Private Francis James Hall
Unit : "B" Company, 12th Parachute Battalion.
Army No. : 14399494
Awards : Military Medal
At Ranville on 7.6.44 this company was the forward company of the Battalion. At midday the Battalion was attacked by a company of enemy infantry supported by 8 Mk IV tanks. No.[1?] Platoon was in a position astride of the wood North of the crossroads 104727. When the platoon position was attacked 14399494 Private Frank Hall immediately manned a 6-pounder Anti-Tank Gun at the crossroads. The Anti-Tank Gunners were [not available?]. Private Hall had never fired an Anti-Tank Gun before and with his first two shots he destroyed the two leading tanks with the result that the tanks cleared off to the Battalion right flank where they were attacked and stopped by "C" Company. Private Hall's act initially slowed up the Germans turning them off to a flank where they were finally stopped.
In June 2015, along with other surviving veterans of D-Day, Frank Hall was awarded the Legion d'Honneur. He passed away on the 8th January 2016.