TOPIC:

I wonder if the reason that we seldom see shooting medals amongst our acquisitions is that the gold and silver ones have gone into the melting pot, while no value is attached to others?

Brett

I was trawling through my catalogue earlier this evening thinking that I must examine the Gallipoli war diary for the Hampshire Regiment. Googling various names I was directed to this topic in the forum!

I bought the group to Sgt Greenstreet mentioned earlier in this posting as I rather liked the shooting medals and as I have always wanted a nice Gallipoli Trio. I also felt that the group estimate was somewhat under-priced at little more than the gold value and the auctioneer had missed the fact that Greenstreet was not only Killed in Action but had also been Mentioned in Despatches for the notorious first Gallipoli landing of the Hampshire Regiment from the “River Clyde”. It seems clear that had he lived he would have been awarded the DCM!

Fortunately, the hammer price fell within the auctioneers estimate.

Sergeant William Greenstreet was Killed in Action during the second Battle of Krithia on 8 May 1915 just 2 weeks after the initial landings. Sergeant Greenstreet was also one of the 8 members of the 2nd Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment whose names were included in the “list of names of those Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and men whose services I consider deserving of special mention, and I beg to recommend them to your Lordship’s notice” set out by Ian Hamilton, General Commanding the Mediterranean Field Force in his Despatch of 12 June which was published in full in the Supplement to the London Gazette of 3 August 1915. This despatch was effectively a continuation of his first Despatch of 20 May 1915 covering the opening Gallipoli operations for the period up to 5 May 1915.

The opening words of this Despatch was worded as follows:

“In accordance with the closing paragraph of my despatch of 20th May, 1915, I have the honour to submit a list of names of those officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and men whose services I consider deserving of special mention, and I beg to recommend them to your Lordship’s notice.”

It is therefore clear that Sergeant Greenstreet was one of those members of the Hampshire Regiment who was aboard the River Clyde and who landed at “V” Beach during the first day of the Galipoli landings. The names of only seven members of the Hampshire Regiment were mentioned - four officers and three others.

Incidentally both his other two colleagues who were mentioned, Sergeant Milne and L/Corporal Stone, were subsequently awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (only the Victoria Cross and an MiD could be awarded posthumously) for their gallantry during the initial operations at “V” beach the citation for Sergeant Milne’s award reading as follows:

“For conspicuous gallantry and ability during and subsequent to the landing operations on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Sjt. Milne performed consistent good work and showed the greatest coolness and bravery under hazardous conditions and at critical times. He led his platoon with great ability and judgement on several occasions and under very heavy fire, and has throughout displayed high powers of leadership and set a fine example of devotion to duty, which has given great encouragement to all with him.”
(Milne was subsequently awarded a bar to his DCM and after being commissioned was awarded a further Military Cross!)

The Hampshire Regiment, later called the Royal Hampshire Regiment, was an Infantry Regiment in the British Army. During World War I the Regiment raised a total of 32 battalions from its pre-war establishment of 2 regular, 1 reserve and 11 territorial battalions. The Regiment won a total of 82 battle honours and three Victoria Crosses but lost a total of 7 580 men as casualties.

The Hampshire’s 2nd Battalion was in Mhow, India on the outbreak of war. It embarked at Bombay for Europe on 16 November 1914 arriving at Plymouth on 22 December and moving to Romsey. On 13 February 1915 it was relocated to Stratford-upon-Avon and joined 88th Brigade in the 29th Division. The 2nd Battalion embarked for the Mediterranean from Avonmouth on 20 and 21 March 1915 with 27 officers and 993 men. The Battalion made brief stops at Alexandria in Egypt on 2 April before reaching the Greek islands of Lemnos and Tenedos on 13 April.

The Battalion joined the Gallipoli landings on "V" Beach on the morning of 25 April and suffered many casualties whilst wading ashore in deep water. The Battalion continued to have a difficult time at Gallipoli, and later lost a lot of men on one particular day – 6 August 1915. The casualties for that one attack were 18 officers and 224 other ranks killed or missing, with two officers and 210 other ranks wounded. The 2nd Battalion continued to serve on Gallipoli until it joined the general withdrawal from the Dardanelles on 8 January 1916 and arriving back at Alexandria on 13 January 1916. In March 1916, the 2nd Battalion was redeployed to France and Flanders, landing at Marseilles on 21 March. It remained in France and Flanders for the last two years of the war, with the same formation, ending the war near Lessines, Belgium.

William Greenstreet was born at Portsea Island in Hampshire in June 1885. He was the son of Henry Byng Greenstreet (born c 1844) and Elizabeth Ann Greenstreet (nee Jago) (born c 1846 – 1907). William’s father served in the Royal Navy as a “wood caulker”, later describing himself a “Leading man of ship’s joiners”. William was one no less than 10 children and was born many years after their marriage in 1864. In 1881 the family were living at No 1 Crystal Place in Portsea, Portsmouth, while 10 years later in 1891 the family was living at 23 Winchester Road in Portsea in Portsmouth. As shown by his 2 shooting medals he was a prewar member of the Regiment and had undertaken garrison duties with his Regiment during the important period leading to the establishment of the Union of South Africa. Today his name is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.

RobM