Ian Hall was born in Bexhill Sussex at the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939. With his mother

and younger brother Colin he spent much of the War being evacuated from London to

Sussex and Devon. After the War the family returned to London before moving to Brighton.

Ian left school to get his first job commuting to London at the Scottish Union Insurance

Company. Having been active in the Army Cadet Force he was happy to be called up for

National Service and continue into the Regular Army. Joining the Royal Regiment of

Fusiliers he enjoyed training at the Tower of London including doing high jumping in the

moat ! He saw service in Germany,in Cyprus with the UN Peacemaking Force,in the Trucial

Oman States,at the Ministry of Defence in London and in Ulster during the Troubles, where

he came under live fire in Belfast.

Ian loved army life and rose to the highest non-commisioned rank of Warrant Officer 1

Regimental Sergeant Major in the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

He left the Army in the early 1980s and moved to Blackpool to join an ex-Army colleague in

a business partnership. This was successful until the firm was sold and Ian decided to retire

around the year 2000 aged 61. He enjoyed voluntary work with Help the Aged for a while

but,sadly he was diagnosed with the chronic lung disease Emphysema and he was to suffer

deteriorating health and loss of mobility for many years.

Despite this he battled on and settled at sheltered accommodation in Lytham St Annes,

being Secretary of the Residents Association,producing a newsletter and running a football

sweep. Until he could no longer travel he joined his ex-Army colleagues at the Royal

Fusiliers Remembrance Service every November in London. Despite his own severe health

problems he still went out of his way to help others cope with theirs.