HARRISON, Edward William


No.5828522, Lance Corporal, Edward William HARRISON
Aged 24


287 Field Company, Royal Engineers
formerly Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Monday, 26th January 1942


Edward William Harrison was born in 1917 (Cosford Q2-1917 4A:1408), son of Charles A [1886] and Ella L HARRISON [1897] (née COLLINS) later of Steeple Bumpstead His parents and brother Robert (Linton Q2-1921) were at Mill House, Steeple Bumpstead in 1939. Younger brother Norman (Cosford Q2-1919 was probably serving in the Army). It is likely that Evleyn M HARRISON (Cosford Q3-1915) was his sister. More siblings appear to have been born after the family moved to the Linton area about 1920.

He married Phyllis Alice SMITH in 1941 (North Walsham Q4-1941) not long before sailing to Singapore. She later moved to Pitlochry, Perthshire.


In October 1941 the 18th Division was preparing to move overseas and left the United Kingdom on 28 October, originally intending to be sent to the Middle East but, after the Japanese entered the war, was diverted to the Far East instead and was sent to Singapore.
The USS 'Mount Vernon' (the peacetime SS 'Washington') with 53rd Infantry Brigade docked at the Singapore Naval Base on 13 January 1942.
287th Field Company fought in Johore and lost 21 other ranks (ORs) killed in action or died of wounds, eight taken POW and imprisoned in Pudu Jail, Kuala Lumpur and at least one, Corporal R C Tall, missing. During the fighting on the island, the 287th suffered a further five fatalities



photo from asiawargraves.com

Edward Harrison is commemorated on the Singapore memorial, column 39

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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