Awards and Honours of the Macedonian Campaign

By SCS Member, Rob Elliott

The Society’s goal is to keep the memory alive of all the people from different countries who served, whether they were in the military, medical services, or civilian staff. The Society has accomplished a lot since it began, just as the Salonika Reunion Association did before. However, there’s still a lot of work to be done to raise awareness about the campaign in a world that doesn’t fully understand the importance of Macedonia and other theatres beyond the Western Front and Gallipoli.

One way of doing this is to tell the story of individuals and to set that out in a structured way. Several books have been written about the recipients of the Victoria Cross, Military Cross and other awards for gallantry or distinguished service in the field. However, for many awards, there is only a mention and short citation such as those published in the London Gazette – some of which describe the astonishing bravery of all ranks in the face of often unimaginable conditions of battle. What we’re missing, though, is a single record that outlines the extent of awards given to those serving in the Macedonian Campaign.

Early in 2023, SCS member Harry Fecitt pointed out that there was no register of awards. He suggested that the Society should think about compiling one. This proposal was discussed at the July 2023 Committee Meeting and accepted as a valuable project to undertake. So, following a request for assistance in the September issue of the New Mosquito, I offered to help.

Work is now underway and the result of the first few weeks of research is now available for members to view in the Members’ Area^* here. This is a long-term project and contributions filling in the gaps would be very welcome.

^*Members need to have registered with Voice first.

Why are we doing it?

I have suggested above that publishing citations for gallantry awards is a good way to bring a military action down to the level of an individual directly involved in events. This is especially important where no other personal testimonies of participants (letters, diaries or memoirs, for example) are known to exist. For some soldiers a citation might be the only information available apart from a medal index card. For example, Private F Berry, 15403, of the 7 th South Wales Borderers was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal for his conduct in September 1918. The citation was published in the London Gazette in 1920,
“On the morning of the 18th September 1918, this man, when the attack was checked by about thirty of the enemy on The Tongue, rushed forward alone and,  by his bomb-throwing, put the enemy to flight, thus enabling the advance to continue. During this operation his right hand was blown off at the wrist, but he continued most gallantly to throw bombs with his left until the enemy withdrew. He showed magnificent courage and determination.”

Of the many hundreds of awards made during the campaign it is well known that there were only two recipients of the Victoria Cross. Yet there were at least 12 Military Crosses awarded to the 12th Cheshire Regiment alone for one action, attacking the ‘P’ Ridge on 18 September 1918. Here are just two of them:

1. 2nd Lieutenant Ernest Stockton’s award was reported in the London Gazette, supplement number 31158 on 1 February 1919. The citation reads,
   “For conspicuous gallantry in the attack on the P Ridge on 18th September, 1918. His platoon objective was on P3, and on reaching P4 they came under intense fire from machine guns, trench mortars and bombs. His platoon suffered heavy casualties, and he himself was wounded, but he rallied his men and led them forward with the greatest determination. Severely wounded a second time, he still carried on until compelled to give in through exhaustion and loss of blood. He showed splendid pluck and devotion, to duty.”
2. The same London Gazette edition published the following citation for 2nd Lieutenant Richard Poole,
   “For conspicuous gallantry in the attack on the P Ridge on September 18th, 1918. He led his platoon forward under intense fire, and his coolness and contempt for danger inspired the greatest confidence in his command. He was wounded, but carried on, rallying his men until practically all had become casualties. Left wounded in the enemy lines, he succeeded in escaping under continuous fire from machine-guns and snipers, and was the last officer to leave the Ridge. His courage and tenacity were splendid.”

It is clear from these examples that the old misconception, that very little in terms of fighting occurred during the campaign, does not stand up to scrutiny. It is also clear that collating this information fits in with our Aims and Objectives – to remember those of all nations (in this case, our own) who served in the Campaign through acts of commemoration, remembrance and research.

What are we going to do with the information? 

As it grows, updates to the research will be posted in the Members Area of the website for access by all members of the Society. As a resource it could be used to support a focus on particular actions, and help provide background material for articles on the website or in the New Mosquito. The information will also be useful supporting material for lectures, podcasts, and on visits made to key sites during the annual SCS Battlefield Tour. It will help members researching their own family history or provide some context for medals in their possession. It will also be useful for anyone interested in the campaign, and when completed will be a way of publicly recognising the gallant and meritorious service of our forebears in a theatre of war that is not widely understood. 

What information is being collected?

The information is currently being recorded in a Microsoft Excel workbook with a Division per sheet, structured by Battalion. Columns are included to record a soldier’s full name, rank, service number and the award earned. For those awards where there is a citation, that is recorded along with the London Gazette reference including date and page number. The date and location of the action is also important where this can be ascertained. There is also a notes section for including any other information that emerges relating to the award.

The aim is to include all awards that can be identified whether or not there is a citation, so the lists will include soldiers in receipt of the Military Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and Mentions in Despatches for which no citations were usually published. It will also include awards from allied nations, such as the French Croix de Guerre and the Serbian Cross of Kara-George. There are also awards such as the conferring of a Knighthood or an OBE, for example, that were made for military service. It is intended to capture these too.

Getting involved

This is a task to which all members can contribute. For instance, if you have your own records of awards to individual soldiers, or coverage of particular battalions in which you are especially interested, it would be really helpful if you would be willing to share that information. You may have copies of regimental histories that could provide the names of those in receipt of awards. Citations, or recommendations for awards such as the Military Medal, may appear in any histories or war diaries you may have in your possession. Such information is extremely valuable since it will mean that the research to uncover these details will not have to be done again.

If anyone wants to help out by volunteering to research a particular battalion, that would be very welcome. We have a blank Excel template for this (below) should this be useful, but contributions in any form are welcome.

The more people that get involved, the faster we’ll have a comprehensive and useful resource. The short form below is a quick way to get in touch or you can reach me directly here.

Many thanks for your interest in this article, I look forward to hearing from you.

Rob Elliott, SCS Member

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