Herbert’s enlistment documents state he was born at Copeland, New South Wales in 1895. No record can be found on NSW BDM. There is however a Harris family with the father named George and mother, Alice (nee Wallis) who’s were marriage was registered at Dungog in 1885 and who likely moved to Stroud after the birth of their first child. The remaining 5 children’s births were registered at Stroud. Of which a Herbert E is the second child, born in 1888.
He schooled at Maitland Boys’ High School, where he spent time in the 14th Battalion Senior Cadets. After leaving school he worked as a clerk before enlisting into ‘D’ Coy, 3rd Battalion on the 27th of August 1914 at Kensington, aged just 19 years 2 months. Although his will gave his mother Alice as the beneficiary, he listed his brother W Harris (William James) of Copeland as Next of Kin in his enlistment documents.
The 3rd Battalion was formed shortly after the war broke out and was among the first Australian units to be sent overseas, arriving in Egypt in December 1914. On the 25thApril 1915 the battalion participated in the landing at Anzac Cove, coming ashore in the second and third waves. On the 7th of May 1915, Herbert was taken on strength at Gallipoli only to be ‘Wounded in Action’ on the 19th of May. He was returned to his unit on the 31st of May and on the 16th of June, was admitted to hospital. On the 24th of June he disembarked for Alexandria, to be admitted to 1st General Hospital in Cairo with influenza. On the 29th of June he was transferred to the convalescent hospital at Helsuan for a day before being discharged to base.
Having returned to the 3rd Battalion at Gallipoli on 13th of July he was again slightly wounded on the 19th with a bullet wound to the arm. He was transferred to a hospital ship on 27th and was again in Cairo on the 4th of August before being moved to Heliopolis on the 10th. On the 2nd of September, he arrived at Ras el Tin Palace at Alexandria to convalesce.
Herbert was discharged to base at Ghezireh on the 24th of November, however on the 3rd of December was admitted to 2 General Hospital with Rheumatism. On the 10th he was transferred to Mena House again with influenza and was discharged to base, Ghezireh on the 17th.
The decision to evacuate Gallipoli was made on the 22nd of November and over 5 nights from the 15th of December 36,000 troops were withdrawn. The 3rd Battalion was evacuated to Egypt again, On the 22nd of December Herbert was transferred to his unit, arriving at Tel el Kebir on the 30th.
The battalion then took part in the defence of the Suez Canal before being sent to France to fight on the Western Front. On the 17th of February Herbert was promoted to Corporal before embarking on the ‘Grampian’ at Alexandria on the 22nd of March arriving at Marseilles on the 28th. While on board Herbert was charged with Neglection of Duty, and being found guilty was reprimanded.
The Field Ambulance Company was responsible for ‘Second Line’ casualty evacuation from ‘First Line’ Regimental Aid Posts (RAP) in each battalion. Herbert again succumbed to a bout of influenza and was taken to 1st Field Ambulance at Bailleul on the 17th of April before being transferred to No 8 Casualty Clearing Station. Herbert went to ‘on command’ on the 16th of June, returning to his unit on the 23rd of June.
Sausage Valley was the scene of desperate fighting in the opening stages of the Somme battle at the beginning of July 1916, and became famous as the main avenue of communications with the Australian zone during the fighting at Pozieres, when it was regarded as one of the busiest thoroughfares on the whole Western Front. Such was the traffic that by July 1916 the valley had lost its covering of grass and become crisscrossed by hundreds of dusty tracks, along which constantly moved troops and transport of all kinds; reserve battalions bivouacked in old trenches and shell-holes; there were dumps of ammunition, rations and engineer’s stores. At the opening stages of the battle, bombardment of the area was relentless and the western approach to the village from Casualty Corner to near the head of Sausage Valley became known as ‘Dead Man’s Road. In the shelter of the valley many British and Australian dead were ‘laid to rest’.
The attack on Fromelles from 19/20th of July 1916 was the first major battle fought by Australian troops on the Western Front. When the troops of the 5th Australian and 61st British Divisions attacked just before 6 pm on 19th, they suffered heavily at the hands of German machine-gunners. By 8am on 20th, the battle was over. The 5th Australian Division suffered 5,533 casualties, rendering it incapable of offensive action for many months; the 61st British Division suffered 1,547. The German casualties were little more than 1,000. The worst 24 hours to date in Australia’s military history had taken place. Herbert who was killed in action on the 20th of July 1916 is one of those buried in the Sausage Valley in the vicinity of Pozieres.
Herbert’s mother Alice received his effects (identity discs) on the 5th of January 1917 and was informed she would be the recipient of a war pension of around £2 per fortnight. Later correspondence by Herbert’s brothers William James and Ernest George were to be the recipients of his medals. Sadly, Stanley, his younger brother who had enlisted with the 18th Battalion on 3rd of August 1915 was “Killed in Action” on the 5th of May 1917 at Bullecourt. To add to the family tragedy, Alice died on the 1st of October 1917 at Stroud.
