Walter William Hall was born on 1 August 1881, the son of Edward Hall (b.1851) and Mary Ann Hall née Martin (1854-1941). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1881 in the Richmond Registration District, Surrey (now Greater London). On 7 October 1881 he was baptised in St John the Divine Church, Richmond, where he was incorrectly recorded in the baptismal register as William Walter Hall, but that his date of birth was confirmed, that his family were living at 7 Rosedale Cottages, Richmond and that his father was a labourer.
It is uncertain when his father died but in circa 1887 his mother married Charles Johnson (1864-1923).
He was described as aged 9 years and a scholar in the census that was undertaken on 5 April 1891. He was residing at 23 Castlegate, Lower Road, Richmond. with his mother and his stepfather, who was listed as a brewer's labourer, four of his siblings: Frances Bertha Hall (1877-1973) - who despite being aged 13 years her occupation was described as a mother's help; Edward William Hall (1879-1952) - a scholar; Ernest William Hall (1883-1916) - a scholar; George Hall (b.1886) - also a scholar and his two half-sisters: Esther Florence Johnson (1889-1916) and Adelaide Sarah Johnson (1891-1981).
On 21 September 1908 he married Christina Dinah Gill (1882-1947) at Holy Trinity Church, Richmond, where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 27 years, a bachelor and a fireman who was living at 15 Trinity Cottages, Richmond, the son of the deceased Edward Hall, a waterman, whilst his wife was described as aged 26 years and a spinster who was residing at 12 Trinity Cottages, Richmond, the daughter of Job Gill, a carpenter.
He described himself as aged 29 years and a fireman in the London Fire Brigade employed by the London County Council on the census return form that he completed on 2 April 1911. He was living in Flat 6 at the Fire Station, High Street, Eltham, London, with his wife and their son Walter Edward Hall (1909-1981).
His death was registered as Walter W. Hall, aged 36 years, in the 1st quarter of 1918 in the Lambeth Registration District, London. He died on 30 January 1918 as a result of injuries sustained following a wall collapse during firefighting operations at H. J. Brantom Cattle Food Warehouse, Albert Embankment, Lambeth (The future site of LFB Headquarters). His Brigade number was 151 and he was attached to Station 94, Vauxhall, where he was a Sub Officer. His body was buried on 4 February 1918 in , in the Highgate Cemetery, Swain's Lane, London, N6.
Sub Officer William Edward Cornford, Fireman Edmund James Fairbrother, Fireman William Edward Nash, Fireman John William Coote Johnson, Fireman Arthur Alfred Page and Fireman James Edward Fay were also killed.
He is shown as "W. W. HALL" on the London Fire Brigade memorial in Highgate Cemetery. He is also commemorated on the National Firefighters Memorial in Sermon Lane, London, EC4, on the and on the .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in to see them