Rifleman William Hall (7019578) served in 7th Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles during World War Two. He was the son of William Hall and Mary Hall of Glynn, Co. Antrim. Before the war, William Junior worked as a fitter in Larne Foundry and his father was a driver on the LMS Railway.
William died on 10th August 1943 aged 21 years old at the London North Eastern Railway, Scarborough, North Yorkshire. A train carrying men of the Royal Ulster Rifles collided with another train at the station. This caused the death of 3 Ulster men including William Henry Jamieson and Leonard Calder. A fourth soldier, John Harman also died in the collision. The incident came about when a signalman pulled the wrong signal. An inquest found no evidence of criminal negligence, returning verdicts of accidental death.
A further 8 men received medical care in a hospital. G. Buick, W. Curran, F. Cane, J. Kehoe, R. Kirby, D. Ruddy, R. Kirk all served in 7th Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles. Another soldier named Hume was in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
I had the misfortune of making an error which caused the 9.05am train ex-Hull to run on to the wrong platform, number 5 instead of number 3 platform, for which error I am deeply grieved and sorry. I am unable to say what caused me to do this.
Signalman Herbert William Scholes, Scarborough.
William Hall’s grave is in St. John’s Church of Ireland, Glynn, Co. Antrim. He had returned home on leave to visit his family a week before his death. His headstone bears the inscription:
Death only parts us for a time.