Eric G. Hall - Revision history

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{{Short description|Pakistani fighter pilot and former director-general of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English Oxford spelling|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Air vice-marshal|Air Vice Marshal]]
| name = Eric Gordon Hall
| honorific_suffix = {{small|[[Hilal-i-Jur'at|HJ]]}} {{small|[[Sitara-e-Jurat|SJ]]}} {{small|[[Hilal-i-Imtiaz|HI]]}}
| native_name = {{Nastaliq|ايريک گورڈن حال}}
| native_name_lang = ur
| image = AVM.Eric.Gordon.Hall.jpg
| caption = AVM Eric G. Hall in 1965
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1922|10|12|df=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|6|17|1922|10|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Rangoon]], [[British rule in Burma|Burma]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_place = [[Rockville, Maryland|Rockville]], [[Maryland]], [[United States]]
| placeofburial = Maryland National Memorial, U.S.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|date=6 September 2018|title=Tribute to Pakistan Air Force heroes|url=https://nation.com.pk/06-Sep-2018/tribute-to-pakistan-air-force-heros|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909032247/https://nation.com.pk/06-Sep-2018/tribute-to-pakistan-air-force-heros|archive-date=9 September 2019|access-date=29 November 2020|website=The Nation|language=en}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|last=Appeals|first=United States Court of|last2=Circuit|first2=District of Columbia|date=1969-12-31|title=864 F2d 868 Hall v. D McLaughlin|url=https://openjurist.org/864/f2d/868/hall-v-d-mclaughlin|language=en|volume=F2d|issue=864|pages=868}}</ref>
| placeofburial_coordinates = {{coord|39.074|N|76.876|W|display=inline,title}}
| nickname = ''The Heavy Hitter''
| allegiance = {{unbulletedlist|{{flag|British India}}|{{flag|Pakistan}}}}
| branch = {{unbulletedlist|{{air force|United Kingdom}}|{{air force|Pakistan}}}}
| serviceyears = 1943–1977
| rank = [[File:Pak-air-force-OF-7.svg|20px]] [[File:US-O8 insignia.svg|20px]] [[Air Force ranks and insignia of Pakistan|Air Vice Marshal]]
| servicenumber =
| unit = {{flagicon image|Air Force Ensign of Pakistan.svg}} [[No. 6 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 6 Squadron]]
| commands = {{collapsible list
| titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
| title = ''See list:''
|
* '''[[Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)|Vice Chief of Air Staff, PAF]]'''
* [[Military attaché|Defence]] and [[air attaché]], [[Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C.|Embassy of Pakistan (Washington D.C.)]]
* [[PAF Air War College]]
* [[PAF Base Nur Khan|Chaklaka AFB]]
* [[PAF Base Masroor|Masroor AFB]]
}}
| battles = {{bulletedlist|[[World War II]]|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948]]|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]|[[Yom Kippur War|1973 Arab-Israeli War]]}}
| awards = {{unbulletedlist|{{flagicon image|Hilal-i-Jur'at Pakistan.svg|20px}} [[Hilal-i-Jur'at]] (1948)|{{flagicon image|PAK Sitara-i-Juraat ribbon.svg|20px}} [[Sitara-e-Jurat]] (1965)|{{flagicon image|Hilal-i-Imtiaz Pakistan.svg|20px}} [[Hilal-i-Imtiaz]] (1971)}}
| children = 2<ref>{{Cite news|date=1 July 1998|title=BRITISH AVIATOR ERIC GORDON HALL DIES AT 75|language=en-US|work=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1998/07/01/british-aviator-eric-gordon-hall-dies-at-75/11e495e6-b11e-4643-a1c4-ef6bf2734270/|url-status=live|access-date=28 November 2020|archive-date=27 August 2017|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
| laterwork = [[Director general|Director-General]], [[Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority|Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan]]
}}
'''Eric Gordon Hall''' {{small|[[Hilal-i-Jur'at|HJ]]}} {{small|[[Sitara-e-Jurat|SJ]]}} {{small|[[Hilal-i-Imtiaz|HI]]}} (12 October 1922 – 17 June 1998) was a Pakistani [[fighter aircraft|fighter]] and [[bomber]] [[Aircraft pilot|pilot]], and former [[director general|Director-General]] of the [[Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority|Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)]]. A [[Two-star rank|two-star general]] in the [[Pakistan Air Force]], Hall had served as the [[Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)|Vice Chief of Air Staff]] and was one of the most distinguished pilots belonging to the [[Christianity in Pakistan|Christian minority]] who had participated in all of the major [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts|India−Pakistan wars]], most notably the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948|First Kashmir War]], the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Second Kashmir War]] and the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]. He had also served as the Director-General of the Pakistan Air Force's Air Force Science Research Laboratories (AFSRL) where he led [[Nuclear weapon|atomic weapons]] research efforts as part of [[Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction|Pakistan's nuclear technology project]].

