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 November 1917.
AMONGST THE 6,479 awards announced in The London Gazette in November 1917 can be found the name of Miss Julia Ashbourne Herbert. Born at Brighton on 26 March 1881, the daughter of F.A. Herbert, Julia had trained as a nurse at King’s College Hospital. In 1912 she had volunteered to join the Territorial Force Nursing Service (TFNS).
A relatively new organisation, the TFNS had been established in 1909 to compliment the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps. Its purpose was to supplement the regular service in emergencies and all its members were employed as nurses in civilian life. It was renamed the Territorial Army Nursing Service in 1920, when the Territorial Force was renamed the Territorial Army.
On the outbreak of war in 1914, Julia was employed at the Royal Free Hospital in London. In August 1914, she joined her TFNS unit, the 4th Northern General Hospital…
