Thomas Kershaw Donald Hall

Thomas Kershaw Donald Hall was born in 1897 in Stretford, Lancashire. He was the only child of Frank Hall, an engineer, and his wife Ada, neé Kershaw, both of whom had themselves been born in Lancashire. Named after his maternal grandfather, Thomas Kershaw, his birth was registered under the name “Tom Kershaw Hall”. In later records his first name appears as Thomas, but he was known as Donald.

Although Donald was born in Lancashire, and in 1901 the family was living in Shifnal, in Shropshire, by 1911 they were living in a house called Littlehaven, on Totley Rise - now 85 Baslow Road. They later moved to Ashleigh on Totley Brook Road - now number 92.

Donald was educated at Chesterfield Grammar School and Sheffield University, where he studied in the Applied Sciences Department. He was then employed in the laboratories of Messrs John Brown & Co, Atlas Works, Sheffield.

In February 1915, Donald enlisted as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery. He served in the ranks until October 1915, when he entered the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, having been specially nominated by Sheffield University. He passed out third in the examinations, and received his commission in August, 1916.

Donald first set foot in France on 16th September 1916. He was killed in action on 9th October 1917 while serving as a 2nd Lieutenant in 6th Battery, 241st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was 20. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph for 20th October 1917 states that he was killed “whilst carrying out his duties as forwarding observing officer”, adding that his commanding officer wrote: ‘He was a keen and fearless officer, and when killed was assisting men who had just been wounded’. He was eligible for the Victory and British medals.

Donald was commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, near Zonnebeke in Belgium, as T K Hall. He is also commemorated on Dore war memorial as Lieut. D Hall, on the war memorial at St John’s Church, Abbeydale, as T K Donald Hal, and on the memorial at Atlas Works as Lt D K Hall.