Looking for information regarding my great uncle! George Stanley ("Sonny") Hall

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 28/05/2015 12:03:09

All the information I know will be listed below:

Name: George Stanley Hall (but people referred to him as "Sonny")
PO/X 111875, No. 45 R.M. Commando., Royal Marines
Died: 10/10/1945
Born: ?/?/1923
Age: 22

If anyone has any information please leave a reply! We have no photo's and any other information.
Thank you

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 28/05/2015 14:37:41

Hello Jordon, welcome to the forums.

Just to start things off, have you applied for George's service records from the MOD ?

It is straight forward, just requires waiting.
See http://forum.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/179.page

For benefit of others, your great uncle is sadly listed by the Commonwealth war graves commission here :

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2735204/HALL,%20GEORGE%20STANLEY

Jordon also posted here
http://forum.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/45/1731.page

Good luck.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 28/05/2015 12:17:26

Thank you, however, the fee of £30 is quite ridiculous.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 06/05/2016 14:18:32

Hi Jordon,

welcome to the CVA Website & Forums.

Jsavage00 wrote:Thank you, however, the fee of £30 is quite ridiculous.

If I may just say that the MoD is the only agency who holds records of those who served in WWII.

There are a handful of Online Search Sites who advertise, wrongly, that they have all WWII Service Records but, having paid an annual subscription, you'll find that they won't have the one you're looking for...

The Disclosures Offices within the MoD also deal with welfare cases and they are extremely busy departments. Few records are digitalised, although I suspect this is a 'work in progress' project.
The £30 search fee also serves as a deterrent to those unscrupulous enough to try and access those records to which they are not entitled and there is also the risk of 'identity theft' - there are, of course, many WWII veterans still alive that may succumb to some of the despicable types that strive to steal from the vulnerable & elderly.

In my opinion, for what it is worth, the search & admin fee of £30 is well worth it.

Cheers,

Nick

Hi Jordan

When I saw your letter I thought I know this name.

Last summer I tried to find his grave at the Islington Cemetery and Crematorium, I searched high and low to no avail.

His death is recorded on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website ,just put in the information you have ,and it will show his burial details.

I hope this helps a little.

Regards

Graham

Hi Graham,

I think i posted a picture of his grave on the site already because they was looking for it. His grave is on the road called "Sergeant Hill". it is on its own too.
I found the information on the common wealth website here: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2735204/HALL,%20GEORGE%20STANLEY
Thanks

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 29/04/2016 15:38:06

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This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 01/05/2016 11:39:57

Update:

No. 45 Commandos. PO/X 111875

Name: George Stanley Hall

Nickname: Sonny

Birthday: 02/12/1922

Death: 10/10/1945

Area of death: Worthing

Cause of death: Accident involving live ammunition during a training exercise.

Born in Islington

Mothers maiden name: Compton

Royal artillery (i think)

Hi Jordan

Thank you for the information. I have added a page to our main site in your Great Uncle's name. It can be viewed here: Mne George Stanley Hall.

We do have a photo of his grave in our gallery that you supplied earlier. It can be viewed HERE.

I have also amended the details in our Rolls of Honour and placed a link to the page with his details. Have you discovered any photo of your great uncle as yet ?

Pete

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 30/04/2016 20:12:47

Hello,
Fortunately I managed to receive 2 photos of George in his commando uniform.
Thank you,
Jordan

Edit:1 Photo has been attached, if anyone knows any possible information from his uniform, please contact me.
Thank you.

Update: After speaking to a family member, i found out that George's parents refused to take the medals and George's parents got rid of everything. Apparently the MOD also covered his death up as he died in training. I do not know how i would go about this.
Thank you,
Jordan

Hi Jordan, a very sad story indeed. I recall my granddad mentioning a few training deaths and accidents during war time, all the worse being just after WW2 had ended.

I would try applying to the MOD for his service records, see what was recorded. I appreciate you wrote that you found the fee a bit steep. Perhaps you and some interested family members could share the fee ?

Although Sonny passed away, he is being remembered here.

Good luck with your search Jordan, and be sure to let us know what else you find.

Hello, If the MOD did cover up his death, what would be in the service record?
Thank you,
Jordan

Hi Sonny, by requesting the records, you can see what was actually recorded at the time, and work from there, see if that matches the family version of events.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 02/05/2016 23:18:31

Hi Jordan,

That's a very tragic story about your Great Uncle Sonny Hall. Sadly these tragedies did happen fairly often.

I notice in your first post that you thought Sonny may have been in the Royal Artillery...
Well there is no doubt that he was a Royal Marine - I don't know why you thought he was in the RA and can only assume that before he became a Royal Marine Commando, he was in the Royal Marine Artillery (RMA). The thing that puzzles me here is that the RMA merged with the RMLI (Royal Marine Light Infantry) in 1923 to become the Royal Marine Corps - and i think that was prior to your great Uncle's enlistment.

However, as suggested, his Service Records will make that clearer.

You talk of a 'cover up' regarding his death. His service records will reflect his service up to and including his death. It will not indicate how he died - basically, as soon as he died, his service ceased. I know that's a blunt way of putting it but it is how it was seen.
His death should be recorded in his Unit's official War Diaries - which are held in the National archives and are free to view and photograph.

Going by experience the Diary will record the death of Mne G Hall - "who died as a result of an accident during a training exercise..." or something along those lines. I have never come across any instances that would suggest a cover-up.
There will have been a Court of Inquiry and, probably an Inquest and these too should be recorded - all similar instances I have read about have been.

The results of the C of I and Inquest probably won't be in the War Diaries - but they must be recorded somewhere, I just am not aware of where that will be.

If your Great Uncle's medals were never issued - they will be held in the Medal Office and can be claimed by Sonny's next of kin. Open this link and click on 'MOD medal application form'

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-for-medals

Nick