Son of Mrs McGrogan of 32, Belfast. Husband of L.A.Hall
Story
Mr. Hall was a torpedo operator at the rank of able seaman at the time of the battle of Jutland station on board the doomed HMS Invincible. He attended Poole Grammar School from the 7th of September 1909 to the 31st of July 1915. Unlike many students, Mr. Hall had free schooling for all his school life granted by Poole council. He attended Weymouth secondary school after leaving and became a student teacher before joining the Navy. He was stationed in HMS Invincible and was killed at the battle of Jutland. As a torpedo operator, it is unspecified where he was at the time of the sinking, however we can assume he may have either been on the central port or starboard sides of the hull or at the stern where the ship"s torpedoes were based. He left his parents Mrs. McGrogan and Mr. L.A.Hall and his wife Agnes. During the battle of Jutland HMS Invincible was the flagship of the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron. At the time of the battle the ship was sent to act as a scout group where it was attacked and sank after Q turret was hit causing its magazine to become exposed. Although the role of this one man in the battle was minor, the battle of Jutland was a major point of the Great War. Some may say the British lost and some the Germans. However, both sides sustained some degree of defeat. The British were shown that much of their technology was old which led to so many losses to such a large force. The Germans were never able to leave port again and the Royal Navy's blockade contributed to the surrender of the German forces and the thousands of German deaths of the great depression. Researched and written by pupils at Poole Grammar School
Place of Service
Battlecruiser HMS Invincible served at Heligoland 28 August 1914, Falkland Islands 8 December 1914 and was sunk at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916.