Edwin "Cyril" Hall

Cyril was conscripted shortly after the outbreak of war. His basic training was at Gibraltar Barracks Bury St Edmunds. After being promoted to Corporal he volunteered to join the Scout Section.

In 1942 he was posted to West Africa, and promoted Sergeant, joining 12th Battalion Nigeria Regiment, in 3rd West African Brigade. This was transferred to India in 1944 and they became part of the 2nd Chindit operation behind Japanese lines. 

Cyril was flown into landing ground Aberdeen in the second wave. His company was responsible for mule handling to carry supplies. Neither mules nor men had ever flown before arriving in combat by air. They arrived shortly after the airstrip opened on 24 Mar 1944. The next day they were ordered to move to the other landing ground, White City. They had to cross a mile of open paddy fields, under the guns of the Japanese, but an RAF air strike was laid on to cover the move. 

The fighting was relentless, as was the monsoon rain, which carried leeches in the streams that rain down the jungle tracks. After White City was abandoned he marched his men to another rendezvous, but were ambushed on arrival. Getting off the track, Cyril found his thigh cut open by a sharpened bamboo pangi stick, laid as a trap by the Japanese. Within days this wound was inflamed and sore, but he had to keep moving to survive. In the soaking jungle conditions there was no chance for the wound to heal and he developed a fever. He was eventually flown out by a US pilot in a light L5 aircraft.

He was promoted to Acting Company Sergeant Major.

He was assessed as having fully recovered, but in later life received a 40% disability pension, as a result of the ongoing effects of his wartime injury.