Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Hall, a coal miner, born 1851 in Claybrook, Leics., and his wife Catherine Hall (nee Cliff, married 1886), born 1859 in Whitwick, Leics. Isaac was a schoolboy, and was born in the 1st quarter of 1895 in Whitwick, Leics., his siblings were, Arthur, a coal miner and horse driver, born 1880, Mary Elizabeth, a domestic housemaid, born 1882, Thomas a coal miner, born 1884, Ernest a baker’s assistant, born 1888, Herbert, a schoolboy, born 1890 and Emma, a schoolgirl, born 1898 all his siblings were born in Whitwick, Leics., in March 1901 the family home was at Brook’s Lane, Whitwick, Leics. In April 1911 Isaac, was employed as a coal miner and pony driver, and was residing in the family home at School Lane, Whitwick, Leics., together with his parents and sister Emma. Isaac and his elder brother Ernest worhipped at St. Andrews Church in Thringstone. On leaving school he joined his elder brother as a miner at Whitwick Colliery. Isaac enlisted in the 1st/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment in the first week of the war, being just seventeen years of age. Shortly after arriving in France in February 1915, he received the news that his brother Ernest had been killed at the Battle of Neuve Chappelle. Isaac met his death when a German mine was detonated beneath Trench 50, close to Hill 60 in the Ypres Salient. Shortly before his death he wrote a letter to his parents:- “Dear Mum and Dad, Thank you for your letter and parcel and copy of the Coalville Times. I’m very pleased with all the contents. I’m writing from the trenches, the second night of our tour. It’s a bit rough – rained all night. I often think of dear old home but I’ve got to stick it. I’m in the pink, and I’ll come home and see you one of these fine days. I don’t think the war will last much longer. Your loving son, Isaac.”
The War Diary records: 23 July-15 - ZILLEBEKE. At 6.55pm small mine exploded under enemy’s gallery opposite A.1. At 7.00pm exploded large mine under enemy’s salient. At 7.01pm artillery opened fire on crater and enemy supports. The redoubt in salient completely destroyed. Enemy’s casualties estimated at 40. At 9.22pm enemy exploded large mine in front of trench 5.B. destroying portions of parapet and inflicting 40 casualties. Enemy trench mortared the crater, thus hindering work of rescue and of linking crater with line of defences. 2nd Lt’s R. C. LAWTON, E. E. WYNNE and N. C. MARRIOTT having arrived from England have been taken on the strength of the Battn. Officers, N.C.O.’s and men of the 17th Division were attached to the Battn for instruction during the last tour of duty. This remedied to some extent the wastage in the Battn which at one time contained only 9 Coy officers and 474 trench rifles.
On Friday August 6th 1915 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “MORE STORIES BY EYE WITNESSES.” – GRAPHIC DETAILS. A Melton Mowbray Territorial belonging to No.5 Platoon, “B” Company, 5th Battalion Leicestershire Territorials, writes the following interesting letter:- “I hope by now you know that I am quite safe. It was awful, but you know we have to expect anything out here. Our Engineers had just blown up two mines, and we had seen sandbags, men, buckets, and other things go up in the air. We were saying we should have something to tell the people in Melton when we get home again when there was the biggest crash I have ever heard. I was the end man of our trench, and there were F. Linnett, P. Underwood, and Jerry Boulger with me. Before I had time to move, the dirt and other things were dropping on me. I thought it would never stop, but when it did I jumped up and got my rifle, and I was ready if anyone came. The other three ran up the trench to see what they could do. Well, I cannot describe to you what the trench looked like. If the mine had been about 6 yards further there would not have been many of the Melton men left. While some of our men were firing the others were digging the men out who were buried. Poor Arthur Rogers was the first man to be got out, but he was dead. Then others followed – Arch. Marston, Syd. Newton, J. Atter, H. Plowman, B. Newton - and I think they are getting on all right. (A subsequent letter from the same writer states that Plowman has since died in hospital). Some of the others got out themselves, and either started firing or digging. It was marvellous to see how the men behaved, and it has been noticed and appreciated by the General. We got other men out, poor fellows they were dead, Sgt. Bunn, from Uppingham, leaves six children, and poor Walter Simpson leaves a widow and one child, the others were Cpl. W. Ibbetson, and Ptes. Pennington Foister, Pick, Wilson and Rogers from Melton, and Ptes. Hall, Gray, Buswell, Andrews from Coalville and district. Of course there were others who had to go out of the trench suffering from shock. It was our Platoon who caught it, and out of about 40 who went to the trenches nine of us marched out again. Aaron Sharp and J. Ruddle got blown up in the air, and dropped in a trench at the back. Aaron says he thinks Jimmy Ruddle started first up in the air, but he doesn't know who dropped first. Jimmy Atter was buried for three hours, and when G. Boulger got him out he said: ‘Hello Jerry! I never remember being buried alive before.’ When they took him away he said: ‘I should think this means another bar on my medal.’ I think we had sixteen killed this time in, and I don’t know how many wounded. One thing we are still smiling, and looking forward to better times. I am enclosing a copy of a letter which we had sent to us by the Officer Commanding. I want you to keep smiling, and don't get downhearted, for, as you know, it might have been worse. You will hear all about it in the papers. What I am pleased about is that we never left the trench, and what Germans came soon went back who were not shot. Thanks so much for the box you sent. The contents were lovely and they were a treat. I divided them among the chaps who were left in our platoon. I know you will not mind, for you know how the chaps felt. I had a double box of Tangerine oranges, box of tomatoes, one of apples, and fifteen hundred Woodbines, and three pounds of Gold Flake tobacco. Walter came to our place, but I was in the trenches. I expect he will come again. Don't forget to tell everyone I know that I am still smiling. If anyone wants a bit of excitement tell them to join the army. I'm having the time of my life and it will take more than this to upset me.”

