Cyril Andrew James Harris

Cyril Andrew James Harris was born on 22nd April 1895 in Corryong, Victoria, to James Harris and Mary Ann, nee Waters. 

On 6th October 1916, Cyril enlisted in the AIF at Melbourne, Victoria. He was 21 at the time. Cyril was given the Regimental Number 3184 and taken on strength with the 25th Reinforcements of the 8th Light Horse. When Cyril enlisted, he was single and working as a carpenter. On his last leave, before he went off to war, he went home and helped with the harvest. After that, he was to be sent off to Egypt.

When Cyril enlisted, he was 5 feet, 5 inches tall (168 cm), and weighed 129 lbs (59 kg). He had blue eyes, dark hair, and a dark complexion. Cyril was Presbyterian at the time of enlistment. Records show that Cyril had a distinctive mole on his right breast.

Cyril left Australia on 6th February 1917, embarking at Sydney, NSW, on the RMS Karmala. He arrived at Port Suez (Suez Canal) on 11th March, 1917. He marched into Details Camp, Moascar, at 10.00 pm that night. The following day, the unit was put into tents and issued with rifles. Between March 13th and 18th, he started practising drills, while the week after that saw him practising shooting muskets. Finally, on March 26th, he conducted bayonet-fighting drills. On April 18th, the troopers chose their horses and continued with mounted work.

On April 21st, Cyril was admitted to hospital as he was not feeling too well. He remained there until the 25th April. On 8th May, he left Moascar to join the 8th Light Horse Regiment. May 15th was Cyril’s first time under fire. In his diary, he recorded the dates and events. On May 30th, he began a stunt.:

“May 30th. 7 o’clock started out on a stunt to try and burn the crops that the Turks were harvesting. 12 pm, about 6 miles past Tel-el-Jimmy, where we stopped until daybreak, when we moved another 4 miles, we came to the crops, but  before we could do much, Turkish shell fire got too heavy, which made us retire back. We reached camp at 10 o’clock pm.”

Cyril served in 2 units. He first served in the 8th Light Horse, then was transferred to the 3rd Light Horse for a period of time, before being transferred back to the 8th Light Horse. He ranked from Private to Trooper.

Cyril also wrote about another interesting stunt:

“May 22nd, at 3 o’clock pm, started out on a stunt, went out as far as El Buggar that night, getting there an hour before daybreak.

May 25th, then moving up a little and took up a position for the day, about 5 miles from Gaza, at 4 o’clock pm, started back going as far as The Waddie that night, getting there at 12 o’clock pm, where we linked up to feed the horses and had a couple of hours sleep, when we moved off again at 3 o’clock am, for the beach. Arrived there at 9.00 am,May 24, That stunt was too keep watch on the Turks, while the engineers blew up the bridge between Maghdalaba and Beersheba.”

On July 5th, Cyril was admitted into the field hospital with a sprained knee; he had been kicked in the knee by a horse. Cyril also got shell wounds to his scalp. When he was coming back to Australia, on 25th November, he was admitted to the ship's hospital with malaria. Although he was only kept there for one day.

Some of the events Cyril recorded in his diary included:

“July 3rd,at 12 o’clock pm started out for a day’s observations, put in next day a few miles out past El-buggar. Got shelled. Got back at night.

July 5th, went into Field Hospital with knee sprained on July 1st. 

July 6th, at 6 o’clock am, went by field motor, 2 miles to catch train for Rafa. Arrived at Rafa, at 7.30pm. Stopped in Rafa Hospital for the night.

July 7th,at 2 o’clock pm left for El-Arish, by train, arrived at 5.30pm and stopped in El-Arish Hospital for the night.

July 8th,at 8 o’clock am, left for Thantara by train, arrived at 3 o’clock pm, and went into Thantara Hospital for a day.

July 10th,at 8.30 am left by train for Cairo and arrived at 14, ed. G.H, at 12 o’clock am, and was put into ward by G.G. Had a few days bed with knee in splint.

July 23rd,went on Red Cross trip to Ma’adi, took train to the Nile River, where we got a boat, and sailed down to Ma’adi, where we were given a drink of tea in the gardens, went back the same way.

July 24th,got the hospital leave into Cairo.

July 28th,got discharged from 14 ct. G.H, and went to No 7 Convalescent Hospital at Montassah, near Alexandria.

August 13th, 1917,Came out of Convalescent and went into details, Moascar, done a little drills and camp duties for a few days.”

Cyril returned to Australia, embarking in England on 8th October 1919 on the SS Port Devon. He was discharged on 17th February, 1920. For his service during the war, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Cyril came back from the war but, sadly, died just a few years later. He and his fiancée (Jessie Dorman) went on a plane joyride at Port Melbourne in late May of 1921. Unfortunately, the plane crashed. The pilot, Hubert Ross, was killed outright, while Cyril died of his injuries. Jessie received serious injuries and died later in hospital.

Cyril was laid to rest in the Corryong Cemetery.

Written and researched by Bella McKimmie, Corryong College