838084 A/CQMS Austin Davis Hall was born in Tara, Bruce County, Ontario, on March 20th, 1893 to Joseph and Ida Hall.
His family moved to Owen Sound at some point, where he is known to have attended Owen Sound Collegiate Institute before studying law at the University of Toronto.
When hostilities broke out Austin joined the two independent infantry companies being raised by the 31st (Grey) Regiment, for overseas service. When the 147th (Grey) Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force was authorized, all the men of these two companies were taken on strength of the new battalion on November 29th, 1915.
As the unit was being billeted locally over the winter, Austin would have lived at home until the unit left for centralized training in the spring of 1916. The 147th Battalion mobilized in Owen Sound in May 1916 to finalize the administration and organization of the unit, just prior to their departure for Camp Niagara later that month. As the conditions in this Camp were wanting the unit moved to the new training facility of Camp Borden in late June.
While undergoing training in Canada Austin rose through the ranks and obtained the rank of Sergeant and was acting as Quarter Master when the unit received their orders to proceed overseas. En route there was an outbreak of diphtheria and they were detained in Amherst, Nova Scotia, for over a month. The unit finally sailed for Great Britain, on November 14th 1916.
On January 1st, 1917, the 147th Battalion ceased to exist when it became the nucleus for the 8th Reserve Battalion, whose task it was to supply reinforcements to the 58th Battalion and the 4th C.M.R. Reverting to the rank of Private at his own request Austin was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. on October 19th, 1917, although he did not join the unit until November 1st.
Serving with the unit through the winter and the Battles of Amiens and Arras, Austin had once again risen through the ranks and was an acting Quarter Master Sergeant (A/CQMS). Leaving the unit at the end of September, 1918, to attend officer training in England, Austin was granted a commission as Lieutenant, on November 23rd, with the 3rd Reserve Battalion.
Lieutenant Austin Davis Hall was struck off strength of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on March 17th, 1919.
Credit and many thanks go George Auer for the above biography.