Australians at War 1901-2000
1917
20 March 1917
Lieutenant F H McNamara, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, became the only member of the AFC to be awarded the Victoria Cross following his action in the raid on Tel el Hasi, Palestine.
21 April 1917
Foundation of Imperial War Graves Commission, later Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The purpose of the Commission was to erect and maintain war memorials and cemeteries.
3 May 1917
- Enlarge
- Private James White, 22nd Battalion, AIF, and his family. Sergeant White was killed at the Second Battle of Bullecourt, 3 May 1917. [Photo courtesy Mrs M Prophet]
Second Battle of Bullecourt, France.
May 1917
Destroyers of the Royal Australian Navy took part in extensive anti-submarine operations in the Adriatic Sea.
22 July 1917
Four members of the Australian Army Nursing Service – Sisters Cawood, Deacon and Ross-King and Staff Nurse Derrer - were awarded Military Medals for rescuing patients trapped in a burning Casualty Clearing Station at Trois Arbres, France. These were the first bravery awards given to Australian nurses in action.
1 August 1917
- Enlarge
- Machine gunners of the 4th Australian Division, Garter Point, Ypres, Belgium, 27 September 1917. [AWM negative E01401]
1 August – 14 November 1917
Third Battle of Ypres – Australian soldiers were in action most notably at Menin Road, Glencorse Wood, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele.
31 October 1917
Australian Light Horse charged Turkish positions at Battle of Beersheba, Palestine.
20 December 1917
The second conscription referendum took place in Australia and among the forces overseas. The proposal to introduce conscription was defeated.