Not Forgotten, 5104 Sergeant John William HARRIS MM, 4 Pioneer Battalion AIF, World War 1

Sergeant John William Harris, a grocer from Drummond Street in Carlton, Melbourne, was born in Horsham, Victoria the son of John Paul and Mary Jane Harris, storekeepers of Minnivale, and the brother of Arthur Harris who was also killed on active duty in France. John Harris was the husband of Ursula Harris and, while they had a connection with Minnivale through John’s parents, it is unclear whether either John or Ursula ever lived in the Dowerin district.
John Harris enlisted on the 26 January 1916 in Melbourne and was placed in the 4th Pioneer Battalion, embarking from Australia on 1 April 1916 at Melbourne aboard H.M.A.T. A23 Suffolk. On 27 May 1916 John Harris was promoted to the rank of lance corporal, a year later to corporal and on 8 February 1918 John Harris was promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Sergeant Harris’s military career was mixed; he was in trouble for attempting to steal 4 drinking glasses while on active service in August 1917; Sergeant Harris was awarded the Military Medal on 23 July 1918.
The citation for his Military Medal reads that on the night of 8 July 1918 at Vaire Wood, Sergeant Harris was in charge of a working party in an exposed position. On the opening of a sudden and heavy enemy barrage, several of his men became casualties and Sergeant Harris showed conspicuous bravery and complete disregard of personal safety in getting the wounded under cover, and by his example keeping his men steady, thereby minimizing casualties and enabling the work to be completed.
Between 16 March and 26 June 1918 John Harris was detached for duty with the 184th Tunnelling Company. On 6 August 1918 Sergeant Harris died of his wounds and was buried at Vaire Communal Cemetery, one mile east of Corbie in France, outside the cemetery. He was reinterred in the Adelaide Military Cemetery at Villers Bretonneux. The Adelaide Military Cemetery is where the AustralianUnknown Soldier was removed from and re-interred in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
John Harris was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal in addition to his Military Medal. After his death, Sergeant Harris’s widow, Ursula, remarried and became Mrs. Leyden.