Hall was born in
Kings Norton near Birmingham; He enlisted in the
Royal Air Force pre-war as a regular service airman with the service number 550173 on 11 February 1935. He trained to be a photographer in
Halton. He was stationed as a photographer at Station Calshot on 18 February 1936, then served as a photographer on
HMS Argus from 10 September 1938 and at
NAS Eastleigh from 9 June 1939. Hall started his pilot training at 4 ITW at
RAF Paignton at 19 August 1940, followed by flight training at No. 9 SFTS at
RAF Hullavington from 4 December 1940. Hall was a
leading aircraftman at the time he was commissioned as
pilot officer on 17 April 1941 for the duration of hostilities. During
World War II he served as a
flight lieutenant in the
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. On 19 November 1941 he became a pilot for the 1st
Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) flying out of
RAF Benson South Oxfordshire,
England. He flew his first operational photographic reconnaissance mission on 16 December 1941 in Spitfire PR.IV AB120, photographing over IJmuiden, Amsterdam, Zwolle and Hilversum. Hall flew his second operational photographic reconnaissance mission one day later, on 17 December 1941, again in Spitfire PR.IV AB120. His mission was to photograph targets in the area of
Kiel,
Brunsbüttel and the
Frisian Islands. Due to a solid cloud layer at low altitude he was unable to take photographs and when he observed two enemy aircraft approaching from the southeast he started his return home. ==Prisoner of war==