Eric Gordan Hall
Note: This blog post series is dedicated to our “Unsung Heroes/Heroines” our non-Muslim Pakistani brothers/sisters, for their valuable contributions to their homeland. We want to pay tribute to all (one by one) our Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Parsi, Baha’i, Buddhist and all other fellow Pakistani brothers/sisters following any faith other than the faith of the majority.
Name: Eric Gordan Hall (Retd. Air Vice Marshal – Pakistan Air Force)
Time period: 1922 – 1998
Life overview:
Eric Gordan Hall (1922 – 1998), known as a ‘heavy hitter’, was born in Burma later shifted to Lahore. Hall started his career as a fighter pilot and enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1943. After partition, he decided to serve the Pakistan Air Force and was posted at PAF base in Risalpur. During the 1947 war, Hall served in the No 6 Squadron. He eventually rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshal and Deputy Chief of Air Staff.
Hall served as Group Captain during the war, came with an innovative idea of using carriage airplane C-130 as a bomber plane at the Indian land of Rann Katch. Amidst several technical issues and short range of fighter jets, Eric Hall volunteered to lead the first bombing mission over the Kathua Bridge. The success of his mission prompted the high command to authorize 13 more bombing missions with C-130s, including the bombing of Indian heavy guns at Atari on the banks of BRB Canal.
During 1965, Hall served as the founding chairman of Pakistan’s Atomic Energy Commission. Hall was awarded “Hilal-e Jurrat”, “Hilal-e Imtiaz (military)” and “Sitara-e Jurrat”.
Achievements/Contributions:
- Used carriage airplane C-130 as a bomber plane
- Served as the founding chairman of Pakistan’s Atomic Energy Commission
Awards:
- Hilal-e-Jurrat
- Hilal-e-Imtiaz
- Sitara-e-Jurrat
Sources: https://dailytimes.com.pk/117896/remembering-our-non-muslim-heroes/, https://www.facebook.com/allpakistanchristiancommunity/photos/air-vice-marshal-eric-gordan-halleric-gordon-hall-known-as-a-heavy-hitter-was-bo/1792776294070172/
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Babar Saeed
June 30, 2020
The writer is a professional marketer and engineer with good work exposure to governments, and businesses and industries in the private sector in several countries. Idea is to take the first step in adding value to anything that one gets exposed to instead of just complaining about the same.