Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A scarce O.B.I. and ‘Gallipoli 1915’ I.O.M. group of nine awarded to Lieutenant Hashmat Ali Khan, Sardar Bahadur, 1st Mule Corps and Commissariat Transport Department

Order of British India, 1st Class, 1st type neck badge, gold and enamels, test marks to the reverse; Indian Order of Merit, Military Division, 2nd type (1912-39), 2nd Class, Reward of Valor, silver and enamel, the reverse with screw-nut fitting and inscribed in two lines ‘2nd Class Order of Merit’; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1894-5 (13190 Muleteer Hasmat Ali Comst. Transport Dept.); India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (13190 Mule Jemadar Hasmit Ali Comst. Transport Dept.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1908, naming erased; 1914 Star (Jemdr. Hashmat Ali Khan, 1/Mule Corps); British War and Victory Medals (Resldr. Hashmat Ali, 1 Mule Cops.); Coronation 1911, unnamed, together with a rare ‘1 Mule Corps’ white metal cap badge, several small enamel chips to the second, generally polished, nearly very fine (10) £3,600-£4,400

Indian Order of Merit, 2nd Class, London Gazette 29 October 1915: ‘For gallantry and devotion to duty whilst serving with the Indian Expeditionary Force at the Dardanelles.’ Awarded for an incident on 6 May 1915 - see On Two Fronts: being the Adventures of an Indian Mule Corps in France and Gallipoli, by Major H. M. Alexander, D.S.O. (extract following refers).

Order of British India, 2nd Class, London Gazette 2 November 1915.

M.I.D. London Gazette 5 November 1915 (General Sir Ian Hamilton’s despatch of 26 August 1915) - Jemadar, 1st Mule Corps.

M.I.D. London Gazette 15 August 1917 (Lieutenant-General Sir Stanley Maude) - Ressaidar, Bahadur, I.O.M., Mule Corps.

Hon. rank of Lieutenant on retirement, London Gazette 17 December 1920.

Order of British India, 1st Class, date of promotion 17 August 1917 (Indian Army List 1924 refers).

There were just 45 awards of the I.O.M. for Gallipoli where he was also awarded the OBI 2nd Class. He was later advanced to 1st Class OBI for distinguished service in Mesopotamia and granted the title of “Sardar Bahadur”.

The story of the Mule Corps in France and Gallipoli has been brilliantly told by Major Alexander in his book, On Two Fronts: being the Adventures of an Indian Mule Corps in France and Gallipoli. This excellent account contains several mentions of Hashmat Ali (sometimes also referred to as Hashmat Ali Khan) from his time of service in France in 1914 to his time in Gallipoli. The following extracts describe the events of 6 May 1915, which resulted in the award of the I.O.M.:

‘On the 6th May, before our rough entrenchments could be completed, the expected shelling of Brighton Beach began. A man was seen riding along the sands from Gaba Tepe waving a white handkerchief. It seemed odd that he should be doing so in full view of the Turks, if his surrender was in good faith: it looked rather as though he were making signals to the enemy, and some of us were inclined to finish him off. However, some Australians on the beach, anxious to secure a prisoner, rushed out to meet him, rendering it impossible to shoot without the risk of hitting them. The man was seized, blindfolded, and taken to headquarters. Whether there was any connection between the two incidents I cannot say, but the fact remains that directly that man was out of the way the Turks opened with shrapnel, fired in salvoes of four guns, right into the middle of the mule camp. Everybody went to ground as far as possible, but cover was inadequate, and men and animals began to fall. As soon as there was a lull — but not before a good many mules had been knocked over — an attempt was made to shift the camp, and the mules were rushed round Hell Spit Corner, where— out of the enemy's sight — they were picketed again. All was quiet for two or three hours, and the men were sent back to Brighton Beach to fetch the saddlery and gear. There was only a guard of one N.C.O. and twelve men present, when Colonel Lesslie, the Military Landing Officer, came along with the message from headquarters that all animals were to be moved off the beach and kept in gullies leading into the hills. Colonel Lesslie had scarcely given the order, when "Beachy Bill", as this gun was afterwards called, opened fire again. The guard turned out at once, and — assisted by Australians and New Zealanders who were standing about and at once volunteered for the work — hurriedly unshackled the mules and led them away. They were followed all along the beach by the persistent and obnoxious attentions of Beachy Bill, whose fire was more like a violent hail-storm than anything else. The men who had gone to fetch the gear came rushing up, headed by Ressaidar Hashmet Ali, and joined in the rescue. Although the site of our new camp could not be seen by the enemy, they must have known where it was, for the fire was deadly accurate, and before safety could be reached eighty-nine mules and two horses had been hit; the N.C.O. of the guard was wounded, Driver Bir Singh hit in the head, and other Indians and several Australians were casualties. Many mules were killed outright, and many others lay where they had fallen, unable to rise: those had to be shot, and that evening the beach was strewn with dead animals — a pitiful sight.’

‘The loss of both Indian officers (in late July) was a severe blow to the Mule Corps. Ressaidar Hashmet Ali contracted pneumonia and had to go to a hospital-ship. He was very reluctant to give in and begged the doctors to let him remain, but he was sent to Malta, whence he wrote that he was getting on well.’

‘One morning, early in August, Ressaidar Hashmet Ali walked into my dug-out. I was never more pleased to see any one. At Malta he had been offered the choice of a trip to England or a return to India; but he had insisted that his sahib had need of him at Anzac, and begged to be allowed to return. They sent him back to Egypt, where he was again recommended for invaliding to India, but fortunately at Ismailia Captain Mayo, a former commandant of the 1st Mule Corps, managed to arrange that Hashmet Ali should come back to Anzac. He came just when he was most wanted, when heavy casualties and overwork were beginning to tell on the men's spirits, and by his tact and encouragement he did much to revive them. It was gratifying that only a few days after Hashmet Ali's return news was received that he, Lance-Naick Bahadur Shah and Driver Bir Singh had been awarded the Indian Order of Merit, and a hospital assistant named Ganpat Rao the Indian Distinguished Conduct Medal — all for their conduct on May 6. This was a great day for the Mule Corps. The Order of Merit is a very high honour indeed, and one that is rarely bestowed on a mule-driver. ‘

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