Victor Charles Hall was born and educated in London, England. War broke out during his studies as an art student and he joined the British Army in 1914 and served in France until the end of the First World War. He was wounded five times and awarded the Military Medal. He arrived in Western Australia in 1920, where he worked as a farm hand and jackaroo, before sailing in a pearling lugger. In 1924, he joined the Northern Territory Mounted Police, in which he served until 1942, when he joined the Australian Army, serving in the Territory until 1945. He was wounded in the eye during the first Darwin air raid, and this brought on total blindness in 1954. However, he learned to use a typewriter and continued to publish stories and books.