== Early life ==
Hall was born on 12 October 1922 into a [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Anglo-Burmese people|Anglo-Burmese]] family in [[Yangon|Rangoon]], [[British rule in Burma|Burma]], [[British Raj|British India]] (present-day [[Myanmar]]). His father was a [[Sapper|combat engineer]] in the [[British Army]], and went [[missing in action]] during the [[Japanese invasion of Burma]] in 1941, shortly after which he was declared dead. Due to the [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] invasion and outbreak of war in Burma, the women in Hall's family were [[airlift]]ed to India while the men fled on foot. Arriving in [[Dibrugarh]], [[Northeast India]] a few weeks later, Hall was hospitalized for a short time before he enlisted in the [[Royal Air Force]] and was subsequently [[Burma campaign|deployed to Burma]], where he flew sorties against [[Armed Forces of the Empire of Japan|Japanese forces]] as a [[Hawker Hurricane]] fighter pilot.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Halli|first=Sultan M.|date=December 1998|title=PAF’S GALLANT CHRISTIAN HEROES CARRY QUAID’S MESSAGE|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/dec98/christian.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031211112656/http://www.defencejournal.com/dec98/christian.htm|archive-date=11 December 2003|access-date=29 November 2020|website=Defence Journal}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>

During the [[Partition of India]] in 1947, Hall opted for the new [[Dominion of Pakistan]], shifting himself and his family to [[Lahore]]. He transferred his service to the [[Royal Pakistan Air Force]], where he continued his military career.<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 July 2018|title=Service Record for Air Vice Marshal Eric Gordon Hall 2768 GD(P)|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/2768|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129134924/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/2768|archive-date=29 November 2020|access-date=29 November 2020|website=Bharat Rakshak|language=en-gb|via=[https://archive.org/search.php?query=Eric%20Gordon%20Hall+2768&and%5B%5D=collection%3A%22gazetteofindia%22&sin=TXT&page=1 Gazette of India Archive]}}</ref>

==Commands and diplomatic career==
During his service in the [[Pakistan Air Force]], Hall commanded a number of [[air base]]s and also served as the [[Commandant]] of the [[PAF Air War College]]. In 1960 and the early 1970s, Hall served as a [[Military attaché|defence]] and [[air attaché]] at the [[Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C.|Embassy of Pakistan in Washington D.C.]]<ref name=":0" />

==Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 ==
Leading up to the outbreak of the Second Kashmir War between [[India]] and [[Pakistan]] in August 1965, Hall was in command of [[PAF Base Nur Khan]] in [[Chaklala, Rawalpindi|Chaklala]], [[Rawalpindi]] as a [[Group captain|Group Captain]] ([[Colonel]]). Knowing that war was imminent after the failure of the [[Pakistan Army]]'s [[Operation Gibraltar]] in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], he was conscious of the [[Pakistan Air Force]]'s lack of specialist aircraft. Hall hit upon the idea of converting [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|C-130 Hercules]] transporters into [[heavy bomber]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Group Captain Colonel Eric Gordon Hall (SJ)|url=http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-photos-multimedia/682-wondering-about-pilots.html|work=Pakistan Defence}}
{{Dead link|date=November 2020}}</ref> With some modifications, the [[Military transport aircraft|transport aircraft]] were made capable of carrying up to {{Convert|20000|lbs|kg|abbr=on|order=flip}} of explosive ordinance.

