Hall, George Bernard

George (Benny) Hall was born on September 10, 1919 in Eastend, Saskatchewan to parents Henry and Katherine Hall. He had two brothers, Leonard and Richard, and five sisters, Beulah, Lenora, Alwilda, Patricia and Jean. In 1931, the Hall family moved to Lethbridge, where Benny attended school at Fleetwood and Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. At time of enlistment, he was single and apprenticing as a printer. On June 29, 1940, Benny Hall enlisted for service with the Royal Canadian Artillery at Lethbridge. After receiving six months of training in Canada, he arrived in the United Kingdom on Christmas Day 1940. Sergeant Hall spent the next thirty-five months serving with the RCA in the United Kingdom. On November 9, 1943, he was deployed to Italy, where he served with the RCA for nearly a year. In October 1944, Sergeant Hall was taken on strength by the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment Royal Canadian Infantry Corps. On December 14, 1944, Sergeant Hall was wounded during action near Ravenna. The Canadians were trying to cross the Lamone and Senio rivers at that time and sustained heavy casualties. Sergeant Hall died later that same day and was placed in a temporary grave at Ravenna Military Cemetery. He was later reinterred at Argenta Gap War Cemetery. For his wartime service, Sergeant Hall was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp. His mother, Katherine received the Memorial Cross in honour of her son