Robert Hall (British Army officer)

Wiltshire Council's banner

Robert Wallace Strachan Hall (1939 – 17 June 2016) was a British Army officer, rising to the rank of Brigadier. After leaving the service he became a Conservative politician and was the last Chairman of Wiltshire County Council, then the first to chair its successor authority, Wiltshire Council, from 2009 to 2012. He was also Chairman of the Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority, retiring from public life at the county elections of 2013.

Early life

The son of Brigadier R. C. S. Hall CBE, late Royal Regiment of Artillery (d. 1972),[1] Hall was educated at Repton School[2] and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[3]

Military career

Hall was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery as a 2nd Lieutenant on 25 July 1959.[3] He was promoted Captain on 25 July 1965[4] and Major on 30 June 1971.[5] He retired the service as a Brigadier on 1 March 1993.[6][7]

During his army career, Hall attended the University of Cambridge and graduated M. Phil.[8][9]

He went on to become Chairman of the Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, London.[10] In retirement, he settled at Manningford Abbots, near Pewsey, Wiltshire.[11]

Political career

Hall was elected to Wiltshire County Council as a Conservative in 2005. In 2008, he became the last chairman of Wiltshire County Council, which came to an end a year later with the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, but he went on to become the first chairman of the successor authority Wiltshire Council, having been elected to it in 2009, representing Pewsey Vale. The same year he also became Chairman of Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.[11][12] He retired as Chairman of Wiltshire Council in May 2012.[13]

After 2009, Hall's Pewsey Vale electoral division included the parishes of Alton, Beechingstoke, Chirton, Charlton, Huish, Manningford, Marden, North Newnton, Patney, Rushall, Stanton St Bernard, Upavon, Wilcot, Wilsford and Woodborough.[14]

As Chairman of the Wiltshire Fire Authority he hosted a visit by the Princess Royal to Salisbury on 10 March 2011.[15]

He retired from public life at the county elections of 2013.

Honours

Private life

Hall took a keen interest in horse racing and owned race-horses in the 1990s.[17]

He died suddenly at home on 17 June 2016, leaving a widow, children, and grand-children.[18]

Notes

  1. ↑ HALL, Brig RCS CBE - 8 October 1972 at movcon.org.uk
  2. ↑ The Arch, October 2008 online Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. 1 2 London Gazette, Issue 41826 of 22 September 1959, p. 6045 online
  4. ↑ London Gazette Issue 43721 of 23 July 1965, p. 7137 online
  5. ↑ Supplement to the London Gazette, 6 July 1971, p. 7205 online
  6. ↑ London Gazette, Issue 53234 of 1 March 1993, p. 3808 online
  7. ↑ Service appointments at independent.co.uk, Saturday, 20 February 1993
  8. ↑ University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Reporter, vol. 118 (1987), p. 244
  9. ↑ The Army List, vol. 2001 (1992), Issue 2, p. 134
  10. ↑ June 2006 at princemichael.org.uk
  11. 1 2 Members of Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority at wiltsfire.gov.uk
  12. ↑ Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service 'QM' magazine, July 2009 online at wfb.org.uk
  13. ↑ New Wiltshire Council chairman dated Wednesday 16 May 2012 at wiltshire.gov.uk, accessed 29 May 2012
  14. ↑ Order map no. 1 at lgbce.org.uk (Wiltshire boundary review, 2008)
  15. ↑ A royal visit for Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service at fire-magazine.com
  16. ↑ London Gazette, Issue 57117, 18 November 2003, Notice 1003
  17. ↑ Fakenham Results, 18 May 1996 at racingpost.com
  18. ↑ The Times dated 24 June 2016: "HALL, Brigadier Robert WS M Phil on 17 June 2016 aged 77 suddenly at home. A much-loved husband, father and grand-father."

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/17/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.