Captain Julian Henry Hall, 100107, Intelligence Corps

It looks like I can't start a conversation until I have posted more. Would you like to try messaging me?

In the meantime, I noticed that you've referenced the website antiaircraft.org.au - but I'm not sure if you've read the chapter on "7th Battalion Recollections and Escapes" which mentions Hall and has the story told from the Australians' perspective ('On Target' - The Book).

There is more evidence of Claire-Eliane Engel's acquaintance with Julian Hall in her book A History of Mountaineering in which she writes about his "Escape". I haven't read the book but you can see snippets of some of the JH sections on google books.

 

Dear Lesley,

Thank you indeed. Actually I'm in Zermatt, Switzerland, and I don't have it at hand but I'm pretty sure that I cited the 7th Battalion book in my own history book, "Braccati. Prigionieri di guerra Alleati in Piemonte e Valle d'Aosta", which told the stories of various Allies POWs who escaped from Northern Italy and reached Switzerland (Zermatt, for many of them) via the glaciers.

I was not aware of Mrs. Engel's book, thank you. I see a reference at Pag. 14, but Google Books only allow to see a very short part of the page. Do you have this title, maybe?

Thank you in advance,
Marco

 

I don't have the book but will see what I can do. Have you had any luck getting a copy of the escape record in the National Archives? It looks like you can order a scan here for a fee - Hoarhoff - Hayward | The National Archives (click on "request a copy" for more information).

I've just found an incredible notice in the Personals column of the Times for July 15, 1941, reading: "CAPTAIN JULIAN HALL, 100,107 Prisionieri di Guerra, Campo di Concentramento, Sulmona, Abruzzi, Italy. Friends, please write. Airmail 5d."

 

Good morning Lesley,
Yes, I've been collecting all the available records so far. This is a long-ongoing research, unfortunately with a few available time, so the NA archives have already been searched
I don't have the reference to the Times, could you please provide it, when possible? It looks interesting!
Marco

 

Just had a look and it says: "
Ordering and viewing options
This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded."

 

There must have been another thread running on this forum about Captain Hall and the mountain route they used to cross from Italy into Switzerland. I posted a copy of Hall’s E&E report to that thread back in June

 

I originally mentioned him here, in an older topic related to the research for my previous book, "Braccati":

Unknown British Officer. Captain Porter, 1943

 

Hello, horsapassenger - that's great! I've just returned to these threads after a while so I must have missed or forgotten about your post. I'll be interested to take a look at it.
-Lesley