HARRISON, Vivian George Meredith
| Service Number: | 1025 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 March 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 4th Divisional Signal Company |
| Born: | Port Augusta, South Australia, 24 July 1893 |
| Home Town: | Wolseley, Tatiara, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Engine Cleaner |
| Died: | Perth, Western Australia, Australia , 1938, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Bordertown Wolseley Roll of Honor, Wolseley War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1025, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 May 1915: | Involvement Private, 1025, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
| 31 May 1915: | Embarked Private, 1025, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide | |
| 9 Mar 1919: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4th Divisional Signal Company |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Vivian George Meredith Harrison was born on the 24th of July 1893 at Port Augusta. He was the middle child of Beatrice Mary Harrison and James Harrison and had an older brother named James Alfred Harrison and a younger brother named Charles Henry Harrison. As a young man at the age of 21, he worked as an engine cleaner, but this would not last as WW1 would soon break out across Europe.
Vivian and his brothers would enlist in the war, wanting to protect their country. Vivian enlisted on the 12th of March 1915, 8 months after the war started. He was deemed fit to go to war and was sent off to train in Egypt with the 27th IInfantry Battalion. He would spend two months training for battle before embarking to Gallipoli. The 27th Infantry Battalion’s time in Gallipoli would be brief, only participating in the campaign from September to December. Vivian was lucky to survive the unforgiving conditions in Gallipoli even though he only spent a short time there. After this Vivian and the 27th infantry would go back to Egypt, where they would continue to train before being sent off to the Western Front.
On the 7th of April 1916, Vivian and the 27th Infantry Battalion fought at the Battle of Pozieres between the 28th of July to the 5th of August. The battle was hard-fought and the Australians suffered heavy casualties. In October 1916 Vivian took part in two battles east of Flers in the Somme Valley. On the 2nd of November 1916, Vivian was promoted to a motorcycle Corporal for his service on the field. On the first of September 1917, Vivian sustained an injury to his left testicle while riding a motorbike. He spent a brief time in hospital before rejoining the Battalion on the 19th of September 1917.
Vivian and the 27th Infantry Battalion took part in a few minor battles during the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg line. However, Vivian would not fight a major battle again until the 20th of September 1917 in an assault at the Hindenburg line. Sadly, this day was met with tragedy for Vivian as his younger brother Charles Henry Harrison was killed in action, most likely from an artillery strike.
In April 1918 the 27th Infantry Battalion like many others would help turn back the German's spring offensive. Vivian would fought at the battle of Amiens on the 8th of August 1918 as one of the soldiers on the first wave against the Germans. This battle is famous as one of the major battles that helped defeat Germany in WW1. Vivian took part in a few smaller battles towards the end of the war, but his last great battle was in October 1918 as an effort to break the Beauvoir line.
Vivian survived the war and was honourably discharged on the 4th of June 1919. Vivian returned to Australia and in December 1919 he married Ruby Christina Warren. Together the couple had 3 children, Irene, Charles, and Joyce. Vivian was given farmland like many returning veterans of the war and would end up moving to Western Australia where he became a farmer. Vivian George Meredith Harrison passed away unexpectedly on the 17th of June 1938 at the age of 45 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Bibliography:
National Archives of Australia. (1914). HARRISON Vivian George Meredith: Service Number - 4865: Place of Birth - Port Augusta SA : Place of Enlistment - Mitcham SA : Next of Kin - (Father) HARRISON James. [online] Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4734527 [Accessed 28 Mar. 2022].
in-text: (CUSTODIANS, Memorial and Memorial, 2022)
Your Bibliography: CUSTODIANS, A., Memorial, T. and Memorial, T., 2022. 27th Australian Infantry Battalion. [online] Awm.gov.au. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51467 [Accessed 29 March 2022].
In-text: (Australian Soldiers, Memorials and Military History, 2022)
Your Bibliography: Vwma.org.au. 2022. Australian Soldiers, Memorials and Military History. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/ [Accessed 31 March 2022].
In-text: (Harrison, 2022)
Your Bibliography: Harrison, M., 2022. Vivian George Meredith Harrison (1893-1938) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree. [online] Wikitree.com. Available at: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Harrison-9425
[Accessed 3 April 2022].
In-text: (View digital copy, 2022)
Your Bibliography: Recordsearch.naa.gov.au. 2022. View digital copy. [online] Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4734527 [Accessed 3 April 2022].
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