Having conducted trials to test and prove the converted bombers' efficiency, Hall volunteered to lead the first bombing mission over a strategically vital bridge in [[Kathua]], Jammu and Kashmir on 11 September 1965. The mission was fraught with danger as the unarmoured transport-turned-bomber was highly vulnerable to Indian [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft guns]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hoodbhoy|first=Pervez|author-link=Pervez Hoodbhoy|date=12 February 2002|title=The Wages of Obedience: PAF Pilots|url=http://www.chowk.com/interacts/5235/1/1/80|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20071214140449/http://www.chowk.com/interacts/5235/1/1/80|archive-date=14 December 2007|access-date=27 June 2010|website=[[Chowk.com|Chowk: India and Pakistan]]|publisher=chowk.com}}
</ref> However, the mission's ultimately successful outcome prompted the Pakistani [[Pakistan Armed Forces|high command]] to authorize thirteen more strategic bombing runs with converted C-130s, including the precision striking of Indian [[Heavy machine gun|heavy guns]] at [[Attari]], on the banks of the [[Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian Canal|BRB Canal]]. The success of these missions proved that Hall had hit the bullseye with his innovative idea, for which he was awarded the [[Sitara-e-Jurat]] by the [[Government of Pakistan]] in 1965.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tellis|first=Tyrone|date=9 May 2008|title=The Forgotten Few!|url=http://jang.com.pk/thenews/sep2008-weekly/us-05-09-2008/p5.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221046/http://jang.com.pk/thenews/sep2008-weekly/us-05-09-2008/p5.htm|archive-date=3 March 2016|access-date=27 June 2010|work=[[The News International]]|publisher=[[Jang Group of Newspapers]]}}</ref>

==Retirement and migration to the U.S.==
Eric Hall sought to retire from his military service in 1977, immediately after the conduction of a successful [[Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction|U<sup>235</sup> project]]. He received an [[Military discharge|honourable discharge]] from the [[Pakistan Air Force]] in 1978 and was made [[Director general|Director-General]] of the [[Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority|Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)]] for the [[Government of Pakistan]], a position he would remain in until the early 1980s.

After seizing power in a [[coup d'état]] and establishing a [[military dictatorship]], [[General officer|General]] [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq]] drafted a new version of the [[Constitution of Pakistan]], and immediately began implementing [[Zia-ul-Haq's Islamisation|aggressive Islamist policies]]. Due to these policies' scrutinization of [[Religious Minorities in Pakistan|religious minorities]] and [[Sectarian violence in Pakistan|rising intolerance]] in [[Muslims|Muslim]]-majority [[Pakistan]], Hall, a [[Christians|Christian]], relocated to [[Maryland]] in the [[United States]]. Settling down in [[Gaithersburg, Maryland|Gaithersburg]], he founded ''Hall Enterprises, Inc.'' with his wife Marjorie in August 1982.<ref>{{Cite web|date=31 May 2008|title=Eric G. HALL and Hall Enterprises, Inc., Appellants, v. Ann D. McLAUGHLIN, Secretary of Labor, Appellee|url=http://openjurist.org/864/f2d/868/hall-v-d-mclaughlin|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026163354/https://openjurist.org/864/f2d/868/hall-v-d-mclaughlin|archive-date=26 October 2017|access-date=19 June 2010|work=OpenJurist}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=15 September 1997|title=Eric Gordon Hall - Pakistan Who's Who|url=https://sites.google.com/site/pakistanwhoswho/search-by-name/h/eric-hall|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020060636/https://sites.google.com/site/pakistanwhoswho/search-by-name/h/eric-hall|archive-date=20 October 2020|access-date=29 November 2020|website=sites.google.com}}</ref> The company engaged in the business of importing and exporting Pakistani furniture, giftware and military spare parts. Hall suffered from a stroke in June 1998, after which he died at [[Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center|Shady Grove Adventist Hospital]] in [[Rockville, Maryland]] at the age of 75—he is survived by his wife and two children.<ref name="auto"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[Air Vice Marshal|AVM]] [[Patrick Desmond Callaghan]]
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = [[Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)|Deputy Chief of Air Staff]], [[Pakistan Air Force]]
| years = 1971–1974
}}
{{s-aft
| after = AVM Ehsan Kadir
}}
|-
{{s-bef
| before = Position Created
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Director-General, [[DESTO (Pakistan)|Air Force Science Research Laboratories]], [[Chaklala Airbase|Chaklala AFB]]
| years = 1974–1978
}}
{{s-aft
| after = Dr. [[Ghulam Dastagir Alam]]
}}
{{end}}

