Eric G. Hall
Encyclopedia
Air Vice-Marshal Eric Gordan Hall (Urdu: ايريک گورڈن حال; October 12, 1922 – June 17, 1998), was a Pakistan Air Force
bomber and fighter
pilot
, and former director general of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). A two-star general in the Pakistan Air Force, Hall had served as Vice Chief of Air Staff
and was one of the distinguished Christian
pilots who participated in the Indo-Pakistan wars of 1947
, 1965
and 1971
. He is also notable as the Director-General of the Pakistan Air Force's Air Force Science Research Laboratories (AFSRL) when he headed the atomic weapon's research as part of Pakistan's nuclear technology project.
family (Anglo-Burmese). He received his education from Burma and did the pre-engineering
courses from there. However, as the political situation worsened
in that country, the Hall family migrated to British India in 1942 where they settled in Lahore
.
as an aircraftman
and was selected for the officer cadre in December 1943. He was subsequently sent to the Royal Air Force Combat Training School; Hall was then commissioned as a Pilot Officer
in the Royal Air Force. After the partition
and creation of Pakistan
, Hall decided to serve in the newly created Pakistan Air Force
. For the remainder of the war, he saw active flying duty.
Eric Hall was initially posted to Risalpur
to help train and build up the Pakistan Air Force
. However, when the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 broke out, he was called to active duty. He served in No. 6 Squadron, (Globe Trotters), flying Douglas C-47 Skytrains with supplies for the Pakistan Army
. After the war, he was sent to the United States
where he trained as a bomber pilot.
in the Pakistan Embassy
, United States
.
at Chaklala as a Group Captain
(Colonel
) in 1965. With war being imminent, he was conscious of the PAF’s lack of specialist aircraft. Hall hit upon the idea of converting C-130 Hercules
into heavy bombers. 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 the Kathua bridge on 11 September 1965. The mission was fraught with danger as the totally unarmed C-130s was highly vulnerable to enemy action. The success of this mission prompted the high command to authorize thirteen more bombing missions with C-130s, including the precision bombing of India
n heavy guns at Atari on the banks of the BRB Canal. The success of 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.
(Brigadier-General) in 1967, commanding the Faisal AFB in Karachi
. During the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
, Hall was heavily involved in the preparations of aerial operations against India. He trained the country
's air force pilots who went on to participate in the conflict.
of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
court martialed and forcibly ousted the Chief of the Air Staff
Air Marshal
Abdul Rahim Khan
in a military tribunal
held by the Judge Advocate General Branch
. Hall was promoted to Air Vice Marshal (Major General
). His two-star assignment included the command of Sargodha AFB. As AOC
, Hall upgraded the facility and a computer intelligence center was also established. In 1974, he was given another assignment, command of Chaklala AFB. He began the confidential programs of the Air Force, and was instrumental in setting up the U
235 facility at Chaklala, then known as the Chaklala Air Force Centrifuge Laboratories (CAFL). Hall personally supervised the construction of the facility and helped to install the Uranium enrichment pilot plant at the base. He was made the first director-general of the laboratories as well as the officer in charge of security for the scientists. Hall was also in-charge of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
's "Directorate of Industrial Liaison" (DIL), and served its first director-general. Hall had witnessed the successful Isotope separation
of the U
235 and U
238 isotope
s, the program headed by Dr. G.D. Alam and Anwar Ali
in 1978.
.
Hall migrated to Maryland, in the United States, where in August 1982 with his wife Marjorie, he founded and served as corporate president of Hall Enterprises, Inc. 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.
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
bomber and fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, and former director general of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). A two-star general in the Pakistan Air Force, Hall had served as Vice Chief of Air Staff
Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)
The Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, abbreviated as CAS, is typically the highest ranking 4-star rank officer in the Pakistan Air Force, unless a four-star officer is appointed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The CAS is a senior and permanent member of the...
and was one of the distinguished Christian
Christianity in Pakistan
Christianity is the largest religious minority in Pakistan. The total number of Christians in Pakistan is approximately 2,800,000 in 2008, or 1.6% of the population. Of these, approximately half are Roman Catholic and half Protestant...
pilots who participated in the Indo-Pakistan wars of 1947
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
The India-Pakistan War of 1947-48, sometimes known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four wars fought between the two newly independent nations...
, 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
and 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
. He is also notable as the Director-General of the Pakistan Air Force's Air Force Science Research Laboratories (AFSRL) when he headed the atomic weapon's research as part of Pakistan's nuclear technology project.
Early life
Hall was born in October 1922 in Rangoon, Burma to a British ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
family (Anglo-Burmese). He received his education from Burma and did the pre-engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
courses from there. However, as the political situation worsened
Burma Campaign 1942-1943
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II took place over four years from 1942 to 1945. During the first year of the campaign, the Imperial Japanese Army had driven British forces and Chinese forces out of Burma, and occupied the country...
in that country, the Hall family migrated to British India in 1942 where they settled in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
.
Air Force career
He enlisted in the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as an aircraftman
Aircraftman
Aircraftman , or Aircraftwoman , is the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of several other Commonwealth countries....
and was selected for the officer cadre in December 1943. He was subsequently sent to the Royal Air Force Combat Training School; Hall was then commissioned as a Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
in the Royal Air Force. After the partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
and creation of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Hall decided to serve in the newly created Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
. For the remainder of the war, he saw active flying duty.
