Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front 1916’ M.C. and ‘Gallipoli, April 1915’ D.C.M. group of seven awarded to Regimental Sergeant-Major William Callaghan, Royal Munster Fusiliers, who landed at ‘V’ Beach from the River Clyde on 25 April 1915

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse engraved ‘7661 R.S.M. W. Callaghan 1st R. Muns: Fus:); Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (7661. S. Mjr: W. Callaghan. 1/R. Muns: Fus:); 1914-15 Star (7661. C.S. Mjr. W. Callaghan, R. Muns. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (7661 W.O. Cl.1. W. Callaghan. R. Mun. Fus.); Jubilee 1935; Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (7211075 W.O. Cl. 1 W. Callaghan. M.C. D.C.M. R. Mun. Fus.) mounted as worn, edge bruising and contact marks, nearly very fine (7) £3,000-£4,000

M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1917. One of only three Warrant Officer recipients of the M.C. to the Regiment. Decoration presented on 9 January 1918.

D.C.M. London Gazette 16 May 1916:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He refused to go to hospital when wounded, and on three other occasions remained at his duty when sick. He has set a fine and gallant example.’
Annotated gazette states ‘Gallipoli, 28th April.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 5 May 1916 [Sir Ian Hamilton’s despatch of 11 December 1915, for Gallipoli].

William Callaghan was born on 30 July 1883, probably in London but his father Michael was originally from Tralee, County Kerry. He enlisted into the Munster Fusiliers in 1904 and joined the 1st Battalion in India, and later Rangoon, Burma, where in 1912 Callaghan was serving as Armourer Sergeant. The battalion left Burma in December 1914, being recalled to the U.K. to form part of the 86th Brigade in the newly formed 29th Division. In March 1915 the Division sailed for Alexandria and thence to Tenedos in preparation for the Gallipoli landings.

C.S.M. Callaghan landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. The landing was made at ‘V’ Beach from the collier River Clyde, which was beached near the village of Sedd-El-Bahr a little after 6am. The Munsters suffered heavy casualties from machine-guns and snipers, with many men drowning. The remnants took cover under a low sand bank. The landing was suspended and the Battalion was only able to land fully later that evening after dark. Overnight, elements of the battalion advanced in conjunction with the 2nd Hampshires but were soon forced to fall back. However, by 8am on the 26th, ‘Old Castle’ had been occupied and the advance through the village commenced. It was occupied despite heavy sniper fire and by 3pm the assault on Hill 141 commenced. This was captured by 4pm and by 5pm troops were taking up outpost positions extending from the left of ‘Y’ Beach to the right of Hill 141.

At 6.30 on 27 April the battalion was relieved and fell back to ‘Y’ Beach, having suffered over 600 casualties. Later that day the battalion was sent to hold Lighthouse at Hill 138 and entrenched for the night. The following morning, the 28th, the battalion advanced to take over trenches and act as Reserve for 29 Division’s attack on Achi Baba. The battalion at this time became a little disorganised as small bodies of troops were detached to plug gaps in the line. On the 29th the Munsters and the Dublins advanced 1,000 yards and entrenched, beating off a Turkish counter-attack on 1st May and being relieved on the 2nd.

The battalion moved up to the front line again on 4 May and on the 7th made an advance of 200 yards. A night attack was made early in the morning of the 9th and an advance of 500 yards made before enfilading fire made the position untenable and they were forced to retire. By 11 May the battalion had been reduced to 379 officers and men. Having received some reinforcements, 28 June saw the battalion attack on Bruce’s Ravine and further casualties mounting to some 159 in killed, wounded and missing. 5 July saw a heavy Turkish counter-attack while the battalion was in the Worcester Flat Trenches, which was successfully beaten off. On 16 July the survivors of the battalion were taken off from ‘Y’ Beach aboard H.M.T.B.D. Savage and headed for Mudros, only to return to ‘V’ Beach on the 21st.

On 20 August, the battalion was transferred to Suvla Bay, where landings had been effected on the 6th. The following day the battalion attacked Hill 112 on the Anafarta Ridge, but the attack failed and incurred heavy casualties of 314 killed, wounded and missing. By 1 September, the battalion was in trenches on the front line but, on 8 September, were withdrawn to Imbros, returning to Suvla on the 21st. October and November were spent in the usual trench warfare and, on 14 December, the battalion evacuated Suvla Bay and landed once more at Helles. The battalion left Gallipoli for the last time on 2 January 1916, landing in Egypt and then arriving at Marseilles on 22 March 1916.

Shortly after arriving on the Western Front, the battalion joined 48th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division with whom they served for the remainder of the war. R.S.M. Callaghan was awarded the Military Cross for his services with the 1st Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers in France during 1916, which included actions in the Loos salient, at Bernafay Wood on the Somme, at Ginchy, and at Messines. He was one of only three Warrant Officers in the Munsters to be awarded the Military Cross. In April 1918 the battalion was transferred to the 172nd Brigade, in 57th Division, being in the vicinity of Lille at the time of the Armistice.

Callaghan remained in the Army after the war and in 1922, following the disbandment of the Munsters, transferred to the West Riding Regiment at Halifax depot. He was gazetted Lieutenant on 23 November 1926, and promoted to Captain & Quartermaster on 23 November 1934. He died while still serving in the army after complications following a routine operation in September 1936.

Sold with comprehensive research including several copied images of Callaghan, one showing him wearing his medals.