John Hall (RAF officer)

John Hall, DFC & Bar, QC (25 December 1921 – 5 January 2004) was a British barrister and flying ace who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

Flying the De Havilland Mosquito heavy fighter, he achieved several aerial victories from January 1944 through to March 1945.

Returning to civilian life after the war, he studied law and then became a barrister, establishing his own legal practice.

[2] He joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in August 1940 and, after completing his training, was commissioned as a pilot officer on probation on 20 September 1941.

[1][7] On the night of 21 January 1944, the Luftwaffe commenced Operation Steinbock, a raid on England involving over 400 bombers.

Patrolling near Dungeness, Hall and Cairns, With the assistance of radar, intercepted a Dornier Do 17 medium bomber heading for London.

488 Squadron crew had shot down two aircraft in a single sortie and the feat was reported in a number of newspapers.

[1][8] While patrolling over Essex on the night of 21 March Hall shot down a Ju 88, the aircraft crashing onto an airfield at Earls Colne.

The resulting explosion damaged a few nearby bombers of the United States Ninth Air Force.

Hall and Cairns combined to shoot down a Junkers Ju 188 medium bomber to the northeast of Exeter in the early hours of 15 May, with two of its crew surviving.

He has completed a large number of sorties and has invariably displayed notable keenness and devotion to duty.

The published citation for Hall's Bar read: This officer continues to show the greatest keenness and, in various sorties, has inflicted much loss on the enemy.

On the last occasion, in March, 1945, Flight Lieutenant Hall pressed home his successful attack from such close range that his own aircraft was badly damaged by flying debris.

This officer has displayed high qualities of skill and courage.Hall ended the war credited with having shot down eight aircraft.

Promoted to squadron leader, he commanded an armament practice camp at Sylt from October 1945 to August 1946.

[1] Returning to civilian life, Hall, who had married Lola Crowe in 1945, commenced studying law at Trinity College, Cambridge and was admitted to the bar in late 1948.

He established his practice as a barrister, specialising in common and commercial law, in London and became a Queen's Counsel in 1967.

[2] For a number of years Hall served as a governor at St Catherine's School, in Bramley, and one of its facilities was named for him.