The bravery medals of a hero pilot who took on the fearsome German battleship the Tirpitz are being sold by his family for £12,000.
Lieutenant Commander Sidney Hall’s 12 campaign medals, logbooks and other personal affairs are being auctioned off by his family with London-based Dix Noonan Webb.
Lt Cmdr Hall was born in Liverpool in 1917 and joined the Merchant Navy aged just 16 in 1933.
He led 40 Barracuda dive bombers in a daring attack against the 823ft long vessel the Tirpitz in April 1944.
The Tirpitz posed a huge threat to the Allied convoy ships to Russia and the operation put it out of action for three months.
A month later Lt Cmdr Hall led his squadron in successful strafing attacks on German shipping in Norway.
Lieutenant Commander Sidney Hall’s 12 campaign medals, along with logbooks and other personal affairs, are being auctioned off by his family on Thursday
The officer received a prestigious Distinguished Service Cross for ‘undaunted courage, skill and determination’.
His DSC citation in the London Gazette read: ‘For undaunted courage, skill and determination in carrying out the daring attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz on 3rd April 1944.’
A spokesman for the auction house said: ‘Lt Cmdr Hall received a Distinguished Service Cross for his gallantry in leading 800 Squadron’s Hellcats from HMS Emperor during Operation Tungsten, the raid against the German battleship Tirpitz.
‘He was mentioned in Despatches for Operation Pot Luck, when he led his squadron in strafing attacks of German shipping and aircraft at Rorvik, Norway.
‘He further took part in operations in support of the D-Day landings and was heavily engaged against ground targets during Operation Dragoon.
‘This is an outstanding group.’
Lt Cmdr Hall supported the D-Day landings in June 1944 by going after German ground targets and dive-bombed enemy defence batteries, bridges and trains as part of Operation Dragon, the invasion of southern France, in the August.
In one attack his squadron wiped out 70 per cent of a column of German tanks.
In 1951 he served as an Air Group Commander in the Fleet Air Arm and flew in a large number of sorties in the Korean War.
He served on various ships before joining the Royal Navy Reserve in 1938.
Lt Cmdr Hall led 40 Barracuda dive bombers in a daring attack against the 823ft long vessel Tirpitz in April 1944
He was commissioned to the Navy in 1939 and joined the cruiser HMS Berwick in January 1940 before transferring six months later to the HMS Vortigern.
Lt Cmdr Hall changed course and undertook pilot training at the end of 1940, completing his training in February 1942.
He had postings to Ceylon, Sri Lanka, and Scotland before being given command of 800 Fleet Air Arm Squadron in June 1943.
A month after the raid against Tirpitz, Lt Cmdr Hall led Hellcats from his squadron on Operation Pot Luck, an attack on German shipping at Rorvik.
The attack resulted in three enemy merchant ships being hit and damaged and five He115 floatplanes strafed and destroyed.
The following day, Lt Cmdr Hall led a similar attack which involved a further attack being made on the fish oil factory at Fossevaag.
Two armed trawlers were strafed and sunk.
Lt Cmdr Hall was mentioned in dispatches for ‘outstanding services in HMS Emperor and HMS Striker in operations against enemy shipping in Northern waters’.
His logbook mentions successful attacks in August 1944 for Operation Dragoon.
His entry from August 21, 1944 said: ‘Attack on 11th Panzer Division withdrawing up Rhone Valley, bombed and strafed transport on road. 70 per cent of column wiped out.’
Lt Cmdr Hall led his squadron in operations in the Aegean Islands in September and was granted leave the following month suffering from ‘exhaustion’ from his wartime efforts.
After returning to Britain, he married Dorothy, a Woman’s Royal Naval Service cypher officer, and was appointed commanding officer of 718 Squadron, based at RNAS Henstridge, Somerset, remaining in post until war’s end.
In November 1946, he joined 807 Squadron, being installed as its commanding offcer a year later.
He served at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, earning another promotion to Lieutenant Commander.
In October 1950, he was appointed Air Group Commander of the 14th Carrier Air Group, serving aboard HMS Glory.
In April 1951 the aircraft carrier arrived in Korean waters and was used as a base to launch a large number of sorties.
Lt Cmdr Hall carried out armed reconnaissance missions, strafing attacks and escorting flights over the next five months.
The officer received a prestigious Distinguished Service Cross for ‘undaunted courage, skill and determination’, among other medals through his career
He was shot down near Choppeki Point in September 1951 but picked up by a helicopter after an hour in the water.
His distinguished career was almost curtailed in unfortunate fashion as he was court-martialled in September 1952.
Lt Cmdr Hall, who had returned to Britain, was executive officer of the minesweeper HMS Wave which broke from her moorings in St Ives, Cornwall, and went ashore on the rocks.
There were no casualties but the ship was sunk, with Lt Cmdr Hall duty-bound to take the wrap for it.
However, owing to his two decades of stellar service, he was given a reprimand and allowed to continue his career.
Lt Cmdr Hall converted to piloting helicopters, spending time at RNAS Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland, and RNAS Yeovilton, before retiring in 1959.
He died aged 54 in 1971.
Lt Cmdr Hall’s medal group consists of a Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Service Cross, 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Arctic Star, Africa Star, Burma Star, Italy Star, Defence and War Medals 1939-45 and U.N. Korea 1950-54.
The sale will take place on Thursday.