{{Recipients of Sitara-e-Jurat}}
{{Military of Pakistan}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Eric}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force pilots of World War II]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Pakistan Air Force air marshals]]
[[Category:Pakistani aviators]]
[[Category:Pakistani people of Anglo-Burmese descent]]
[[Category:Pilots of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
[[Category:Recipients of Sitara-e-Jurat]]
[[Category:Pakistani Christians]]
[[Category:Project-706]]
[[Category:Chiefs of Air Staff, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Pakistani emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Pakistani air attachés]]
[[Category:British World War II fighter pilots]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:09, 4 October 2022
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	{{Short description\|Pakistani fighter pilot and former director-general of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority}}		{{Short description\|Pakistani fighter pilot and former director-general of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority}}
	{{More citations needed\|date=November ~~2020~~}}		{{More citations needed\|date=November 2022}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=December ~~2020~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=December 2022}}
	{{Use British English Oxford spelling\|date=November ~~2020~~}}		{{Use British English Oxford spelling\|date=November 2022}}
	{{Infobox military person		{{Infobox military person
	\| honorific_prefix = [[Air vice-marshal\|Air Vice Marshal]]		\| honorific_prefix = [[Air vice-marshal\|Air Vice Marshal]]
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	\| birth_place = [[Rangoon]], [[British rule in Burma\|Burma]], [[British Raj\|British India]]		\| birth_place = [[Rangoon]], [[British rule in Burma\|Burma]], [[British Raj\|British India]]
	\| death_place = [[Rockville, Maryland\|Rockville]], [[Maryland]], [[United States]]		\| death_place = [[Rockville, Maryland\|Rockville]], [[Maryland]], [[United States]]
	\| placeofburial = Maryland National Memorial, U.S.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web\|date=6 September 2018\|title=Tribute to Pakistan Air Force heroes\|url=https://nation.com.pk/06-Sep-2018/tribute-to-pakistan-air-force-heros\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909032247/https://nation.com.pk/06-Sep-2018/tribute-to-pakistan-air-force-heros\|archive-date=9 September 2019\|access-date=29 November 2020\|website=The Nation\|language=en}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite journal\|~~last~~=Appeals\|~~first~~=United States Court of\|last2=Circuit\|first2=District of Columbia\|date=1969-12-31\|title=864 F2d 868 Hall v. D McLaughlin\|url=https://openjurist.org/864/f2d/868/hall-v-d-mclaughlin\|language=en\|volume=F2d\|issue=864\|pages=868}}</ref>		\| placeofburial = Maryland National Memorial, U.S.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web\|date=6 September 2018\|title=Tribute to Pakistan Air Force heroes\|url=https://nation.com.pk/06-Sep-2018/tribute-to-pakistan-air-force-heros\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909032247/https://nation.com.pk/06-Sep-2018/tribute-to-pakistan-air-force-heros\|archive-date=9 September 2019\|access-date=29 November 2020\|website=The Nation\|language=en}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite journal\|last1=Appeals\|first1=United States Court of\|last2=Circuit\|first2=District of Columbia\|date=1969-12-31\|title=864 F2d 868 Hall v. D McLaughlin\|url=https://openjurist.org/864/f2d/868/hall-v-d-mclaughlin\|language=en\|volume=F2d\|issue=864\|pages=868}}</ref>
	\| placeofburial_coordinates = {{coord\|39.074\|N\|76.876\|W\|display=inline,title}}		\| placeofburial_coordinates = {{coord\|39.074\|N\|76.876\|W\|display=inline,title}}
	\| nickname = ''The Heavy Hitter''		\| nickname = ''The Heavy Hitter''
Line 36:		Line 36:
	\| battles = {{bulletedlist\|[[World War II]]\|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948]]\|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]\|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]\|[[Yom Kippur War\|1973 Arab-Israeli War]]}}		\| battles = {{bulletedlist\|[[World War II]]\|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948]]\|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]\|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]\|[[Yom Kippur War\|1973 Arab-Israeli War]]}}
	\| awards = {{unbulletedlist\|{{flagicon image\|Hilal-i-Jur'at Pakistan.svg\|20px}} [[Hilal-i-Jur'at]] (1948)\|{{flagicon image\|PAK Sitara-i-Juraat ribbon.svg\|20px}} [[Sitara-e-Jurat]] (1965)\|{{flagicon image\|Hilal-i-Imtiaz Pakistan.svg\|20px}} [[Hilal-i-Imtiaz]] (1971)}}		\| awards = {{unbulletedlist\|{{flagicon image\|Hilal-i-Jur'at Pakistan.svg\|20px}} [[Hilal-i-Jur'at]] (1948)\|{{flagicon image\|PAK Sitara-i-Juraat ribbon.svg\|20px}} [[Sitara-e-Jurat]] (1965)\|{{flagicon image\|Hilal-i-Imtiaz Pakistan.svg\|20px}} [[Hilal-i-Imtiaz]] (1971)}}
	\| children = 2<ref>{{Cite news\|date=1 July 1998\|title=BRITISH AVIATOR ERIC GORDON HALL DIES AT 75\|language=en-US\|~~work~~=The Washington Post\|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1998/07/01/british-aviator-eric-gordon-hall-dies-at-75/11e495e6-b11e-4643-a1c4-ef6bf2734270/\|url-status=live\|access-date=28 November 2020\|archive-date=27 August 2017\|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>		\| children = 2<ref>{{Cite news\|date=1 July 1998\|title=BRITISH AVIATOR ERIC GORDON HALL DIES AT 75\|language=en-US\|newspaper=The Washington Post\|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1998/07/01/british-aviator-eric-gordon-hall-dies-at-75/11e495e6-b11e-4643-a1c4-ef6bf2734270/\|url-status=live\|access-date=28 November 2020\|archive-date=27 August 2017\|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
	\| laterwork = [[Director general\|Director-General]], [[Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority\|Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan]]		\| laterwork = [[Director general\|Director-General]], [[Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority\|Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan]]
	}}		}}
	'''Eric Gordon Hall''' {{small\|[[Hilal-i-Jur'at\|HJ]]}} {{small\|[[Sitara-e-Jurat\|SJ]]}} {{small\|[[Hilal-i-Imtiaz\|HI]]}} (12 October 1922 – 17 June 1998) was a Pakistani [[fighter aircraft\|fighter]] and [[bomber]] [[Aircraft pilot\|pilot]], and former [[director general\|Director-General]] of the [[Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority\|Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)]]. A [[Two-star rank\|two-star general]] in the [[Pakistan Air Force]], Hall had served as the [[Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)\|Vice Chief of Air Staff]] and was one of the most distinguished pilots belonging to the [[Christianity in Pakistan\|Christian minority]] who had participated in all of the major [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts\|India−Pakistan wars]], most notably the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948\|First Kashmir War]], the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965\|Second Kashmir War]] and the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]. He had also served as the Director-General of the Pakistan Air Force's Air Force Science Research Laboratories (AFSRL) where he led [[Nuclear weapon\|atomic weapons]] research efforts as part of [[Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction\|Pakistan's nuclear technology project]].		'''Eric Gordon Hall''' {{small\|[[Hilal-i-Jur'at\|HJ]]}} {{small\|[[Sitara-e-Jurat\|SJ]]}} {{small\|[[Hilal-i-Imtiaz\|HI]]}} (12 October 1922 – 17 June 1998) was a Pakistani [[fighter aircraft\|fighter]] and [[bomber]] [[Aircraft pilot\|pilot]], and former [[director general\|Director-General]] of the [[Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority\|Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)]]. A [[Two-star rank\|two-star general]] in the [[Pakistan Air Force]],<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022-02-26 \|title=Minorities in armed forces \|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/2345403/minorities-in-armed-forces \|access-date=2022-07-20 \|website=The Express Tribune \|language=en}}</ref> Hall had served as the [[Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)\|Vice Chief of Air Staff]] and was one of the most distinguished pilots belonging to the [[Christianity in Pakistan\|Christian minority]] who had participated in all of the major [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts\|India−Pakistan wars]], most notably the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948\|First Kashmir War]], the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965\|Second Kashmir War]] and the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]. He had also served as the Director-General of the Pakistan Air Force's Air Force Science Research Laboratories (AFSRL) where he led [[Nuclear weapon\|atomic weapons]] research efforts as part of [[Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction\|Pakistan's nuclear technology project]].