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday August 6th, 1915.

Thringstone Brothers Killed

News has been received of the death of Pte. Isaac Hall, of the 5th Battalion Leicestershire Territorial Regiment who was killed in action on July 23rd by the enemy exploding a mine under a British trench. He was 20 years of age and brother of Pte. Ernest Hall, whose death we reported a few months ago. They are sons of Mr J. Hall, of Thringstone and were formerly engaged as colliers. A photo of Pte. E. Hall has already appeared in our columns and one of Pte. I. Hall, with further details will be published in our next issue.

Coalville Times article - Friday 6th August, 1915

DO YOU KNOW

That a memorial service for Pte. I. Hall, killed in action is to be held at Thringstone Church next Sunday night?

Coalville Times article - Friday August 13th, 1915

THRINGSTONE BROTHERS KILLED

Mr John Hall, of Thringstone, has received news that his son, Pte. Isaac Hall, 2521, 5th Battalion, B. Co. Leicestershire Regiment, was killed in action on July 23rd, through the mining of a British trench by the enemy. He was 20 years of age, single, and employed as a collier before the war, and is the second son that Mr Hall has lost in the war. The other was Pte. Ernest Hall, killed in action, as reported a few months ago, and who left a wife and three children residing in Talbot Street, Whitwick.

The sad news was conveyed in the following letter from Capt. J. G. Griffiths, commanding B. Co. Leicestershire Regiment, dated July 26th:

“It is with the deepest regret that I have to write to inform you of the death of your son, Pte. I. Hall, on Friday night last. The loss of your son is quite a blow to his company. Both I and the whole of my company liked him, he being always cheerful and ready to do his duty. He was at the time nobly defending his trench when the enemy exploded a mine under our parapet and your son was, I believe, killed instantly and could not have suffered any pain. He was buried by his comrades behind the firing line and I am sure as long as we are in this district his comrades will tend his grave carefully. The only consolation we have for his loss is that he died nobly defending his trench. Kindly accept my sympathy and also that of the whole of my company at the loss of your son.”

