HARRISON, Edward William

Edward William Harrison was a young man of 23 when he enlisted on 15 December 1915. He was 5'6" tall, with a dark complexion, blue eyes and dark hair, a single man studying to be a doctor and in his fourth year of study. He went into training at Seymour, Victoria, and then at Broadmeadows with three other battalions of the 8th Brigade and was then placed with the 29th Battalion AIF, nicknamed 'the East Melbourne Regiment'. The 29th Battalion was raised in Victoria as part of the 8th Brigade and followed on from the disaster of Gallipoli. The men who enlisted would have seen the casualty lists and been fully aware of what they would face, unlike the enthusiasts of the early war who believed they would be 'home for Christmas'. These men were destined for the Western Front.

In November, 1915, the Battalion embarked on the troopship Ascanius in Port Melbourne, disembarking at Suez, Egypt on 7 December, 1915. Here the 29th Battalion became the first battalion in the 8th Brigade of the 5th Division, raised in Egypt as part of the push to 'double the AIF'.

Their initial role was as part of defensive forces to protect the Suex Canal from Ottoman forces. Edward Harrison would have been part of this action, but at seom stage damaged his knee. On 23rd March, he was admitted to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Alexandria with synovitis of the knee, often the result of repeated untreatad bleeds in the joint, which are not treated early or correctly. Whatever the cause, it was sufficient to have him struck off strength on 24th March - that is, stood down from the army. On 27 March, 1916, he was admitted to the 2nd Australian General Hospital at Cairo with 'knee trouble mild', so some recovery must have taken place. However, he did not rejoin his battalion, but was instructed to proceed to Australia to complete his medical qualifications. He left Egypt on 24 June, 1916, on board the H. S.  Euripides, serving as the 3rd M.D. on duty with the Nursing staff.; the 8th Brigade embarked for France on 14 June, 1916 , arriving at Marseilles on 23 June.

 It is hard to believe that he quit the army of his own volition, so it is interesting to note in his record a letter of 11 August 1916 which states 'Please forward to PMO the attestation papers of Private E.W. Harrison of 1 Erskine St., Malvern (his father's address) 'This man is a fourth year medical student and cannot be allowed to go on active service'. Another letter on 13 October 1916 to Base Records at Victoria Barracks asks 'Would you please say if the E. W.Harrison mentioned in Minute 6 is the same as the E. W. Harrison referred to in Minute 1'. Major Lean at Base Records replied promptly that he was the right man. 

It is impossible to trace him after this. His name was a fairly common one and other sources have proved useless. He was, however, the recipient of battle honours, awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.