Ernest Harrison, the son of Frederick and Emma Harrison, was born in Polstead, Suffolk in 1896. In 1911, he was living with his family in West Bergholt, working as an errand boy. His grandparents, Walter and Harriet Harrison lived at 83 The Street, Melton.

Ernest joined the army at the beginning of 1914, joining the 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. He was posted to France with them on 23rd November 1914 – around the time of his eighteenth birthday. He was then transferred to the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment and shipped out to join them on the Gallipoli Peninsular. The war diary of the 1st Essex Regiment reported that on 10th June 1915, a draft of seven officers and two hundred and thirty-nine OR (Other Ranks) joined the battalion – one of these was probably Ernest.

The battalion spent most of their time on the front line in Gallipoli, with little relief until 11th July, when they were sent back to the island of Lemnos for some rest. They soon returned to Gully Beach on the 28th of the same month.

On 6th August 1915, Ernest’s battalion was ordered to assault and take Hiza Hiz and the nearby trenches under construction to the northeast of it. The attack started at 14:30, with an artillery bombardment of the Turkish trenches. The war diary describes the events:

“2:30 pm: The Turks commenced shelling our trenches with shrapnel shells causing a certain number of casualties; they also shelled reserve trenches with high explosives and shrapnel. 3:50 pm: The infantry advanced, the Turks at once pouring in heavy shrapnel fire as they got out of the trenches. The battalion advanced in two lines “W” coy on the left, “Z” in the centre, “Y” on the left with “X Coy in reserve. Companies providing their own support. The first trench was taken with little difficulty, when they came under very heavy rifle fire and were still under heavy shrapnel fire. The Companies were now so weak that, on the Turk’s counter attacking with bombs and bayonets, they were too weak to hold the captured trenches and were driven back. At daybreak the Battalion was withdrawn from the trenches and moved to Gully Beach. Casualties were heavy.”

On that day, six officers were killed, and seven were missing. The number of casualties within the ranks was higher. Forty-four were killed, two hundred and two wounded and one hundred and seventy-three missing – almost half the battalion.

Ernest was one of those wounded, having received a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was taken off Gully Beach for treatment on board the Hospital Ship Assaye. Sadly, Ernest died at 16:30 the next day and was buried at sea. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial and Ipswich War Memorial in Christchurch Park. For his war service, Ernest received the 1914-15 Star and the British War and Victory Medals.

Further information about Ernest can be found on the Ipswich War Memorial website here.