Summary

Victory Medal 1914-1919 awarded to T-S-Cptn (Temporary Staff Captain) Joseph Rex Hall, service number 63, 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, A.I.F. Hall's military career over World War I and II saw him reach the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

TS Captain Hall was born in Kerang, Victoria, and was an accountant when he joined on18 August 1914 aged 19 years and 9 months. On 18 October 1914 he embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Southern as a Corporal in the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance.
By 9 May 1915 he was in Gallipoli and was promoted to Sergeant in August 1915. He was then posted to the Imperial Camel Corps in July 1916 in Palestine. Hall was transferred from the 1st Light Horse to the 3rd Anzac Camel Battalion in November 1916. In April 1918 he was Temporary Captain of the Imperial Camel Brigade. In July 1918 he was Staff Captain of the 5th Light Horse Brigade. In Sep 1918 he was working in France and in May 1919, Hall was ADC (Aide-de-Camp) to General Chauvel in London. Hall Returned to Australia in July 1919 and his appointment was terminated on 14 January 1920.

By 1929 he was residing at 386 Lower Malvern Rd, East Malvern and in 1967 his wrote a letter applying for his Anzac medal.

The Victory Medal was authorised in 1919 and was awarded to army, navy and air force personnel who served in a theatre of war between midnight 4th-5th August 1914 and midnight 11th-12th November 1918. The Allies resolved that, if they wished to issue a Victory Medal, it would share a common feature of a depiction of Victory on the obverse and a ribbon of red, yellow, green, blue and violet merged into a rainbow pattern. This medal, that of Great Britain, was awarded to personnel from countries in the British Empire (some 5,725,000 were issued). The other Allied countries that issued Victory medals were: Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Thailand, Union of South Africa and the United States of America.

Obverse Description

A figure of Victory facing three-quarters right with wings spread; in her right hand she holds a palm branch, her left hand is extended and open. The artist's initials, W.McM. (W. McMillan) are above the ground line on the right.

Reverse Description

The words, THE GREAT . WAR FOR . CIVILISATION 1914 - 1919 within a circular wreath of laurel.

Edge Description

T-S-CAPTAIN J.R. HALL. A.I.F.

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