Harrison, Thomas Frank

No.4040 Private Thomas Frank Harrison – 16^th Battalion AIF

Thomas Frank Harrison was the older brother of Phillip, having been born in Ballarat Victoria on the 6^th October 1889. As with his brother; Frank came to WA with his family and initially set up residence in Leederville where he and his siblings were educated. However the family then moved to Fremantle where their father Thomas, worked at the Fremantle Naval Stores.

Phillip was killed in action in August 1915 and after news finally came through of his death, Frank, who had been working as a station hand in the north west of WA, decided to enlist in the AIF. On the 15^th October he enlisted at Carnarvon and was passed as fit for service. The medical examiner listed his physical attributes as; 5 feet 9 inches in height; chest measurement of 31-34 inches; medium complexion, greenish eyes and dark hair.

Frank was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.34 Training Depot. It was here that Frank was taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 11^th November 1915 Frank was assigned to the Artillery reinforcements but five days later he was transferred to the 13^th Reinforcements to the 12^th Battalion AIF. He spent nine days with this group but was again transferred, this time to the 12^th Reinforcements to the 16^th Battalion AIF.

Frank had less than a month with this unit in WA as on the 22^nd December 1915 he boarded the HMAT Ajana in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt. The journey to Egypt took three weeks and after being disembarked Frank and his group were sent into the 4^th Training Battalion. The 16^th Battalion had arrived back in Egypt from Gallipoli and soon brought its numbers back to strength however Frank remained in the 4^th Training Battalion for the first two months of 1916. In February 1916 he had a stint in hospital suffering from jaundice.

On the 7^th March 1916 Frank was taken on strength of the 16^th Battalion and he trained with them in Egypt until the end of May 1916. On the 1^st June Frank and his unit boarded the HMT Canada and set sail for France, disembarking in Marseilles several days later. The 16^th Battalion as part of the 4^th Division were sent to the Fleurbaix sector of the Western Front to gain experience in front line conditions. They only had a few weeks here and were then transferred to the Somme front. Frank served with the 16^th Battalion at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in August 1916 and came through unscathed.

In September the Battalion moved to the Belgian front near Ypres though he got into trouble for going absent from a parade and as a result was awarded 7 days of Field Punishment No.2. In October the Battalion returned to the Somme front and Frank served with the 16^th Battalion up to the 8^th January 1917. On this date he was transferred to the 4^th Machine Gun Company and for the next few months Frank served with the machine gunners as they provided fire support to the infantry.

On the 11^th April 1917 the 4^th Machine Gun Company advanced with the infantry into the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt. Many of the Gunners were shot down before they got through the barbed wire defences but Frank made it through into the trench where unfortunately he was soon captured by the Germans.

Frank would spend the remainder of the war as a prisoner of the Germans. He was repatriated to England on the 18^th December 1918 and was granted an extended period of leave. On the 3^rd March 1919 Frank boarded the HMT Euripides and set sail for Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on the 10^th April 1919.

Frank was sent to No.8AGH in Fremantle for a medical check up and after being released from hospital he was discharged from the AIF on the 5^th June 1919.

Frank soon returned to Victoria and in 1924 he applied for a War Service Home Grant where he was residing in Geelong.

However Thomas returned to WA and secured employment at the Sugar Works at Rocky Bay North Fremantle. His job was as a Sugar Refiner. At the time he was living at Stuart Street in Mosman Park.

Tom enlisted again in World War Two (W66686) and served with the Perth Battalion of the Volunteer Defence Corps.

Thomas died in Bicton WA on the 19^th June 1971. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery Methodist Mon B3 0282.