In his last letter home, dated Friday, July 16th, Pte. Isaac Hall wrote:

“My Dear Mother and Dad, - I now have the pleasure of writing these few lines to you to let you know I have received your letter, parcel and “Coalville Times”, and I was very pleased with the contents of the parcel and enjoyed them very much. I got your parcel on Tuesday a few hours before we set off for the trenches the same night. I am writing this letter from the trenches the second night in. We had it a bit rough. It tumbled down in rain and was raining about all night. Such nights as these make you think of the dear old home. We cannot say when it starts to rain. ‘I think I will get in home out of the wet.’ It is no use saying that, no matter whether it rains, blows or snows. It makes no difference, you have got to stick it, but we are well used to it now, no matter what sort of weather it is. Well, I am pleased to tell you I am still in the pink and best of health, hoping this letter will find you all the same at home. You say you would be pleased to see me at home on Bank holiday, not half so pleased as I should be to see you. Dear Mother, there was a bit of rumour about us having four or five days’ leave after we had been out here for so long, but I don’t hear much about it now. But never mind, I hope I shall be able to come home and see you all one of these fine days. Time and patience. We never, never know our luck. I am very pleased to see dad is doing alright with the old pony and hope he will remain so. We get all our letters and parcels come to us in the trenches now, and it seems so nice to get a letter to read from dear old England as soon as it gets light in the morning. Tell Rud I thank him very much for helping you with the parcel. Is Emma still going on alright? Does the little watch that I gave her still go and how is the old bike going on? Keep my corduroy trousers well aired because I don’t think the was will last much longer, I hope not at least. Well, I think this is all I have got to say this time, so I close my letter with best love to you all, from your loving son.

Isaac.

Good morning. Cheer up mother, better days in store, I hope. I think I will go down for an hour or two’s sleep now.”

A memorial service was held at Thringstone Parish Church on Sunday night for four soldiers from the parish who have been killed in the war – Pte. T. Jones (schoolmaster), Corporal Moore, and Privates Ernest and Isaac Hall, (brothers). There was a crowded congregation, many people being unable to obtain admission. Among those present were the Right Hon. Charles and Mrs Booth, the members of the Whitwick and Thringstone Citizen Corps under Commander G. F. Burton, and the boy scouts. The bugle band of the latter headed the Citizens as they marched from Whitwick. The service was impressively conducted by the vicar, the Rev. C. Shrewsbury, M.A., who preached an appropriate sermon from the text “Men that hazarded their lives for Christ’s sake.” A special form of service was gone through and the hymns sung included, “On the resurrection morning,” and “Holy Father, in thy mercy.” It is proposed to erect a stained glass window in the church to the memory of all men from the parish who have fallen, when the war is over, and the offertory for this object realised a good sum.

At the close of the service Miss Crane (organist) played the Dead March, the congregation standing meanwhile, and one of the Whitwick Boy Scouts, James Richards, sounded the “Last Post.” The service concluded with the singing of the National Anthem.

Coalville Times article - Friday May 21st, 1920

THRINGSTONE WAR MEMORIAL

UNVEILED BY COL. BOOTH AT THE PARISH CHURCH

A beautiful stained-glass window has been placed in St. Andrew’s Church, Thringstone, in memory of men from the parish who fell in the war, together with a brass tablet bearing all the names, and the unveiling was performed by Col. T. Booth at a special service last Sunday afternoon, when there was a crowded congregation, which included many relatives of the deceased soldiers.

The service was impressively conducted by the Vicar (the Rev. C. Shrewsbury) and opened with the singing of the hymn, “There is a Land of pure Delight.” Other hymns sung were, “O God our help in ages past,” “The Saints of God,” and “For all the Saints,” also the psalm, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

The window, which faces the church entrance, depicts St. Alban, the first British martyr to die for the Christian faith, and inscribed, “Christ’s faithful soldier and servant unto his life’s end.”

The tablet by the side of the window bears the inscription, “To the greater glory of God, and in memory of the following who from this parish and congregation have given their lives for their country in the great war 1914 – 1919, this window is dedicated by the congregation and parishioners of St. Andrew’s.”

