Harris, Hubert

3060 Private Hubert Harris - 11th Battalion AIF

Hubert Harris was born in Fremantle WA on the to 1894 to Frank and Fanny Harris. He was one of several siblings; Victoria (1887), Walter (1889), Arthur (1891), Alexa (1892), Claud (1896), Melva (1898), Edward (1903), Alice (1908) and Rosamund (1912). (The family pictured to the right-Hubert was away on army service when the photo was taken so were superimposed into it at a later date)

Hubert grew up in Fremantle with the family living in 32 Francisco Street South Fremantle (now 10 Francisco St) and Hubert was educated in Fremantle. 

During his early years Hubert also served in the 86A Cadets of the Citizens Military Forces.

After leaving school Hubert found work locally as a farm labourer.

On the 21st June 1915 Hubert enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 3 inches tall;

Weight - 133lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Dark;

Eyes - Dark Brown;

Hair - Black.

Upon his successful enlistment Hubert was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.15 Training Depot. He spent a week being taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 1st of July 1915 he was then assigned to the 10th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF.

Hubert trained with this group in WA for the next few months while they waited for their embarkation orders to arrive. These orders finally came through and on the 13th October 1915 Hubert and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Themistocles in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt.

After arriving in Egypt in November 1915, Hubert and his group would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli, but with plans now underway to evacuated that battlefield, Hubert was retained in Egypt. He and his group were sent into the reinforcement camp to await the return of the 11th Battalion from Gallipoli.

The 11th Battalion returned to Egypt early in the new year and Hubert was taken on strength on the 7th January 1916. He then served with them in Egypt for the next two months.

Due to the amount of reinforcements coming from Australia, it was decided by AIF HQ to increase the size of the AIF from two divisions to five. As a result the original 16 battalions would be split in half to form new units. Thus when the 11th Battalion split, one half went on to form a new unit, the 51st Battalion.

On the 29th February 1916 Hubert was transferred to the 51st Battalion. After a few weeks he was then transferred to the 4th Division Artillery but only spent a short time there before being transferred again, this time to the Australian Army Medical Corps. Then on the 29th April Hubert was taken on strength of the 13th Field Ambulance.

However before this unit left Egypt he was returned to the AIF base depot camp. Hubert then traveled to France with the AIF reinforcements and ended up at the Depot Camp at Etaples. 

On the 29th July 1916 in France, Hubert was taken back on strength of the 11th Battalion. He saw action with his unit at Mouquet Fram in August 1916. The Battalion then moved to Belgium for several weeks before returning to the Somme battlefield in late October 1916.

It was reportedly the coldest French winter for decades and the Australians were based on the Somme battlefield for the 1916/17 winter. On the 10th January 1917 Hubert was evacuated with bronchitis but only spent a week away, returning to his unit on the 17th January.

Hubert saw action with the 11th Battalion at Lagnicourt on the 15th April 1917. However six days later on the 21st April Hubert was sent to hospital, the initial reason being 'mental deficiency' but then it was stated he was suffering from a PUO or pyrexia of unknown origin. After six weeks in hospital, Hubert was returned to the Base Depot at Etaples before rejoining the 11th battalion on the 15th June 1917.

Two days later Hubert was again evacuated, this time the cause being pinpointed as epilepsy. Despite this being diagnosed Hubert was able to rejoin the 11th Battalion on the 4th July 1917. On the 17th July 1917 he was again sent to hospital but returned to the 11th Battalion on the 4th August 1917.

Hubert then remained with the 11th Battalion for the next two months, serving with the 11th Battalion during the Third Battle of Ypres, seeing action at the Battle of Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke and Celtic Wood.

On the 13th October 1917, Hubert was sent back to the Base depot at Etaples. It appears his epilepsy had worsened but he stayed at the depot for a month in case his health improved. It appears he did not get any better and it was recommended that Hubert be discharged due to general debility and mental deficiency.

On the 12th November 1917 Hubert was returned to England and was sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. He remained here for the next two months while he waited to be sent home.

On the 11th January 1918 Hubert boarded the transport ship Port Darwin and set sail for home, disembarking in Fremantle on the 26th February 1918.

Hubert was discharged from the AIF on the 29th March 1918.

Hubert Harris died in Fremantle on the 26th August 1967 aged 72. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Jehovah's Witness MON R1 0076.