Military Cross, (GV)., Distinguished Conduct Medal, (GV) ( Pte. 1/6 Manch: Regt. -T.F.) 1914-15 Star (Pte. Manch. R.); British War Medal, Victory Medal, (M.I.D.) (Capt. ).
R. Hashim
Mounted as worn,
M.C. London Gazette 19/3/1919.
‘For conspicuous gallantry and good leadership during operations near Jenlain on 3 and 4 November 1918. During an enemy withdrawal, he led his company in pursuit with great skill, and made ground and captured prisoners, pressing forward in advance of the Division on his left. Afterwards under intense shell fire, he re-organised his company, and led them in another attack with complete success.’
D.C.M. London Gazette 15/9/1915.
‘For conspicuous gallantry on 4 June 1915 on the Gallipoli Peninsula [during the Third Battle of Krithia]. He dug a shelter under very heavy fire, for an officer who was dangerously wounded, and then re-joined the firing line.’
M.I.D. London Gazette 5/11/1915.
Randolph Hashim was born in Chorlton, Lancashire, in 1885, the son of Khalil Hashim, a Syrian-born Cotton & Shipping Merchant , and Mary Henietta (nee Eason), He was educated at Sale High School. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 7th Battalion Cheshire Regiment (Territorial Force) in November 1909. He resigned his commission in January 1914.
He attested for the 1st/6th Battalion Manchester Regiment (Territorial Force) shortly after the outbreak of war and he landed with the Battalion at ‘V’ and ‘W’ Beaches, Gallipoli, on 6 May 1915.
The Third Battle of Krithia, 4 June 1915
The attack began at noon on 4 June 1915, when the last bombardment ended. There was pause in bombardment to pull Ottomans back into trenches who were further decimated there by the renewal of the bombardment. Ottoman losses were around 6,000 on that first day. On the left, the attack of the Indian Brigade was quickly halted except along the Aegean shore where the 1/6th Battalion of the Gurkha Rifles managed to advance. The 14th Battalion of King George’s Own Ferozepore Sikhs Regiment, advancing along the floor of Gully Ravine, were almost wiped out, losing 380 men out of 514 and 80% of their officers.
The 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment from the 29th Division, advancing along Fir Tree Spur alongside Gully Ravine, managed to advance but having lost contact with the Sikhs on their left were forced to defend along the bank of the ravine as well as to their front. Elsewhere, the 29th Division advance was held up with heavy casualties by Ottoman strongpoints that had survived the bombardment unscratched. The advance of the 42nd Division was, by Gallipoli standards, very successful, quickly reaching the first objective of the Ottoman trenches and moving beyond to advance a total of 1,000 yards. This attack was made by the 127th (Manchester) Brigade which broke through the Turkish 9th Division defences and captured 217 prisoners.
The Royal Naval Division’s advance was led by the 2nd Naval Brigade which managed to reach and capture the Ottoman trenches. When the second wave the Collingwood Battalion attempted to continue the advance, they were caught in enfilade fire from Kereves Dere to the right where the French advance had failed. The battalion, one of the newly arrived reinforcements, was utterly annihilated and was never reformed.
Further attempts to reach the second objective were successful, but the position was untenable, so within a couple of hours the Royal Naval Division units had retreated to their starting positions. With the main attack decided success for the 42nd Division in the centre, failure everywhere else Hunter-Weston considered how to deploy his reserves. If he was to exploit the success in the centre, there was the potential to set the Ottoman flanks to flight but also the danger of creating a vulnerable salient. He decided to reinforce the flanks and renew that attack; however, the French insisted they were unable to continue the offensive so any further advances by the Royal Naval Division in Achi Baba Nullah were abandoned. Further attacks along Gully Spur and Gully Ravine failed.
At 16:00, Hunter-Weston ordered the troops to dig in and consolidate their positions; however, this coincided with the Ottoman reserves counter-attacking against the Manchester Brigade in the centre. Within one hour, the brigade was under attack from three sides so was eventually ordered to withdraw. By the end of the battle, their new front line was a mere 200-250 yards in front of their start line.
For his gallantry during the Third Battle of Krithia, Hashim was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, and was also Mentioned in Despatches by General Sir Ian Hamilton, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.
He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 7th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, during the Gallipoli campaign, on 8 September 1915, he subsequently served attached to the 9th Battalion on the Western Front, and was awarded the Military cross for his gallantry during the last week of hostilities. He died in Adlington, Cheshire, in 1942.