	== Early life ==		== Early life ==
	Hall was born on 12 October 1922 into a [[Christianity\|Christian]] [[Anglo-Burmese people\|Anglo-Burmese]] family in [[Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[British rule in Burma\|Burma]], [[British Raj\|British India]] (present-day [[Myanmar]]). His father was a [[Sapper\|combat engineer]] in the [[British Army]], and went [[missing in action]] during the [[Japanese invasion of Burma]] in 1941, shortly after which he was declared dead. Due to the [[Empire of Japan\|Japanese]] invasion and outbreak of war in Burma, the women in Hall's family were [[airlift]]ed to India while the men fled on foot. Arriving in [[Dibrugarh]], [[Northeast India]] a few weeks later, Hall was hospitalized for a short time before he enlisted in the [[Royal Air Force]] and was subsequently [[Burma campaign\|deployed to Burma]], where he flew sorties against [[Armed Forces of the Empire of Japan\|Japanese forces]] as a [[Hawker Hurricane]] fighter pilot.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|last=Halli\|first=Sultan M.\|date=December 1998\|title=~~PAF’S~~ GALLANT CHRISTIAN HEROES CARRY ~~QUAID’S~~ MESSAGE\|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/dec98/christian.htm\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031211112656/http://www.defencejournal.com/dec98/christian.htm\|archive-date=11 December 2003\|access-date=29 November 2020\|website=Defence Journal}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>		Hall was born on 12 October 1922 into a [[Christianity\|Christian]] [[Anglo-Burmese people\|Anglo-Burmese]] family in [[Yangon\|Rangoon]], [[British rule in Burma\|Burma]], [[British Raj\|British India]] (present-day [[Myanmar]]). His father was a [[Sapper\|combat engineer]] in the [[British Army]], and went [[missing in action]] during the [[Japanese invasion of Burma]] in 1941, shortly after which he was declared dead. Due to the [[Empire of Japan\|Japanese]] invasion and outbreak of war in Burma, the women in Hall's family were [[airlift]]ed to India while the men fled on foot. Arriving in [[Dibrugarh]], [[Northeast India]] a few weeks later, Hall was hospitalized for a short time before he enlisted in the [[Royal Air Force]] and was subsequently [[Burma campaign\|deployed to Burma]], where he flew sorties against [[Armed Forces of the Empire of Japan\|Japanese forces]] as a [[Hawker Hurricane]] fighter pilot.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|last=Halli\|first=Sultan M.\|date=December 1998\|title=PAF'S GALLANT CHRISTIAN HEROES CARRY QUAID'S MESSAGE\|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/dec98/christian.htm\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031211112656/http://www.defencejournal.com/dec98/christian.htm\|archive-date=11 December 2003\|access-date=29 November 2020\|website=Defence Journal}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>

