Orders, Decorations and Medals

A good Great War company runner’s M.M. group of four awarded to Acting Corporal J. W. Hickman, South Staffordshire Regiment, a Gallipoli veteran who went on to serve with distinction on the Somme in 1916 and in the Wytschaete operations of 1917

Military Medal, G.V.R. (10915 Pte. J. W. Hickman, 7/S. Staff. R.); 1914-15 Star (10915 Pte., S. Staff. R.); British War and Victory Medals (10915 A. Cpl., S. Staff. R.), together with an original portrait photograph, minor contact marks, very fine or better (4) £400-500

M.M. London Gazette 16 August 1917. The following citation was published in the Rugby Advertiser 2 May 1919:

‘From 7-10 June 1917, in the neighbourhood of the Oosttaverne line, this battalion runner showed an utter personal disregard for his personal safety, taking several important messages through heavy artillery and machine-gun fire. His coolness and cheerfulness under heavy shelling set an invaluable example to all ranks. During the last 24 hours, greatly fatigued, he continued to volunteer for all the most arduous and dangerous duties. He has been previously mentioned in despatches for similar good conduct under fire.’

John William Hickman had indeed been previously mentioned for good work, namely in Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch dated 22 May 1917, and, according to the feature published in the Rugby Advertiser in May 1919, was a long served and distinguished company runner, having been with the 7th Battalion out in Gallipoli. Having landed at ‘B’ Beach in Suvla 7 August 1915, his unit moved forward to “Chocolate Hill” and was heavily engaged in an attack on Ismail Oglu Tepe on the 9th, suffering around 400 casualties - less than two weeks later, 300 further casualties were inflicted on the unit’s strength while moving forward in support of an attack from Lala Baba, thereby necessitating temporary amalgamation with the 9th Sherwood Foresters.

Hickman also distinguished himself at Thiepval on the Somme on 26 September 1916, when ‘he frequently carried important messages through hostile barrages and on several occasions showed great coolness and determination under trying circumstances’. This was the occasion on which the 7th Battalion cleared the enemy from “Midway Line” and repelled a counter-attack on “Hessian Trench”.

The same newspaper feature goes on to describe how he received his M.M. from the Earl of Denbigh at a special ceremony held at Harborough Magna in April 1919, and how the Earl described what a special type of bravery was required of a “runner”:

‘What you have to remember in the case of a runner is this: a man very often in the heat of the battle can put up with a great deal when he is able to give the other fellow something back; when they are able to shoot at the enemy, troops will stand a great deal of heavy shelling and punishment; but it is a different matter to have to carry out duties of this description under heavy fire when you are not in a position to shoot back yourself.’