The mayor of St Helens, Councillor Geoff Pearl helped lay a commemorative paving stone at the Cenotaph in Victoria Square, to mark the 100th anniversary of a local WW1 hero receiving the Victoria Cross medal.
The paving stone is one of four to be laid, with the remaining three due to be laid in 2017 and 2018 on the anniversaries of local recipients being awarded their Victoria Cross – and comes as part of a government campaign to honour recipients.
It will provide a lasting legacy for local heroes within communities and enable residents to gain a greater understanding of how their area fitted into the First World War story.
On 24 April 1915, Frederick William Hall was awarded the highest military decoration for his efforts to reach a wounded soldier in the face of heavy enemy fire.
The first rescue attempt failed, and a non-commissioned officer and private soldier, attempting to give assistance, were both wounded. Sergeant Hall then made a second gallant attempt, and was in the act of lifting up the wounded man to bring him in when he fell mortally wounded.
His body was never found, however his name is listed on the Menin Gate Memorial, which bears the names of those who fell at Ypres Salient, but were denied burial.
Frederick William Hall was born in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1895, but lived in St Helens- at 81 Ormskirk Street with his father, Frederick, mother, Mary and siblings – before emigrating to Canada in 1910.
The stones for John Molyneux from Sutton/Parr of the Royal Fusiliers will be laid on 9 October, 2017 and for John Thomas Davies from St Helens of the South Lancashire Regiment on 24 March 2018 at the Cenotaph in Victoria Square. The stone for Norman Harvey of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and The Royal Engineers will be laid by the War Memorial in Newton-le-Willows on 25 October, 2015.
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