	During the [[Partition of India]] in 1947, Hall opted for the new [[Dominion of Pakistan]], shifting himself and his family to [[Lahore]]. He transferred his service to the [[Royal Pakistan Air Force]], where he continued his military career.<ref>{{Cite web\|date=23 July 2018\|title=Service Record for Air Vice Marshal Eric Gordon Hall 2768 GD(P)\|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/2768\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129134924/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/2768\|archive-date=29 November 2020\|access-date=29 November 2020\|website=Bharat Rakshak\|language=en-gb\|via=~~[https://archive.org/search.php?query=Eric%20Gordon%20Hall+2768&and%5B%5D=collection%3A%22gazetteofindia%22&sin=TXT&page=1~~ Gazette of India Archive]}}</ref>		During the [[Partition of India]] in 1947, Hall opted for the new [[Dominion of Pakistan]], shifting himself and his family to [[Lahore]]. He transferred his service to the [[Royal Pakistan Air Force]], where he continued his military career.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=23 July 2018 \|title=Service Record for Air Vice Marshal Eric Gordon Hall 2768 GD(P) \|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/2768 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129134924/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/2768 \|archive-date=29 November 2020 \|access-date=29 November 2020 \|website=Bharat Rakshak \|language=en-gb \|via=Gazette of India Archive}}</ref>

