Skip to content Skip to footer
Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne
Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Harris, Charles Allan

Charles Allan Harris of 157 Cruikshank Street, Port Melbourne is listed among the Naval contribution to the Expeditionary Force that sailed for Rabaul in, what was then, German New Guinea, in September 1914.

1914 ‘GERMAN NEW GUINEA.’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 14 September, p. 7. , viewed 07 Dec 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10806307

1917 ‘ELECTRIC SPARKS’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 14 April, p. 3. , viewed 04 Apr 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88368045

1 Comments

  • Brian Membrey
    Posted July 15, 2018 4.12 pm 0Likes

    There are variations in Charles Harris’ second given name – Allan, Allen and Alban (the AWM variant and correct given his father’s name) all noted. He enlisted (using “Allan”) as a 28-year-old engine driver in the A.I.F. on 17 July, 1915 and served as 2953, 7th Battalion (9 Reinforcements) until he was killed in action on 25 February, 1917 at Flers, France at 30 years of age.

    He has no known grave, his sacrifice commemorated in the Villiers-Bretonneux Memorial in Picardie, France.

    There was no residential address shown on his A.I.F. Attestation; his next of kin was given as a sister, Mrs S. A. Mitchell at 4 Derby Road, Sunshine, although his parents were still alive with his father returning the circular from Gladysdale via Yarra Junction.

    It shows his late son’s place of birth as Great Brickilyn Street, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, (parents Samuel Alban and Eliza HARRIS) and him educated at Camberwell and Mitcham State Schools after the family arrived with Charles then three years and five months.

    His Attestation suggests he had served a total of five years with the Royal and the Royal Australian Navy before being discharged after the Naval Expeditionary Force returned from New Guinea. He appears to have been one of the Australian sailors sent to England to bring the new Australian cruiser HMAS Melbourne to Australia in 1913.

    View image at https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1636795

Leave a comment

PMHPS acknowledges the generous support of the City of Port Phillip.

 

The content of this site (images and text) must not be reproduced in any form without the prior consent of PMHPS or the copyright holder.

Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.