James Hervey Hall was born in 1896 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, the son of Edward Hall and Betty Hall (nee Robinson). He had one brother, Stanley (born 1892).

 By the 1901 Census the family were resident at Argyle Street, Bury and Edward was working as an iron planer.

By 1911 the family had moved on to Hornby Street, Bury.

James was now of working age and was employed as an apprentice fitter at Bentley and Jackson Engineers, which made machinery for the paper making and bleaching trades.

James was a regular attendee at the Castlecroft Congregational Church.

In September 1914, while still just 17 years old, James enlisted in the 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (with service number 8130). He served in France from 26th July 1915 as a Private.

Sadly Edward, his father, passed away in February 1916 aged just 52 years while James was away at the front.

James was wounded in July 1916, most likely on the Somme where his battalion was extensively involved.

It is not known if James ever returned to his original unit after recovering from his wounds, but on the 26th February 1918 he was formally transferred from the 23rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, to the 6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers.

On the same date he was permanently commissioned from Cadet to 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps at Tweseldown Camp, Fleet, Hants, transferring to the Royal Air Force on its creation on the 1st April.

James successfully completed his initial training and after a medical examination he was accepted for training as a pilot on the 1st May 1918. He joined No.1 School of Military Aeronautics at Reading on the 15th May 1918 for further training in aviation theory, navigation, map reading, morse code, photography and artillery and infantry co-operation.

On the 7th July he moved north, joining No.36 Training Squadron at Montrose in Scotland for basic flying training, this unit becoming No.32 Training Depot Squadron on the 15th July 1918.

On the 25th August 1918 James was sent on a cross-country navigation exercise in Sopwith Pup D4030 from which he failed to return.

According to the official letter sent to his mother his aircraft had, whilst flying in mist, impacted high ground.

The crash site was at Auchmull Farm, Glen Esk, some 30km northwest of Montrose.

Apart from the removal of the James' body, and possibly some of the aircraft's parts, the wreckage was abandoned where it lay.

James was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal

James Hervey Hall was returned to his adopted hometown of Bury and buried with full military honours at Bury Cemetery, Redvales on 31st August 1918. He is commemorated there on a family memorial to this day, alongside his parents, brother and sister-in-law.

In 1941, the "Aeroplane Spotter" magazine reported that a Sopwith Camel, missing since 1918, had been found in a remote part of Scotland, along with the remains of its pilot.

After that, a ‘legend’ seems to have grown, with tales of a ghostly “Camel” flying in the area.

The truth was revealed by David Hall in the Aviation Archaeologist magazine in 2004.

On 15th December 1940, 20-year-old Leading Aircraftman Ernest Clarke, the son of the Marchioness of Headfort, and of Sir Rupert Clarke, 2nd Bt., of Kells, and a “pilot under training” at 8 SFTS based at Montrose, was sent on a cross-country navigation training flight in Miles Master I N7602.

Like James Hall, he failed to return. His aircraft had flown into the Hill of Fingray, which is located a short distance from Glen Esk.

LAC Clarke is commemorated at Montrose (Sleepyhillock) Cemetery.

During ten days of searching for LAC Clarke and his aircraft, wreckage was sighted on a hillside. When the search party arrived at the scene, they were surprised to find what they identified as a Sopwith “Camel” but was actually James Hall’s Pup.

So that the "Camel" would not cause confusion in any subsequent searches, a team from No.56 Maintenance Unit at Inverness were instructed to remove the wreckage.

Removal was attempted in the spring of 1941 but in the end the aircraft was buried on-site.

When the working party told the local farmer, a Mr. William Reid, that they had buried the wreckage, Mr. Reid and his wife erected a wooden cross at the scene.

It may have been this considerate gesture which led to the rumours over James’ last resting place and fuelled the legend.