Help: Court Martialled & Missing in UK, Capt: Albert Edward Harrison AIF

[Craven-Harrison]

Part 2: continued

Yes, I agree that on two occasions his circumstances were identified to all. The official process raging in the background was Nora trying to locate him and in-turn embarrassing the Military and the Government into action. I will mount his pay cards, He would only be cut-off completely when he returned to Australia or discharged officially in any country that could process his discharge. I absolutely agree with you that he wouldn’t want the British to tell the AIF of his new arrangements….Yes, I think that I agree with the proposition that the information on his new Military arrangement came from the British and if this is the case then he would be using his real name and through this they were able to reconcile his identity and the British Commission back to EX Captain AE Harrison of the AIF. It seems really probable and sensible…………and logical?? Unless someone just saw him with his new Uniform working for the British and decided to be really nice and let Nora know about what he was up to in a pseudo formal manner via the official AIF communiqué channels, using a Form of Commission which is not in his AIF records, if it ever existed at all.

Meanwhile, I have always considered he had a name change as his records have been elusive and as yet, unfound. Soooooooooh, where are his records and his commission info???

One more question: Assuming the Australian’s knew where he was, why wouldn’t they send the Provo’s to pick him up and take him back to Australia for some “husband and father responsibility supervision”?!!


Ian

PS: I have to find the documents and will attach ASAP

[Craven-Harrison]

G’day Colin,

Col there might have been other stuff going on and if we use the connection between Syd Blamey and AEH there was a good possibility but it wasn’t part of the GCM and so wasn’t part of any sentencing, if there had been a custodial sentence handed down his records would have shown it. And the Australian government didn’t know about his location during this period between the GCM and the Correspondence to Nora. If AEH had been a British Officer he might have been executed so in the scheme of things he got off pretty well. The biggest thing to an Aussie was returning home in shame. The Government made quite sure that all men returned to Australia through GCM and VD etc were published in the papers upon their return.

The medical certificate is a formality and required in all cases that may end up in a custodial sentence. If the subject is not fit for jail a mis-trial or appeal could be mounted as the man wasn’t capable for confinement due to infection, Psychological problems, unable to see, unable to walk or a dozen other things. The jail wants fit blokes to work not sick people to sit in a sick bed.

There is nothing said on the medical Certificate that describes explicitly a custodial sentence, only that he was fit for one.

Cheers  Ian

[Craven-Harrison]

G’day,  JDS 1949

You said: 

“What is nagging away is why AEH requested discharge in England on June 13, but it wasn't granted until Aug 28, which happens to be the 1st anniversary of his dismissal. It seems too much of a coincidence to me”

Born: August 28th 1879
Married August 28th 1903 ©
GCM August 28th 1917
Discharged August 28th 1918

Probably more that I don’t know about, perhaps he was an Obsessive Compulsive nutter!!! He may have requested this date……!!

Ian

[Craven-Harrison]

Hi Carole

you said:

"I still think Sydney Blamey's will would be worth hunting down"

I agree, his grandson is undertaking the task of the Will and the Coroners Inquest, it means going to the PROV to view it in hard-copy.He'll let us know the outcome, I'm particulary interested in the note he left after his death

Cheers

Ian

[Craven-Harrison]

Dear all,

I will try to attach the following:

1: Correspondence regarding AE Harrison and TJ Robson
2: AE Harrison pay cards

Ian

[Craven-Harrison]

Dear all,

attached: 

1: picture of AE Harrison's British MIC card that requires some discussion later on.

This card is unusually without normal information and has been thought to be not his actual British Permanent Army Medal Card, but after this last week of discussion I am thinking it just might be.

I had thought it might be some sort of secondment or perhaps something to do with Perham Down, but I am changing my mind after some of the discussion in the last week

2: A list of Harrison Officers from sources unknown, if anybody knows the source please let me know. The AE Harrison listed is confirmed as not my man

Ian

[Redroger]

Another idea doesn't seem to have worked, though I am going to Kew on Wednesday and will see what I can find. I had hoped Holmes was a British General, but unfortunately he was also Australian, so clearly AEH did not enlist in his regiment, or did he? The whole thing might be a giant red herring! As i say, I will look on Wednesday, to see whether I can find a likely candidate, and report back afterwards.

[Craven-Harrison]

G'ay Redroger,

You said: 

I had hoped Holmes was a British General, but unfortunately he was also Australian, so clearly AEH did not enlist in his regiment, or did he?

I think I get what you are meaning, Harrison was a member of Holmes's unit but the unit wasn't an English one, so there would be no British record of this connection

You said:  The whole thing might be a giant red herring!

Yep, it could be , but I don't believe intentionally by the services, it is certainly perplexing, the documents are confusing, but if we are to believe what we are seeing on them, then he did join the British permanent army at some stage between 1917 and 1919. If we are unable to confirm this there will be a valid explanation, and I then believe this will be intentional on Harrison's behalf, in that he has concealed his name intentionally to lead us all on a wild goose chase

Maybe Nora knew his circumstances all along and never told the family because of her emotional pain and embarrisment, apart from her own feelings she had the lives and minds of her 4 children to protect.  Not too good to hear that your dad was actually alive in England, had been Court Martialled for theft and replaced you for another woman (perhaps)

The children never sighted him nor heard from him. I am 30 years divorced myself and just can't imagine being without my dear children who I love more than life itself. How he did that is quite beyond me? and I had always thought that he would have returned to Australia at some point to communicate with them and see how they turned, out at least. "Getting a bit misty here"

He would have been very proud for numerous reasons, Nora did a good job, from a military perspective, in WW2 another Captain, a Sergent and a young Private in the family, apart from just being great kids, smart, loving, respectful and responsible.

Good hunting

Thanks

Ian

[Redroger]

Ian, My thoughts were to the effect that Harrison's enlistment in the British Army might have been the red herring. If there was Masonic influence from the Major General, then I think it is possible that he re-enlisted in the Australian Army as a 2nd Lt. likely under an assumed name. Despite the problem with his court martial then this would at least have the advantage that his accent wouldn't show. I believe a Major General outranks a Lt. General, so had there been any comebacks, then Holmes could have pulled rank. Anyway, Kew on Wednesday, so I shall see what |I can find.
Roger