Harold Dallas Adair-Hall
Commander Harold Dallas Adair-Hall, R.N., Retired (1 April, 1884 – 29 July, 1926) was an officer in the Royal Navy. Born with the last name "Hall", he altered it to "Adair-Hall" with a note to the Navy List on 22 January, 1909.
Life & Career
Harold Dallas Hall was born in Chester, the son of a Lieutenant Colonel H. Hall who worked at a military school in Dublin. He gained two months' time on passing out of Britannia in mid-January, 1901 and was appointed to the first class protected cruiser Royal Arthur on the Australia Station. He served there for over three years. On 6 October, 1905 he was appointed to Venerable in the Mediterranean.[1]
Adair-Hall was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1906.[2]
After two months time aboard T.B. 072, Hall was deemed ready for his own command, and was assigned to T.B. 077 on 18 February, 1908. In mid-December, he was moved over to command T.B. 113.
On 18 October, 1910, Adair-Hall was appointed to a full-sized T.B.D., the "B" Class destroyer Virago.
On 20 February, 1913, Adair-Hall was superseded in Virago. On 1 July, he was appointed to the minelayer Adventure as first lieutenant. He served in her until late November, 1914.
After very brief appointments in command of the Viking and destroyer Mohawk, Adair-Hall was appointed in command of the Louis on 23 December, 1914. Promotion to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander soon followed, on 31 December, 1914.[3]
On 4 March 1915, Adair-Hall was credited with destroying U 8. On 26 June, he was placed on the Sick List and sent to the R.M. Infirmary in Deal.
Louis ran aground in Suvla Bay on 31 October, 1915. A Court Martial convened on 304 December proved a charge that Adair-Hall had negliently or by default stranded his ship. He was reprimanded and dismissed the ship, which was now quite unusuable following liberal artillery bombardment from shore. Adair-Hall also attracted ire for the "perfunctory manner" in which he had carried out an order to land confidential documents, perhaps from the stranded destroyer. He was appointed to join the new battleship Valiant on 5 January, 1916. He would serve in her as part of the Fifth Battle Squadron at the Battle of Jutland later that year.[4]
On 10 July 1916, Adair-Hall was hospitalised in Queensferry, later Plymouth, for hemorrhoids. He would not be found fit before 23 October. On 1 November 1916, he would be appointed to the armoured cruiser Devonshire as executive officer with the acting rank of Commander. He would be mentioned in despatches for his work in her during 1917, gazetted on 21 June 1918. On 14 December, 1918, he would be granted leave to England for urgent private affairs during Devonshire's refit.[5]
Post-War
From July 1922 through December 1924, Adair-Hall was appointed in command of a group of T.B.Ds. in reserve, being borne on the books of Dido. Following six months of unpaid time, he was sent back to perform the same work from 22 July 1924 until being superseded in mid-August, 1925. In November, he commenced two hospitalisations in England. Adair-Hall was placed on the Retired List as medically unfit with the rank of Commander on 20 May, 1926. He died of tongue cancer on 29 July.[6]
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Lancelot A. W. Spooner as Captain of H.M. T.B. 77 |
Captain of H.M. T.B. 077 18 Feb, 1908[7] – 1909 |
Succeeded by Geoffrey S. Holden as Captain of H.M. T.B. 077 |
| Preceded by Clement R. Dane |
Captain of H.M. T.B. 113 14 Dec, 1909[8] – 1910 |
Succeeded by Frederic G. Schurr |
| Preceded by Charles E. Lloyd Thomas |
Captain of H.M.S. Virago 1 Apr, 1911[9] |
Succeeded by Edye K. Boddam-Whetham |
| Preceded by Edward R. G. R. Evans |
Captain of H.M.S. Mohawk 3 Dec, 1914[10] |
Succeeded by Hubert S. Braddyll |
| Preceded by Richard W. U. Bayly |
Captain of H.M.S. Louis 23 Jun, 1915[11] – 31 Oct, 1915[12] |
Succeeded by Vessel Lost |
Footnotes
- ↑ Adair-Hall Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/29/239. f. 128.
- ↑ The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 2.
- ↑ Adair-Hall Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/29/239. f. 128.
- ↑ Adair-Hall Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/29/239. f. 128.
- ↑ Adair-Hall Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/29/239. f. 128.
- ↑ Adair-Hall Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/29/239. f. 128.
- ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1909). p. 399.
- ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 400.
- ↑ The Navy List. (August, 1912). p. 394a.
- ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1915). p. 396b.
- ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 395o.
- ↑ Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 45.
