Private Samuel E. Hall (born 1895) was the oldest of four children. His father, Joseph Hall (b. 14th April 1861), a stone mason and a lay preacher, and his mother Jane Hall (b. 16th January 1873) resided at 2 Mount Pleasant, Penrhynside, Llandudno. Two of his brothers, Ephraim (Navy) and William (Army) fought during World War One, with Ephraim and the youngest of the four, Joseph, fighting during the Second World War.

As the eldest child of age, Private Samuel Hall was the first to enlist. He enlisted at the Town Hall on Lloyd Street in Llandudno (see recruitment poster below). Like so many of the so called ‘pals’ he enlisted with childhood friends who also resided on Mount Pleasant. He was joined by Edward Evans (3 Mount Pleasant) who, having enlisted in Wrexham went on to be a driver in “B” Battery of the 298th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was killed in action on the 30th November 1917. Then there was Robert Harris, son of Robert and Annie Harris of 10 Mount Pleasant. After enlisting in Colwyn Bay, Harris went on to be a private in “B” company of the 14th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Robert fell on the 2nd September 1917 aged 27. Lastly there was George Frederick Sanford (13 Mount Pleasant) who was a private in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. He saw very little of the war as he was killed in action on the 30th October 1914 aged 24.

After enlistment Private Samuel E. Hall was assigned to Wales’s oldest infantry regiment, the Royal Welch Fusiliers. The 11th Battalion was formed at Wrexham on 18th September 1914. Shortly after forming it joined the 22nd Division. The whole division then moved on to various camps for training before making the journey to France in early September 1915. After a brief stint in France it received orders on 20th October 1915 to move to an unknown destination. Ten days later, on the 30th October, Private Samuel E. Hall’s battalion, along with the 8th South Wales Borderers and a fragment of the Shropshire Light Infantry, sailed for Salonika at 4.30pm.

After a relatively calm passage, they anchored in Salonika harbour on the 5th November. They joined British troops who had already been there one month before. Private Hall, along with the rest of British troops in Salonika, was there to deter Bulgaria from joining Germany and Austria-Hungary, in attacking Serbia. The war in Salonika was regarded by the British as a ‘side show’ as Britain had no political, commercial or strategic interests in the region apart from seeing the First World War to a favourable conclusion. Conditions in Salonika were appalling. Many men had arrived in light summer khaki, but in November 1915 they faced blizzards and dense fog. There was a lack of roads so the state of the ground meant terrain was impassable in parts with army vehicles sinking into the mud. When summer arrived in 1916, they were faced with soaring temperatures. Consequently disease set in and spread like wildfire. In Salonika, for every casualty in battle, three died of malaria, influenza or other diseases.

Private Samuel E. Hall endured enemy fire, disease, exhaustion and lack of supplies for nearly four years in Salonika. Sadly he did not make it home as he fell at the Battle of Doiran on the 18th September 1918, just weeks before the end of World War One. The Battle of Doiran took place on the 18th and 19th September 1918 in the area of Dora Tepe-Doiran-Karasuli Railway and the river Vardar. The 22nd Division (which included the 11th Battalion RWF) was ordered to take Doiran Hill, Teton Hill and the Petite Couronne. This would be no easy task. The enemy was tactically at an advantage with a good network of well dug in trenches, the terrain was difficult to cross and the wire entanglements were exceptionally good. Also, due to an extremely hot summer the Battalion was struck by an epidemic of influenza, malaria and dysentery. Facing the gloomy prospect of no reinforcements, the troops were exhausted.

The Battle of Doiran was a disaster for the British. In attack after attack the British lost many lives due to an enemy which had a far superior vantage point and prior knowledge of the terrain. The British attempted to take various enemy lines but were met with heavy counter-attacks and gas. During the 18th September 1918 the 11th Battalion RWF was ordered to leave Senelle and move to take enemy trenches near Dagger and Sabre Ravines. After meeting heavy counter attacks it then moved on with remaining troops to the Hilt where it faced even heavier opposition. A few men managed to secure the Hilt but were later pushed back. It was impossible to re-take the Hilt due to a lack of sufficient manpower. Instead they chose to consolidate the line crossing Jumeaux Ravine and Root Ravine. They beat off a weak counter attack by the enemy and dug in for a quiet night. Sadly, they had experienced huge losses throughout the day. Out of 20 officers, only 3 survived and out of 480 soldiers, only 100 survived. Aged just 23, Private Samuel E. Hall was one of those 380 who did not survive the Battle of Doiran.

The eminent historian A.J.P Taylor commented that ‘the battle of Doiran is a now forgotten episode of World War One.’(1981) With the commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the end of the First World War this year, accounts such as those who fell on the ‘forgotten front’ should be remembered. Soldiers like Private Samuel E. Hall fought on a ‘forgotten front’ in what became a forgotten army, but today in the 21st Century he is not forgotten.

We will remember them.