Throughout the First World War, the many announcements of British and Commonwealth gallantry awards appeared in the various issues of The London Gazette. As part of our major monthly series covering the period of the Great War commemorations, we examine some of the actions involved and summarise all of the awards announced in August 1917.
GREAT WAR GALLANTRY August 1917
DESPITE BEING only eight in number, August 1917 saw the largest monthly total of Conspicuous Gallantry Medals announced so far in the war. Three of these resulted from a raid on the Yemeni port of Salif, which lies on a peninsula in the Red Sea.
Before the war, the Turkish authorities had exported local rock-salt deposits from Salif and a British company had been contracted to upgrade the port facilities. On the declaration of war between the two countries, this company had immediately evacuated Salif, being forced to abandon some valuable heavy plant and equipment in the process. In due course, the Royal Navy’s Commander-in-Chief East Indies proposed a plan to remove or destroy this plant to prevent the enemy from putting it to military use. It was believed that at this stage Salif was garrisoned by around 100 Turkish troops with a few artillery pieces.
