Description
Queen’s South Africa, bar Cape Colony, 5496 Private John Harrison, 4th Militia Battalion, Liverpool Regiment, The King’s.
Officially impressed: “5496 Pte J. Harrison Liverpool Regt”
Confirmed on the medal roll. With copy Militia service records.
John Harrison, a young Butcher from Liverpool had signed up for the local Militia (4th Bn Liverpool Regt) just after he turned 18 years old.
On Christmas Eve of 1901 he married Mary Ann Parry in Liverpool, and having only had Christmas and New Years to celebrate, he was immediately mobilised for active service on 6th January 1902, and shipped off to South Africa.
He landed there in mid February and by late April he was dead, having died of wounds “Accidentally received on duty.”
His service papers end on the following note dated 30th April 1902:
“Died of Wounds, accidentally received on duty at Lichtenberg”.
Initial Casualty Reports, dated 28th April “Near Lichtenburg” note “4th Liverpools – 5496 J. Harrison, Severely Wounded, Left Arm.”
During the Boer War, his Militia Battalion of the Liverpool Regiment only had 1 Officers and 5 Men who died on service, including Pte Harrison.
John Harrison was born circa 1883, being an 18 year old Butcher when he signed up with the local Militia.
He had been born and raised in Liverpool, Lancs.
He signed up on 5th June 1901 barely 2 months after he had turned 18.
He did have some “Marks of being caned across the back” when being assessed by the Doctor.
Embodied for service on 6th January 1902, he then embarked for South Africa by 23rd January 1902.
He was dead barely 4 months after he set sail from England, from an Accidental Wound on Duty that lead to his death.
Although barely 19 years old, he left behind a Widow, Mary Ann, who received his Gratuities for the war.
With his mobilisation closing in, John married Mary Ann Parry at St Peters in Liverpool on Christmas Eve of 1901.
He was the son of Robert Harrison a Labourer and his Wife to be, Mary Ann, was the daughter of John Parry, an Engineer, they married on 24th December 1901, with barely any time for a Honeymoon, as soon as the new year began he was sent to South Africa to fight in the war.
The unit that he had served with, The 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia, aka the 4th (2nd Royal Lancashire Militia Battalion) King’s Liverpool Regiment, had been mobilised for active service in the Boer War on 6th January 1902.
They embarked for South Africa with 23 Officers and 677 men under the Command of Lieut Colonel W.H. Hand, arriving at Port Elizabeth on 15th February 1902.
They proceeded to Mafeking and was employed until 6th July on Blockhouse Duty, the Mafeking Defences and LICHTENBERG, Palfontein, Maritzana, and Maribogo, with detachments at Labatzi and Vryburg.
The 4th Battalion Liverpool Regiment would suffer only 1 Officer and 5 other Ranks who were either Killed or Died on Service, making this a rare casualty to this Militia Battalion.
