Early Life
Hall was born in October 1922 in Yangon, Burma to a Urdu-speaking Christian family. He recieved his education from Burma and did the pre-engineering courses from there. However, as the political situation worsened in Burma, the Hall family migrated to British India from Burma in 1942 where they settled in Karachi.
Air Force Career
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force as an aircraftman and in December 1943 he was selected for the officer cadre. He was sent to Royal Air Force Combat Training School for his training. After the training, Hall was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force. After the partition and creation of Pakistan, Hall decided to served in the newly created air force, the Pakistan Air Force. For the remainder of the war, he saw active flying duty.
Indo-Pakistani war of 1947
Then-Flying Officer Eric Hall was initially posted to Risalpur to help train and build up the Pakistan Air Force. However, when the Indo-Pak War of 1947 broke out, Flying Officer Lieutenant Eric G. Hall was called to served in an active duty. He served in No. 6 Squadron Globe Trotters and flew Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Eric G. Hall flew the C-47 Skytrain to transport supplies to the Pakistan Army soldiers fighting against India. After the war, he was sent to United States where he trained as a bomber pilot.
Defence Attaché
Through his vision, dedication and hard work, he rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshal and Deputy Chief of Air Staff. During his service, Hall commanded a number of PAF Bases and also served as the Commandant of PAF Staff College. In 1960 and early 1970s, Hall had served as a Defence and Air Attache in the Pakistan Embassy, United States.
Indo-Pakistan 1965 War
In 1965, when as a Group Captain (Colonel), he was commanding the Chaklala air transport Base at Chaklala. With war being imminent, he was conscious of PAF’s handicap without heavy bombers. Hall struck upon the idea of converting C-130 Hercules into heavy bombers[1]. With some modifications, the transport aircraft were made capable of carrying up to 20,000 lbs of bombs.
Having conducted trials to prove their efficacy, the Group Captain volunteered to lead the first bombing mission over Kathua bridge on 11 September 1965. This was a daring move and one of the finest examples of a commander leading from the cockpit. The mission was fraught with danger as the totally unarmed C-130s was highly vulnerable to enemy action. But the success of this mission prompted the high command to authorize thirteen more bombing missions on the C-130s including the precision bombing of Indian heavy guns at Atari on the banks of the BRB Canal. The success of all these missions proved that the now Air Vice Marshal had hit the bull’s eye with his innovative idea. For his valour and vision Hall was awarded the Sitara-i-Jurat in 1965.[2]
Indo-Pakistani 1971 War
Eric G. Hall was promoted to Air Commodore (Brigadier-General) in 1967, commanding the PAF Base Faisal in Karachi. During the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, Air Commodore Hall was heavily involved in the preparations of Aerial operations against India. Air Commodore Hall prepared country's top air force pilots who later go on to participate in the conflict.
After the Indo-Pakistan war, President Bhutto court martial and forcefully ousted the Air Chief Air Marshal Abdul Rahim Khan in a military tribunal held by Judge Advocate General Branch. Air Commmodore Hall was promoted to as Air Vice Marshal (Major General) in the Air Force. He was eventually made deputy Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force. He was assigned to start the confidential programs of Air Force, and was an instrumental setting up the Uranium-235 facility at the PAF Base Chaklala. AVM Hall had personally supervised the the construction of the facility and had helped to install the Uranium enrichment pilot plant at the base.
Retirement
AVM Eric Hall retired from the Air Force in 1975. He was given an honorable discharge from the Air Force and was made Director General of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for the Government of Pakistan.
Hall migrated to Maryland, USA where in August 1982 with his wife Marjorie he founded and served as corporate president of Hall Enterprises, Inc[3]. The company engaged in the business of importing and exporting Pakistani furniture, giftware and military spare parts. Hall died in the United States in 1998.[4]
Pakistan
Pakistan Air Force
