Virtual
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Australia

Births Jun 1908   Harrison Eric Cecil B Croydon 2a 402

He was 33 and the son of Reynolds Pontifex Harrison and Josephine A. Harrison; husband of Phyllis Annie Harrison, of Summertown, South Australia.

Eric was born in Wimbledon, England on 17 April 1908.  He was the middle of three sons born to Reynolds and Josephine Harrison.  Eric’s elder brother joined the Royal Navy and his younger brother the British Army.  Eric left his family in England and immigrated to Australia in 1923 aged 15 years under the auspices of The Barwell Boys Scheme to work as a Farm Apprentice on the West Coast of South Australia.  In 1935 Eric married a local school teacher, Phyllis Helberg and the couple moved to the Adelaide Hills where they established a market garden.  Two daughters were born to them in subsequent years.

War was declared with Germany on 3 September 1939 following it’s invasion of Poland and fighting rapidly spread through Europe.  Eric responded to calls by his country and enlisted in Adelaide in June, 1940 to become SX5647, 2/43rd Bn. A.I.F.   He was trained at Woodside and sailed for Libya around Christmas, leaving behind his wife and two little girls aged 3 and 1.  Eric left believing that he had a responsibility to do his duty by his country but would soon be returning to his beloved family and farm.

During Easter, 1941 when on night patrol with others Eric came under enemy fire and was shot.  Comrades came to his aid and attempted to get Eric back to friendly lines but all were captured and imprisoned.  They were reported missing on 14 April.  

Extract from Australian War Memorial records: https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/tobruk/581
Germans launched their ill-fated attack on April 13th, 1941. Known as the "Easter Battle", the Germans had confidently expected a walk-over - instead it had ended in their being completely routed. 

Following capture, the men were separated and Eric’s passage from Tobruk is not known although it would have involved land and sea transport.  One second hand account says he “went 100 miles in a truck” from the capture site that is described in 2/43 Bn War Diary for 13-14 April as Wadi Belgassem.  The Army sent Eric’s wife a telegram notifying her that he was missing in action on 7 May, 1941.  

Capt. W. R. Tucker SX8973 wrote to Eric’s wife Phyllis following his capture and describes the incident thus.  

As Eric’s Company Commander I would like you to know how he met with his wound the night he was captured. With some of his comrades he volunteered to go out on a patrol that night and unexpectedly met the enemy. A fight ensued and owing to not being able to see very far our boys decided to withdraw. Just about this time Eric was hit in the leg and two of his comrades noticed this and went back to his assistance. By the time the others noticed they were missing the enemy had closed in and cut them off and captured them and they were swallowed up in the darkness before any attempt could be made to rescue them. Of course there was a terrific din of firing going on at this time so that is why the boys weren’t missed sooner. 

Eric’s war record states:

During Easter Harrison, Luck, Mayman and Symes were out on patrol. They struck bother. Harrison was wounded and Mayman and Luck went back to help him. Symes joined them just afterwards. When they observed the enemy moving around from the rear, Harrison pleaded with the others to leave him so that they could get back. Symes, Mayman and Luck were nursing Harrison when the enemy came up to them and took the lot. The men are in my company and I heard the story of their capture almost as soon as it happened. Pte. J. H. Swan was one of the men who told me about it. 

Sig. B.A. Austin SX7142 wrote to Phyllis about is capture:

We advanced for about fifty yards and then all hell seemed to break loose we all went to ground and I never seen so many tracers before or after as was used that night. We had run into three machine gun posts the enemy were sending flares up all the time from then on. We were pinned down. Our officer gave the order to charge. We certainly did charge the distance was about 50 yards and we were under heavy fire from machine gun & mortars all the time. Still we got amongst the Germans and Ities alright. We used the bayonet & hand grenades. We cleaned up quite a few but the enemy had reinforcements coming up so we had to get out. Eric was hit in the thigh but he sang out to me that he was not bad and could walk. I then helped one of the other lads back but about half way back we were still under fire from the enemy. I looked for Eric but I couldn’t find him anywhere. Next day two of the missing boys came in & said while they were lying on the ground waiting a chance to get away from the machine guns they seen Eric limping back with another chap with him, when six Germans took them prisoners. 

The next news from Eric came via the Red Cross and was a letter from him dated 27 April 1941.  It was written from a field hospital in the grounds of Caserta Palace, Italy where Eric was being held as a prisoner of war.  In his letter Eric says that his wounds have become infected and he is unable to sit.  Eric died on 27 May, 1941.  He was buried temporarily in the palace grounds and later moved.  Phyllis was advised in a letter from War Graves Services dated 14 March 1945 that “the late Pte. E.C. Harrison was buried on the 7th November 1944 in the Caserta Military Cemetery, Italy Grave 3.E.14.”  They wrote again on 27 June 1945 saying “his grave has now been altered from Plot 3, Row E, Grave 14 to Plot 8, Row B, Grave 8.” where he is now in the Caserta War Cemetery.

The Red Cross wrote to Eric’s wife Phyllis on 16 July 1941 to say that Eric had died of wounds while a prisoner of war.