Ray Hall - Picture Gallery

Som.LI - SCLI - RSM then to Lt Col. QM MBE

SCLI

 

Webmaster Foreword: I am particularly please to put this page up as it pays tribute to one of the SCLI Other Ranks who made it to the top. Ray Hall is listed among lots of others at RANKS who either were promoted to RSM and many were commissioned, a great achievement.

Lieutenant Colonel R W Hall MBE

May 1952 enlisted into the Somerset Light Infantry at the age of 17 ½ years and carried out training at the depot in Taunton. Was too young to serve overseas (those days it was 18 years and 3 months) so was posted to Light Infantry Brigade Depot at Strensall in York. Attended NCOs cadre and remained as a LCpl instructor on the cadre fgor a further year.

Oct 1953 By now a Cpl and posted back to Taunton hoping to go on to Malaya. Not to be remained at Taunton as a training cpl training national servicemen for Malaya. Nov 1954 Posted to The First Battalion in Malaya and joined 7 Platoon C Company

Apr 1956 Promoted Sgt and posted to The Infantry Boys Battalion in Plumber Barracks Plymouth. Became a Sgt Instructor in the recruit Company Training 15 year old boys for their first term in the army. IBB became The Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion in 1957. I had also been involved in starting up The Army Outward Bound School at Trawsfynydd in Wales. I had been detached a few times to act as an instructor at the Civilian Outward Bound School at Aberdovey. Apr 1959 Rejoin the Somerset’s at Knook Camp Warminster.

Sept 1959 Move to Osnabruck as part of the advance party prior to amalgamation with the DCLI. Become the platoon Sgt of 3 Platoon A Company with Brig A I H Fyfe as the platoon commander. Attend 3” mortar course and am posted to B Company as Mortar Section Sgt on arrival in Gibraltar. Go to Tobruk with B Company and am the left guide, number two company on the colours parade. I am then made Officers Mess Sgt for the rest of the time in Gib. On arrival in Berlin I hand over to Beege Smith and I return to B Company. I play rugby for the battalion and am a member of the team that won the BAOR Cup.

Aug 1964 I am promoted to Clr/Sgt and posted to The Somerset TA as Permanent Staff Instructor at B Company Glastonbury. Apr 1966 Rejoin 1 SCLI and move straight to Aden were I am employed as Clr/Sgt D Company and Air Transport Liaison Officer (ATLO)
On return from Aden I am promoted to WOII and take over as CSM A Company. Remain with A Company for some time serving in Norway, Canada, exercise Artic Express and finally Ballykinler. In February 1969 I am posted to HQ Company as CSM.

Dec 1969 Promoted to WOI and posted to The Rifle Depot, The Royal Green Jackets as Regimental Sergeant Major. The first Light Infantryman to move across as RSM. Feb 1971 Short toured, posted at two days notice to 3LI in Belfast as RSM. Return with Battalion to Plymouth and as the RSM of the third battalion on the Colours Parade at Colchester. Training then takes place before the battalion becomes mechanised. in November 1971. the Battalion moves to Minden.

Nov 1972 The battalion moves to Belfast for an emergency tour I arrive as RSM and on the day that the Battalion flies in I am commissioned. I go to bed in Flax Street Mill as RSM and wake up as Lt R W Hall an take breakfast in the officers mess. For the rest of the tour I am a platoon commander in C Company operating out of Flax Street Mill. On return to Minden I become the battalion Mechanical Transport Office (MTO)

Aug 1974 I am now posted to The Light Infantry Depot at Shrewsbury as second in command of Junior Soldiers company. Feb 1976 Posted back to The Royal Green Jackets this time as Technical Quartermaster of 3rd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets stationed in Caterham. The Battalion moves to Londonderry on an 18-month tour of Northern Ireland. I am appointed Quartermaster to the battalion in
Apr 1977. The battalion returns to Oakington just outside of Cambridge in September 1979. And flies to Cyprus for a United Nations Tour in May 1980. Taking over from 1LI. The Battalion returns to Cambridge in December 1980 I am by now a major. And have been selected to be the quartermaster of The British Army Training Unit in Suffield, Alberta (BATUS)

Feb 1981 Move to Medicine Hat, Alberta. And take up the appointment of QM to BATUS Aug 1984 Posted to The Light Division Depot (Winchester) as Training Officer of The recruit company. Dec 1984 Appointed MBE for services to BATUS Sep 1985 Appointed QM to The Light Division Depot Close down Peninsular Barracks Winchester and Take over from the builder the New Depot at Flowerdown to be named by the Queen Sir John Moore Barracks.