Indo-Pakistani war of 1947
Flying OfficerFlying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
Eric Hall was initially posted to Risalpur
Risalpur
Risalpur is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 15 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and...
to help train and build up the Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
. However, when the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 broke out, he was called to active duty. He served in No. 6 Squadron, (Globe Trotters), flying Douglas C-47 Skytrains with supplies for the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
. After the war, he was sent to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 the PAF Staff College. In 1960 and the early 1970s, Hall served as a Defence and Air AttacheAir attaché
An air attaché is an Air Force officer who is part of a diplomatic mission; this post is normally filled by a high-ranking officer.An air attaché typically represents the chief of his home air force in the foreign country where he serves. The day-to-day responsibilities include maintaining contacts...
in the Pakistan Embassy
Diplomatic missions of Pakistan
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Pakistan, excluding honorary consulates. As the sixth most populated country and the second largest Muslim country in the world, Pakistan has an extensive and a large diplomatic network in various countries across the world.-Europe:** Vienna ** Baku **...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Indo-Pakistan war of 1965
He commanded the air transport BasePAF Base Chaklala
PAF Base Chaklala is an active Pakistan Air Force airbase located in Chaklala Rawalpindi, Punjab province, Pakistan. It also forms part of Islamabad International Airport.-History:The base was originally operated by the Royal Air Force as R.A.F...
at Chaklala as a Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
(Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
) in 1965. With war being imminent, he was conscious of the PAF’s lack of specialist aircraft. Hall hit upon the idea of converting C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
into heavy bombers. 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 the Kathua bridge on 11 September 1965. The mission was fraught with danger as the totally unarmed C-130s was highly vulnerable to enemy action. The success of this mission prompted the high command to authorize thirteen more bombing missions with C-130s, including the precision bombing of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n heavy guns at Atari on the banks of the BRB Canal. The success of 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.
Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
Hall was promoted to Air CommodoreAir Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
(Brigadier-General) in 1967, commanding the Faisal AFB in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. During the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
, Hall was heavily involved in the preparations of aerial operations against India. He trained the country
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
's air force pilots who went on to participate in the conflict.
Post war
After the war, the PresidentPresident of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
court martialed and forcibly ousted the Chief of the Air Staff
Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)
The Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, abbreviated as CAS, is typically the highest ranking 4-star rank officer in the Pakistan Air Force, unless a four-star officer is appointed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The CAS is a senior and permanent member of the...
Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Abdul Rahim Khan
Abdul Rahim Khan
Air Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan, HJ, HQA, SPk, SBt was a 3-star rank general and air officer who served as the last Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force between 1969 and 1972...
in a military tribunal
Military tribunal
A military tribunal is a kind of military court designed to try members of enemy forces during wartime, operating outside the scope of conventional criminal and civil proceedings. The judges are military officers and fulfill the role of jurors...
held by the Judge Advocate General Branch
Judge Advocate General Branch
The Judge Advocate General Branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces is composed of Pakistan's Military senior officers, lawyers and judges who provide legal services to the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines at all levels of command...
. Hall was promoted to Air Vice Marshal (Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
). His two-star assignment included the command of Sargodha AFB. As AOC
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
, Hall upgraded the facility and a computer intelligence center was also established. In 1974, he was given another assignment, command of Chaklala AFB. He began the confidential programs of the Air Force, and was instrumental in setting up the U
Uranium-235
- References :* .* DOE Fundamentals handbook: Nuclear Physics and Reactor theory , .* A piece of U-235 the size of a grain of rice can produce energy equal to that contained in three tons of coal or fourteen barrels of oil. -External links:* * * one of the earliest articles on U-235 for the...
235 facility at Chaklala, then known as the Chaklala Air Force Centrifuge Laboratories (CAFL). Hall personally supervised the construction of the facility and helped to install the Uranium enrichment pilot plant at the base. He was made the first director-general of the laboratories as well as the officer in charge of security for the scientists. Hall was also in-charge of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, , is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan...
's "Directorate of Industrial Liaison" (DIL), and served its first director-general. Hall had witnessed the successful Isotope separation
Isotope separation
Isotope separation is the process of concentrating specific isotopes of a chemical element by removing other isotopes, for example separating natural uranium into enriched uranium and depleted uranium. This is a crucial process in the manufacture of uranium fuel for nuclear power stations, and is...
of the U
Uranium-235
- References :* .* DOE Fundamentals handbook: Nuclear Physics and Reactor theory , .* A piece of U-235 the size of a grain of rice can produce energy equal to that contained in three tons of coal or fourteen barrels of oil. -External links:* * * one of the earliest articles on U-235 for the...
235 and U
Uranium-238
Uranium-238 is the most common isotope of uranium found in nature. It is not fissile, but is a fertile material: it can capture a slow neutron and after two beta decays become fissile plutonium-239...
238 isotope
Isotope
Isotopes are variants of atoms of a particular chemical element, which have differing numbers of neutrons. Atoms of a particular element by definition must contain the same number of protons but may have a distinct number of neutrons which differs from atom to atom, without changing the designation...
s, the program headed by Dr. G.D. Alam and Anwar Ali
Anwar Ali (scientist)
Anwar Ali, born: 1945 in Lahore, British Punjab State, British Indian Empire, , is a Pakistani nuclear physicist who served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 2006 till 2009...
in 1978.
Retirement
AVM Eric Hall retired from the Air Force in 1978 immediately after the successful U 235 project. He was given an honorable discharge from the Air Force and made Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for the Government of PakistanGovernment of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
.
Hall migrated to Maryland, in the United States, where in August 1982 with his wife Marjorie, he founded and served as corporate president of Hall Enterprises, Inc. 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.