MORRISON, Herbert Fraser

Herbert Fraser Morrison was born on 5 December 1892 at Inveraven, Erin Street, Richmond, although on his enlistment papers he stated that he was born in East Melbourne.  He was the third and youngest son of Henry Howard Morrison (known as Howard) and his wife Esther, nee Mack (or Mark), and a grandson of Dr. Alexander Morrison, headmaster and principal of Scotch College from 1857 to 1903.  Howard was a tea merchant with premises in Flinders Lane.  The Morrison family moved to East Melbourne in 1894, first renting at Hazelhurst 4 George Street, then in 1898 buying Rossmoyne, 30 Powlett Street.  Herbert was educated at Scotch.  Esther died in 1904 when Herbert was twelve.  Howard then married Margaret Ann Younie Walton in 1906.  He died two years later and Rossmoyne was sold.

When he enlisted on 17 August 1914 Herbert described himself as an importer and was possibly working in his father's business.  However his will dated 24 March 1914 describes him as a grazier of Reedy Creek, Broadford.  He had had military experience in the College Cadets.  He was 5ft 10ins with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair.  He was appointed to the 5th Battalion as a private.

He embarked aboard the Orvieto on 21 October 1914.  This was the first troop ship to leave Victoria, meeting other ships from other states in Albany, Western Australia, and was the flagship for the fleet as it sailed to Egypt.  On 9 November and fifty miles from the Cocos Islands HMAT Sydney, which was part of the convoy, sank the German cruiser, Emden, and its crew were placed on board the Orvieto as prisoners. When the convoy reached Port Said the prisoners were transferred to another ship.  On arrival at Alexandria on 2 December the battalion travelled by train to Mena Camp just outside Cairo.

Herbert was promoted to lance corporal on 22 February 1915.  The battalion left Mena Camp on 4 April bound for the Dardenelles.  Herbert took part in the legendary Anzac landing on 25 April where he was wounded with a gunshot to the leg, and was hospitalised in Alexandria, then Malta.  He was appointed corporal on 9 May 1915.  Back in Alexandria he embarked for the Dardenelles again on 16 May.  He was promoted 2nd lieutenant on 4 August 1915.  A few days later he would be involved in the Battle of Lone Pine. On 31 August he contracted gastritis at Anzac.  He spent time in hospitals in Malta and was eventually admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital on 13 September 1915 with the diagnosis changed to dysentery.

It was not until 24 February 1916 that he was deemed fit for duty and placed on the unattached list.  He left England with the 26th Draft to join the British Expeditionary Forces in Egypt on 25 March 1916 and disemarked on 5 April.  He embarked for Marseilles on 20 May 1916 and disembarked 27 May.  He was back with the 5th Battalion on 20 July.  According to the Unit Diary on 3 August Morrison was sent to Lewis Machine Gun School returning on 12 August when the unit was at Vadencourt Wood on its way to the forward trenches at Pozieres. He was promoted to lieutenant 9 September 1916.  At Ypres, on 20 September 1916, he suffered a gunshot wound to the left eye.  He was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital on 24 September 1916.  His admission papers stated that, 'He has lost his left eye, but is quite convalescent.'  He was transferred to 5th Auxiliary Hospital on 7 November 1916.  He was eventually fitted with an artificial eye.

He was discharged on 8 February 1917, deemed fit for active service.  According to his obituary in the Argus he applied to rejoin the forces in France but was refused, 'but on appeal to General Birdwood, who commended his manly spirit, he was allowed to go.'   So after a few months on duty at the High Commissioner's Office, Perham Downs he procceeded overseas on 14 May to rejoin his unit, by then back in Ypres after service at the Somme.  On 20 September, exactly a year after losing his eye, he was involved in an incident as part of the Battle of Menin Road which later earned him the Military Cross.  The Recommendaton read, 

In the operations [near the REUTLEBEEK] east of YPRES  on 30th [sic - Unit Diary confirms date as 20th]  Sept., 1917, Lieut MORRISON was in charge of the left support company.  When the Commander of the leading Company was killed Lieut. MORRISON took charge of the left flank, established the line, reorganised his men and delivered a local attack on BLACK WATCH CORNER in an effective manner.  At all times during the action this officer showed judgement and coolness and instilled confidence in his men by continually moving from post to post over ground swept by machine guns and snipers.

In January1918 he was granted three weeks' furlough in England.  On 3 May 1918 he was wounded in action a third time.  This time the wound was minor and he remained on duty.  Three months later he was not so lucky.  He was shot in the chest, spine and abdomen during action on 9 August 1918 and died the next day.  A witness later gave a report,

Early in August we were about 2 kil. further up from our old front line and about 5 kil. in front of Villers-Bretonneux.  Mr. Morrison was severely wounded in the stomach by a machine gun bullet.  I saw him on a stretcher being carried from the F. [Field] Ambulance station to the C.C.S. [20th Casualty Clearing Station] - this would be a distance of at least 10 kil.  We were in action 4 days and when we came out I heard he had died.  He was buried somewhere at the rear.  Our Padre, R. Davis, used to be either at the F.A. or the C.C.S., but whether he was there to read the Service I don't know. The following morning Mr Morrison's brother, who was in D. Coy. came over to take his brother's place in C. Coy. and about 3 a.m. he evidently missed his way for he walked straight into Fritz's lines and got taken prisoner.  This Lt. Morrison who had died had been with the Bn. since the beginning and had lost an eye at Gallipoli.  He was about 26/28, a very fine soldier and most popular with everyone, he was very fair complexioned while his brother was a bit dark. We used to call the former "Mac" Morrison.

He was buried at Vignacourt British Cemetery, 8 miles NNW of Amiens.