Aug1987 Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Dec1988 Appointed Administration Officer to The first ever Tri Service Tattoo to be held on Horse Guards Parade in aid of SAAFA presented in July 1989 Aug1989 Appointed Officer Commanding Troops and Administration Support Weapons Wing, School of Infantry Netheravon May 1991 Senior Quartermaster marching on the colours on the last colours parade of the Light Infantry

Aug 1992. Discharged from the Army but appointed Staff Quartermaster, at the Army Staff College as a Retired Officer class 2 the first civilian to be appointed to the post. May 1993 Retired from the army.

Note Had three appointments on three colour parades, most people only get to take part in one parade.

1st Battalion The Somerset & Cornwall Light Infantry

A Company - Mercer Barracks Osnabruck 14th January 1960

Back Row: Ptes R Annetts:D Cockram:K Goodman: J Moles:D Stoneman:G Searle:K Dunford:G Hole:C Parsons:J Owen:L Holt:R Morris:F Morris:B Read:D Mitchell:J Blight:E AShdown:K MIlsom:R Paynton:B Isaac

Fourth Row: Ptes P Coles:N Hedley:G Holden:R Fox: L Nicholls:P Norman:B Dart:K Loughrey:J Randall:B Burchill:S Binning:S Carpenter:C Chase:A Jones:B Pratley:G Barber:J Hall:B Jones:A James:C Daley

Third Row: Ptes J Catley:L Boast:W Dyer:L Dunn:N Alder:W Budd:J Hacker:K Baldock:M Hayter:J Archer:T Tranter:A Lean:J Turnbull:A Williams:J Whatley:M Porter:C Vincent:B Lovell:J Sandow

Second Row: Ptes M Lean:W Hastings:V Burch:M Sweet:T Hoskin:M Uren:L/Cpls G Blackwell: RGreensides:F Ballard:H Hodgetts:B Bartlett:R Moreton:R Bennetts:R Wensley:D Smith:G Carew:B Dewfall:M Biddick:Ptes D Jones:J Crisell:K Bicknell:J Roberts

Front Row: Cpls D Frederick:D Banks:G Lambert:J Whitlock:Sgts B Thatcher:G Edwards:WOll C Driver:Lt.SC Firbank:Capt DTI Beath:Major TG Alexander:Lt JO Morgan:2Lt PFA Gooch:2Lt AIH Fyfe:CSgt G Besford:Sgts R Hall:D Evans:Cpls J Hamill:P Macaulay:R Brain

Missing from Photograph: Sgt W Clark: LCpls T Coles:M Moore:Ptes G Brown:G Cunningham:C Matthews:L Nicholls:B Jones:BStidwell:N Parsons

The Wall in Kreuzberg
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Brandenburg Gate closed by wall
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Street of June 17 at the Soviet Memorial
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British Armoured car at the Wall
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Brandenburg Gate on Aug 13 1961
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Church of Reconciliation in the Bernauer Str
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Gravesend - Marion Hall with Nobby Farley
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Coldwell and Cpl Crenol
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Jellalbad Ball - Glastonbury 1965 Rita Morgan, Eric Herrington, Marion Hall, Thelma Herrington and Ray Hall
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Osnabruck
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B Coy - Osnabruck
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Gravesend - Dudart Aberdeen orienteering
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Pte. Ken Billing and L/Cpl David Morris on patrol of the barbed wire border between West Berlin and East Germany.
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Pte. Lynn.

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Private Edward Stevens (Armoured Car Driver) checking all is well.
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October 1964 - Berlin
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October 1964 - Berlin
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Ray Hall in Canada - Camp Wainwright
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Sgt. John Whitelock - West Berlin exercise. Russian and German bullets missed him by inches and some 20 years.
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Presentation from A Coy SCLI to Camp Wainwright Sgt's Mess by CSM Ray Hall A Coy.
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SCLI on Guard in Berlin
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1 SCLI Winners BAOR Cup 1963/64 v 19 Regt RA - 29 Feb 1964 - Garrison Ground Hereford
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Pte. Chris Tollis.
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Pte. Lynn.
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October 1964 - Berlin
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Aden - Ray Hall with Dodger (Bob) Cox
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C/Sgt. Ray Hall - Aden
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Trip to Sea of Sand Tobruck Sp Pl B Coy - March 1962
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Trip to Sea of Sand Tobruck
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Serebub Libya
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Knightsbridge
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