementioned legion branches, made up the rear(25).

Following the parade, Rear-Admiral C.R.H. Taylor grasped a line and pulled off a Union Jack that covered the monument. Once revealed, he turned to the crowd and remarked: “It is my proud privilege to take part in this ceremony to Canada’s first naval V.C. … In honour of the memory of this brave coloured seaman, whose devotion to duty in the finest tradition of the navy and the British race resulted in the saving of many British lives”(26).

Following Taylor’s remarks, a letter from the Halifax Coloured Citizens Improvement League was read aloud: “May God Bless this solemn occasion and may we transmit… our great joy at this lasting memorial, to one of our race, who devoted his life to the Empire which symbolizes peace, good will and tolerance among all peoples and all climes.” (27)

In 1967, Hall’s medals, which had ended-up in a collection in England, were returned to Canada and showcased at Expo ’67 in Montreal. The blue ribbon to Hall’s VC was finally replaced. Afterwards, the honours were showcased at the Canadian War Museum for several years until being entrusted to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax which now displays them.

The RCN announced on June 26, 2015, that its fourth Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) would be named HMCS William Hall. The ship’s keel was laid on February 17 2021 and the hull floated-out on November 27, 2022. On April 28th the ship was officially named in a ceremony in Halifax, which included some of Hall’s decedents.

Footnotes:

*Fourth rate 50-gun Portland-Class Ship
**He would die before discovering he’d been honoured with a knighthood for his gallantry.
***It is difficult to compare properly to the modern RCN ranking system. Compared to Second World War RCN ranks, he would likely be a Chief Petty Officer, while in the modern ranking system, a Petty Officer 1st Class.
****Both have since closed.

Hall’s Awards and Decorations:

Turkish Crimea Medal 1856; British Crimea Medal with clasps for Sevastopol and Inkerman 1856; Indian Mutiny Campaign Medal 1858; Victoria Cross 1859; Certificate of Good Conduct 1876

Citations

1. “Canada And The Victoria Cross: Of Rebellion And Rescue,” by Arthur Bishop, March 1, 2004
2. Blakeley, P.R. William Hall, Canada’s First Naval V.C. Dalhousie Review, Volume 37, Number 3, 1957, 250-258
3. Ibid
4. Blakeley 250
5. Ibid
6. Ibid
7. Ibid 251
8. Ibid
9. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/medals-decorations/canadian-victoria-cross-recipients/william-hall
10. Blakeley, ibid, 251
11. Ibid 253
12. Ibid
13. Saran, R. Freedom Struggle of 1857 Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. (July 22 2015) A reprinting of the original 1900s manuscript.
14. Blakeley, ibid, 255
15. https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/collections/william-hall-vc
16. Blakeley, ibid, 256
17. Ibid
18. Ibid
19. Ibid 257
20. Ibid – most of the following interaction was taken from Warren’s interview with Hall in September 1900.
21. http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hall_william_1829_1904_13E.html
22. Blakeley, ibid, 258
23. Ibid
24. https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/real-life-action-hero-legacy-of-nova-scotias-william-hall-to-carry-on-with-future-generations-100793704/
25. https://mcdadeheritagecentre.ca/william-hall-vc/
26. Ibid
27. Ibid

Sources:

Saran, R. Freedom Struggle of 1857 Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. (July 22 2015) A reprinting of the original 1900s manuscript.
Blakeley, Phyllis R. Dalhousie Review, Volume 37, Number 3, 1957, pp 250-258
http://www.blackhistoryheroes.com/2013/02/william-hall-africans-in-nova-scotia.html
https://legionmagazine.com/en/canada-and-the-victoria-cross-of-rebellion-and-rescue-2/
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/medals-decorations/canadian-victoria-cross-recipients/william-hall
https://acbncanada.com/lest-we-forget-victoria-cross-winner-william-hall/
http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hall_william_1829_1904_13E.html
https://dalspace.library.dal.ca/bitstream/handle/10222/75284/dalrev-vol37-iss3-pp250-258.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/collections/william-hall-vc
https://mcdadeheritagecentre.ca/william-hall-vc/

Prepared By:

Sean E. Livingston, Co-Founder CNTP and Author Oakville’s Flower: The History of HMCS Oakville