Here are 27 names, as follows:

1914
Pte. T. Jones, Durham Light Infantry.
1915
Pte. E. Hall, Leicestershire
Corp’l W. E. Moore, R.G.A.
Pte. I. Hall, Leicestershire
1916
Pte. E. Howe, Leicestershire
Sapper E. Robinson, Royal Engineers
Pte. L. Whitmore, Leicestershire
Pte. T. Squires, Leicestershire
Pte. M. Grainger, Leicestershire
1917
Pte. F. B. Bowler, Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Pte. R. Freeman, Leicestershire
Sapper H. Briers, Royal Engineers
A. J. Turner, telegraphist, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Pte. J. Squires, Leicestershire
Pte. L. Haywood, Scottish Rifles
Corp’l W. Sykes, Leicestershire
Pte. T. Bailey, Royal Scots
1918
Corp’l J. Bancroft, Leicestershire
Rfn. G. W. W. Howe, Rifle Brigade
Pte. J. Gee, York and Lancaster
2nd Lieut. T. F. McCarthy, Loyal North Lancashire
Pte. S. R. Dring, Leicestershire
J. T. Fortnam, Able Seaman, Royal Naval Division
L.-Corp’l A. Griffin, Sherwood Foresters
Pte. J. Morley, Suffolk
Pte. H. Freeman, Leicestershire
Pte. H. Lakin, Leicestershire

At the foot appear the words: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Having unveiled the memorial, Col. Booth proceeded to the other end of the church and from the chancel steps addressed the congregation as follows:

“My friends, I have been entrusted with the very solemn, but to me, the very proud duty, of coming here to address you, the members of this congregation on the subject of the memorial, that beautiful brass tablet which I have just had the honour to unveil, and I can assure you all that I am fully alive to the responsibility which that has involved upon me, and I am also very appreciative of the honour which it has imposed upon me. I am sure that as you heard those names read out, you could not fail to have been impressed, as I was, with the fact that these precious lives came from every class and from all ranks. What you may not have realised altogether is the width and scope of their sacrifice. I will try to explain what I mean. Reading out those names, I first find mention of men who went out at the start, in 1914, to help to stem the first wild onslaught of the Germans before we were ready; when everything was unprepared. Think of that. Then we pass on to other names of men who gave their lives in 1915, in those dull days in the trenches, when everything seemed dark, and when we appeared to be hammering our heads against a stone wall. Then I find more names in 1916, men who died in the great Battle of the Somme, which lasted for many weeks, but in which their services were rewarded by the first ray of hope which seemed to come to the nation. Then more names I find in 1917, men who took part in those hammering blows which we may regard as the period during which the war reached its height, when the storm seemed to be at its worst. Then in those terrible days in the early spring of 1918, I find more names, when the nation strained well-nigh to breaking point in her brave endeavour to stave off the last despairing effort of the Germans to overwhelm us on the soil of France. Lastly, and to me the most pathetic of all, are some few names of men who fell just as the dawn was breaking, a few days before the Armistice. Well, I have given a brief account of how those names covered that scope I spoke of at first. What then do we owe these men? I do not know whether you, or I, or anybody can yet appreciate the magnitude of that debt, but certain it is, we can never repay. What are we to do then – what must we do? Well, I think we must see to it that these men are never forgotten; that their names are never forgotten. This beautiful brass tablet and memorial window are the proof we intend to give that they shall not be forgotten. I think we must do more than this; we must see that we explain to the new generation that is coming on – explain to them what this tablet means; show them the names, and as they get older and more able to understand, explain to them what it stands for, what we really owe to these men; that we owe to them the peaceful possession of our houses, the freedom of the countryside to-day, the honour of our women and the safety of our little children. I think that is the duty for us in the future, and they will carry it on long after we are no more. Then, finally, I want to say a word to the members of this congregation who are relatives of the fallen. I know that nothing I can say is any real comfort; nothing that anybody can say is of any real comfort; but it may afford you some consolation to know that we, your fellow countrymen, are determined that the names of those beloved ones are not forgotten, and that brass tablet and window stand for all time as a witness to the noble and unselfish example of those brave souls, and I hope when you leave this church after this beautiful service, that you will feel as I do, and as all this congregation do I am sure, that their sacrifice has not been in vain.”

After the Benediction, the service closed with the singing of the National Anthem.

Research undertaken and submitted (including photograph from the Coalville Times) by Andy Murby 09/09/2017