I've made a mistake:
I mentioned a J A Harrison who was rejected in a special application to be repatriated back to Australia, in fact upon rechecking the details last night after my message to Robyn, his name was Albert J Harrison. I do have a JAE Harrison who emerged in the latter stages of WW1 without any known military history, and he's another person of interest due for exposure in the near future.
However, I should at this point elaborate on AJ Harrison in more detail, given that his circumstances have emerged prematurley and require clarification.
As I have said, his documents are a bit blurry so quite difficult to read, I haven't copied them, as the next generation will be worse, so I will transcribe what I can.
“27/06/1920
To: The Comptroller The Department of Repatriation Market St Melbourne
The attached papers regarding the repatriation from England of an Australian named Albert J Harrison are forwarded for your information and for favor of advice as to whether your department is prepared to grant an indulgence passage to him
Kindly treat this matter as urgent and return the attached papers with your reply
Secretary
Home and Territories Department”
"The Response"
“24 June 1920
The Secretary Home and Territories Department, Melbourne
RE: Albert J Harrison (Passage from England)
I desire to acknowledge receipt of your minute of the 17th June, relative to the abovementioned.
In reply, I would advise that Mr Harrison is not an Australian Soldier within the meaning of the Australian Soldier Repatriation Act 1917-1918 it is not possible for this department to render the assistance desired. Papers are returned herewith
D Gilbert Comptroller”
This is my take on this:
1; A good chance it is my AE Harrison
2: This man has been an Australian Soldier at one time
3: He has sent on his papers to a Civilian Department and they have sent them on to a Military Department, meaning he was originally a soldier
4: The response that "not an Australian Soldier within the meaning of the Australian Soldier Repatriation Act 1917-1918 " again confirming that if he had been dismissed/discharged he has no further call on the Australian Government.
5: It’s the right period perhaps after some more service with the British Army
There is no Australian Officer of this name and only one Private who subsequently returned to Australia in 1919, the Australian records are irrefutable.
The personal documents that were originally involved in this correspondance are not part of these Records and were subsequently returned to thr originator AJH, according to the records and do not exist in the Archives
I will investigate this man as a person of significant interest in a matter of course, naturally, he didn't get passage on this occasion, and if it is my AEH then this suggests that he is keen to be returned to OZ, and therefore the Civilian Shipping lists must be considered with a man using the initials Albert J Harrison, Robyn’s idea to look at post war shipping !
Sorry to keep moving laterally, as I have said, I do believe that to persue any type of future career as a professional soldier or civillian he would need his previous history, education, military record and personal references. To remain outside the confines of his Australian responsibilities, he would perhaps change his name only a little, just a smudge on a document would be enough to make a J out of an E
Ian
