William Nelson Edward Hall | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 28 April 1827 Horton, Colony of Nova Scotia |
| Died | 27 August 1904 (aged 77) Avonport, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Buried | Hantsport Baptist Church Cemetery, Nova Scotia |
| Allegiance |  United States (1847–49) United Kingdom (1849–76) |
| Service | United States Navy Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1847–1876 |
| Rank | Quartermaster |
| Battles / wars | Crimean War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
William Nelson Edward Hall[note 1] VC (28 April 1827 – 27 August 1904) was the first Black person, first Nova Scotian, and the third Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross due to his actions in the 1857 Siege of Lucknow. He received the medal for his actions during the Indian Rebellion.[1] During the action in which the naval gun crew with which he was serving came under heavy fire as they attacked a mosque. Hall and an officer from his ship continued to load and fire a 24-pounder gun at the walls of the Shah Nujeef mosque after the rest of the party had been killed or injured by the local resistance hoping to secure the restoration of Mughal suzerainty.
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- ^ Clark, Samuel (2016). "Status Consequences of State Honours". Distributing Status: The Evolution of State Honours in Western Europe. Canada: McGill-Queens University Press. p. 322. doi:10.1515/9780773598560. ISBN 9780773598577. JSTOR j.ctt1c99bzh. OCLC 947837811. Retrieved 14 May 2024.