Lt Col Simon Hall
Royal Marines officer who combined brawn with brain
LT COL SIMON HALL, who has died of cancer aged 57, was a charismatic officer who epitomised the cerebral nature which the Royal Marines combine with their physicality.
Hall rose rapidly in the Marines after joining as a mature entrant in 1984, winning his coveted Green Beret a year later. He joined 45 Commando, where he specialised as a mountain leader, before passing the rigorous selection to become a member of the Special Boat Service in 1992.
He commanded C squadron of the SBS from 1995 to 1997, was second in command of the SBS from 1999 to 2001, and from 2004 to 2007 he commanded 23 Special Air Service Regiment (Reserve).
During this time Hall successfully conducted military operations worldwide, in such places as Northern Ireland, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Albania, the Congo and Borneo (where he helped lead a rescue for civilians lost on Mount Kinabalu).
He found the challenges of life in the Royal Marines easy, and enjoyed the mental and physical challenge to soldier to the highest standards no matter how harsh or threatening the environment. No manner of danger or deprivation could knock him off his stride and his performance seemed to improve as conditions became more difficult. He was also an outstanding Special Forces officer whose keen appreciation of the requirements of the covert operative made him a vital component in the evolution of the SBS.
Simon Jeremy Hall was born on July 12 1960 into a military family, but inherited his love of learning and of books from his mother. He was educated at Brentwood School, went on to read for a BSC in Geography at Loughborough, and was preparing a PHD thesis on glaciology at Manchester when he decided to join the Royal Marines.
His last command (200711) was the Joint Services Mountain Training Centre in Anglesey. He had started climbing as a schoolboy under the tutelage of Don Galloway, and had built a mountaineering career in parallel with his career as a Royal Marine. His appointment at the training centre gave him the opportunity to initiate a project to scale the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. In 2007 he led a successful, unguided, lightweight ascent of Mount Everest, with all eight team members reaching the summit, and the project was completed with the ascent of Mount Vinson in Antarctica in 2010.
Hall’s exemplary service to his country was acknowledged by the award of the OBE in 2004, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather who held similar awards. In 2013 he received the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service.
After retiring from the service Hall drew on his military experience to become a security consultant, bringing to his work in Afghanistan and Somalia the same energy and understanding he had deployed as a serving officer.
He also joined Adventure Boutique, a company which offers holidays combining physical exertion and a hint of luxury to small, discerning groups.
By nature a nomad, he developed the habit of turning up unexpectedly at his friends’ homes, where his natural charm allowed him to integrate into other peoples’ families surprisingly quickly.
His presence was always slightly chaotic but hugely welcome.
His sense of humour survived his being nicknamed “Bunhead”, a reference to a way of wearing a beret while under training, and an epithet which stuck to him throughout his career.
He was unmarried until, at his 50th birthday party, he referred to his South African girlfriend Gill Burton as his fiancée
– a proposal which she accepted.