Athelstan Argyle Hall was born in South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia, the third son of Thomas Skarratt Hall and his wife, Jane Kirk. He married Nancy Dyson in 1922. The family moved to Weeting Hall, Norfolk after returning from Australia in 1899, having made their fortune in gold mining.
They then moved to Westpoint Lodge, Cricket St Thomas in 1934. The family owning the Cricket St Thomas Estate from 1928. They moved into Cricket House after his mother's death. The Hall's bought the estate from the Fry Family, (Chocolate) who went on to own Hannington Hall which was taken over by the Special Duties Branch in the War. There is a memorial in Cricket St Thomas church to Athelstan as he was the Church Warden for over 40 years and was also a County Councillor for Dowlishwake.
He died in Cyprus on holiday. His obituary states his hobbies were engineering and sailing and in his younger days was one of the best shots in the district. He was a pioneer of amateur radio and at one time had his own radio station at Cricket St Thomas.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chard Patrol | Patrol member | 08 Aug 1942 | 03 Dec 1944 |
Boarder at Bournemouth School
Eton College 1912
Cambridge University 1914
Private means - ex Lieutenant Royal Engineers
18 Aug 1914 - Joined Western Army Troops Signal Company, Royal Engineers Telegraphy. 2nd Lieutenant at Liverpool. Service number 59598.
About end of 1914 - Portion of Wireless & Telegraphy Service Company. Transferred to Haynes Park, Bedfordshire.
January 1915 - Transferred to Wireless Signal Company, HQ. Promoted 1st Lieutenant about this time.
About August 1915 - sent to Gallipoli, and attached Signal Officer, Anzac Cove.
About September 1915 - evacuated sick.
Re-joined after sick leave, Wireless Signal Company, Worcester.
15 Aug 1916 - Sent to German East Africa.
August 1916 to Dec 1917 - served in German East Africa.
About November 1917 - evacuated sick, German East Africa.
About January 1918 - Re-joined after sick leave, Fenny Stratford Signal Depot.
About June 1918 - Sent to Signal Company, Cavalry Corps, France.
June 1918 to Feb 1919 - served in France.
February 1919 - Demobilised.
14 Feb 1919 - Relinquishes his temporary commission, Lieutenant.
February 1933 - Re-joined Territorial Army, Weymouth.
4 Feb 1933 - Dorset (Fortress) Royal Engineers, Weymouth.
23 May 1935 - From Dorset (F) Royal Engineers Territorial Army, to be Lieutenant, Territorial Army Reserve general list.
WW2
15 Nov 1939 - Acting Captain.
24 Nov 1939 - Appointed to a commission in Royal Signals as Lieutenant, from Territorial Army Reserve of Officers, General list.
24 Nov 1939 - Posted to Eastern Com Signal Company, to employment unit MI8 (Military Intelligence (Signals)). Joined Radio Sec Section for duty, appointed Acting Captain.
5 Jan 1940 - Posted from Eastern Com to Radio section / SIS MI8 (Military Intelligence (Signals)) Number 2.
15 Feb 1940 - appointed Temporary Captain.
16 Aug 1941 - Designation of unit changed to Special Communication Unit Number 3.
6 Dec 1941 - Posted from Special Communications Unit Number 3 to 1st Signals training centre whilst attending, Number 5 preliminary course, University Collage, Southampton.
22 May 1942 - Relegated to unemployment under ACI 422/42.
28 Feb 1948 - Having exceeded the age limit, to relinquish commission and to return to rank of Lieutenant.
He stayed in the Royal Engineers, and one week after the armistice in 1918 he filed a patent for "Improvements in or relating to wireless signalling apparatus" - this was granted on 18 May 1920. In the patent he is described as Lieutenant R E Wireless Section, Head Quarters, Cavalry Corps, BEF France.
His son Tom Hall recalled; "from 1928 to 1943 we all lived at Westport Lodge, and during the early days of the war father was in the local Home Guard, though I do not know exact details of his service. I remember that Mr Norrington was the local ironmonger in Chard High Street, where we did our shopping. [This is in the wrong order as records show he served in SIS MI8 (Military Intelligence (Signals) early in the war before Auxiliary Units].
Later in the war my father re-joined the Royal Signals (where he had served in WW1) when it was realised he was a skilful radio amateur. He was made a Captain and put in charge of an area of the Radio Security Service (also called Y Intercept) based in Barnet. This comprised a number of Voluntary Interceptors listening nightly to German military transmissions from their homes in East Anglia. Their logs were then collated by Johnny and sent by despatch rider to Bletchley Park, where they were decoded.
We left Westport Lodge and moved to Cricket House in 1943 after my grandmother Jane Hall died."
Son Colonel Tom A. Hall CVO OBE via Chris Perry
MOD Service Record via Chris Perry
TNA ref WO199/3390 & 3391
1939 Register
Somerset Gazette, Western Daily Press 4 March 1963.