WW1 and WW2 Australian medals to Lieutenant Colonel K.A. Hall, a wounded WW1 veteran who during WW2 was the 1st Commanding Officer of the 2/10th Armoured Regiment in Western Australia.
British War and Victory Medals (1914 – 18) impressed named LIEUT K.A. HALL. A.I.F.; 1939 – 45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal (1939 – 45), Australian Service Medal 1939 – 45, all impressed named TX6055 K.A. HALL.; George V Coronation Medal unnamed as issued. Swing mounted as worn with matching miniatures.; 2/10th colour patch., Staff Corps metal and enamels hat badge.; various pictures of the 2/10th training etc (13) marked SECRET to the rear.; Coronation Medal entitlement letter.; Graduate RMC certificate 1917 dated.; and copies of newspaper articles and WW1 service records.
Lieutenant Colonel Keith Aitken ‘Sammy’ Hall was born on 25/9/1896 in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. His father being Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Frederick William Hall. Keith enlisted into the A.I.F. after attending the Corps of Staff Cadets from 1915 – 1917 being commissioned as a Lieutenant on 1/1/1918. He departed for Europe on 28/2/1918 as part of a special draft of R.M.C. Graduates, landing in England on 20/4/1918. After attending further training in England, he deployed to France on 19/7/1918 and marched into the 46th Battalion on 25/7/1918. He was wounded in action when hit by shrapnel on the 18/8/1918 receiving a wound to his scalp and foot. Evacuated to England that was the end of his war. He was subsequently returned to Australia in September 1919 and discharged.
He re-joined the Permanent Military Forces and was posted to Western Australia between 1928 – 1936 as a Staff Corps Officer, his duties included being the Staff Officer for various state rifle clubs and was the A.D.C. to the Lt Governor Sir James Mitchell from 1934 – 1936. Posted to Army Headquarters in Melbourne followed by being appointed Brigade Major of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. On the outbreak of the war, he was the Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quarter Master General in Tasmania. He returned to Western Australia to raise the 2/10th Armoured Regiment in July 1941 serving as the Commanding officer until April 1942. The unit was equipped with Stuart and Grant tanks. He took up the post of Assistant Quarter Master General for the remainder of the war. Post war he returned to Western Australia where he resided until his death in 1972.
