John Talbot Savignac Hall
Encyclopedia
Rear-Admiral
John Talbot Savignac Hall, CIE
(30 November 1896 – 21 January 1964) was a Royal Navy
officer who became the first post-Independence Commander-in-Chief and Chief of Naval Staff
of the Royal Indian Navy
.
, the third son of Dr. William Hamilton Hall, FSA
. He was educated at Elstow School in Bedford
and then served in the Royal Navy. In 1921, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant
in the Royal Indian Maritime Component, and was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander in 1928. The following year, he became the Executive Officer
on HMIS Lawrence a minesweeper
and then transferred to another minesweeper, HMIS Clive in 1930. In 1932, he was appointed commanding officer of the patrol boat HMIS Baluchi. He held this command until 1934. From February to July 1937, Hall was appointed Officer-in-Charge, Navy Office Section for the Defence Department (Navy Branch) of the Government of India. In April 1937, he was promoted to Commander
. In 1938, he was appointed Staff Officer (Plans), Naval HQ, aboard HMIS Dalhousie.
Hall was promoted to Commodore
2nd Class in December 1942, and appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief of the RIN. In January 1944, he was promoted to Captain and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire
. He was then appointed as the Senior Naval Staff Officer and RIN liaison officer to the India Office
, serving in this capacity until 1946. Hall then commanded HMS Achilles
. Upon Indian independence, he was selected to become the first post-Independence Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Indian Navy. Hall served for one year, when he was replaced by Admiral Edward Parry.
Afterwards, in his permanent rank of Captain, Hall commanded a destroyer squadron with HMIS Delhi
(later INS Delhi) as his flagship. He retired from active duty in September 1950, with the rank of Rear-Admiral. From 1951 to 1959, he served as a civil defence officer for northeast Essex
. Hall died in London in 1964, aged 67.
In 1933, he married Agnes Maud Shereen; the couple had one daughter and a son who died at a young age.
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
John Talbot Savignac Hall, CIE
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
(30 November 1896 – 21 January 1964) was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who became the first post-Independence Commander-in-Chief and Chief of Naval Staff
Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
The Chief of the Naval Staff is the commander and typically the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Navy. The position is abbreviated CNS in Indian Navy cables and communication...
of the Royal Indian Navy
Royal Indian Navy
The Royal Indian Navy was the naval force of British India. Along with the Presidency armies and the later British Indian Army it comprised the Armed Forces of British India....
.
Life and career
Hall was born in KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, the third son of Dr. William Hamilton Hall, FSA
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
. He was educated at Elstow School in Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
and then served in the Royal Navy. In 1921, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Royal Indian Maritime Component, and was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander in 1928. The following year, he became the Executive Officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
on HMIS Lawrence a minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
and then transferred to another minesweeper, HMIS Clive in 1930. In 1932, he was appointed commanding officer of the patrol boat HMIS Baluchi. He held this command until 1934. From February to July 1937, Hall was appointed Officer-in-Charge, Navy Office Section for the Defence Department (Navy Branch) of the Government of India. In April 1937, he was promoted to Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
. In 1938, he was appointed Staff Officer (Plans), Naval HQ, aboard HMIS Dalhousie.
Hall was promoted to Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
2nd Class in December 1942, and appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief of the RIN. In January 1944, he was promoted to Captain and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
. He was then appointed as the Senior Naval Staff Officer and RIN liaison officer to the India Office
India Office
The India Office was a British government department created in 1858 to oversee the colonial administration of India, i.e. the modern-day nations of Bangladesh, Burma, India, and Pakistan, as well as territories in South-east and Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of the east coast of Africa...
, serving in this capacity until 1946. Hall then commanded HMS Achilles
HMNZS Achilles (70)
HMNZS Achilles was a Leander class light cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy in World War II. She became famous for her part in the Battle of the River Plate, alongside HMS Ajax and HMS Exeter....
. Upon Indian independence, he was selected to become the first post-Independence Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Indian Navy. Hall served for one year, when he was replaced by Admiral Edward Parry.
Afterwards, in his permanent rank of Captain, Hall commanded a destroyer squadron with HMIS Delhi
INS Delhi (1948)
The INS Delhi was a Leander class cruiser built for the Royal Navy in 1933 as HMS Achilles, and commissioned into the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy in 1937 as HMNZS Achilles...
(later INS Delhi) as his flagship. He retired from active duty in September 1950, with the rank of Rear-Admiral. From 1951 to 1959, he served as a civil defence officer for northeast Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. Hall died in London in 1964, aged 67.
In 1933, he married Agnes Maud Shereen; the couple had one daughter and a son who died at a young age.