	==Commands and diplomatic career==		==Commands and diplomatic career==
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	==Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 ==		==Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 ==
	Leading up to the outbreak of the Second Kashmir War between [[India]] and [[Pakistan]] in August 1965, Hall was in command of [[PAF Base Nur Khan]] in [[Chaklala, Rawalpindi\|Chaklala]], [[Rawalpindi]] as a [[Group captain\|Group Captain]] ([[Colonel]]). Knowing that war was imminent after the failure of the [[Pakistan Army]]'s [[Operation Gibraltar]] in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)\|Jammu and Kashmir]], he was conscious of the [[Pakistan Air Force]]'s lack of specialist aircraft. Hall hit upon the idea of converting [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules\|C-130 Hercules]] transporters into [[heavy bomber]]s.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Group Captain Colonel Eric Gordon Hall (SJ)\|url=http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-photos-multimedia/682-wondering-about-pilots.html\|work=Pakistan Defence}}		Leading up to the outbreak of the Second Kashmir War between [[India]] and [[Pakistan]] in August 1965, Hall was in command of [[PAF Base Nur Khan]] in [[Chaklala, Rawalpindi\|Chaklala]], [[Rawalpindi]] as a [[Group captain\|Group Captain]] ([[Colonel]]). Knowing that war was imminent after the failure of the [[Pakistan Army]]'s [[Operation Gibraltar]] in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)\|Jammu and Kashmir]], he was conscious of the [[Pakistan Air Force]]'s lack of specialist aircraft. Hall hit upon the idea of converting [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules\|C-130 Hercules]] transporters into [[heavy bomber]]s.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Group Captain Colonel Eric Gordon Hall (SJ)\|url=http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-photos-multimedia/682-wondering-about-pilots.html\|work=Pakistan Defence\|access-date=27 June 2010\|archive-date=4 March 2012\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304070818/http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-photos-multimedia/682-wondering-about-pilots.html\|url-status=dead}}</ref> With some modifications, the [[Military transport aircraft\|transport aircraft]] were made capable of carrying up to {{Convert\|20000\|lbs\|kg\|abbr=on\|order=flip}} of explosive ordinance.
	~~{{Dead link~~\|date=~~November 2020~~}}</ref> With some modifications, the [[Military transport aircraft\|transport aircraft]] were made capable of carrying up to {{Convert\|20000\|lbs\|kg\|abbr=on\|order=flip}} of explosive ordinance.

	Having conducted trials to test and prove the converted bombers' efficiency, Hall volunteered to lead the first bombing mission over a strategically vital bridge in [[Kathua]], Jammu and Kashmir on 11 September 1965. The mission was fraught with danger as the unarmoured transport-turned-bomber was highly vulnerable to Indian [[Anti-aircraft warfare\|anti-aircraft guns]].<ref>{{Cite web\|last=Hoodbhoy\|first=Pervez\|author-link=Pervez Hoodbhoy\|date=12 February 2002\|title=The Wages of Obedience: PAF Pilots\|url=http://www.chowk.com/interacts/5235/1/1/80\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20071214140449/http://www.chowk.com/interacts/5235/1/1/80\|archive-date=14 December 2007\|access-date=27 June 2010\|website=[[Chowk.com\|Chowk: India and Pakistan]]\|publisher=chowk.com}}		Having conducted trials to test and prove the converted bombers' efficiency, Hall volunteered to lead the first bombing mission over a strategically vital bridge in [[Kathua]], Jammu and Kashmir on 11 September 1965. The mission was fraught with danger as the unarmoured transport-turned-bomber was highly vulnerable to Indian [[Anti-aircraft warfare\|anti-aircraft guns]].<ref>{{Cite web\|last=Hoodbhoy\|first=Pervez\|author-link=Pervez Hoodbhoy\|date=12 February 2002\|title=The Wages of Obedience: PAF Pilots\|url=http://www.chowk.com/interacts/5235/1/1/80\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20071214140449/http://www.chowk.com/interacts/5235/1/1/80\|archive-date=14 December 2007\|access-date=27 June 2010\|website=[[Chowk.com\|Chowk: India and Pakistan]]\|publisher=chowk.com}}