Private Garnet Hoult Harrison
| Date of Birth | c1884 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 32 |
| Date of Death | 16 August 1917 |
| Service Number | G/24897 |
| Military Service | 16th Batallion Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment |
| Merton Address | “Chase Side”, 501 Kingston Road, Raynes Park |
| Local Memorial | St. Saviour’s Church, Raynes Park |
Additional Information
Garnet Harrison was the son of Edward Hoult Harrison, an oyster dredger, and his wife Emily of Whitstable in Kent. He was born in Whitstable c1884. By 1901 he was one of eight children. The family lived at 1 Sydenham Street, Whitstable. His siblings were George (24), Edward (22), Florence (19) Ivy (14) Irving (12) Alice (9) and Leslie (5). Now 17, Garnet worked as an assistant in an oil store. George worked with his father. Edward was a carpenter, Florence a nurse, Ivy a domestic servant and Irving an errand boy.
At the end of 1911 Garnet was married in Islington to Eleanor E A Buckmaster. They had a daughter Elsie Irene born on 9th July 1914. At this point they were living at 94 Alexandra Park Road in Haringey and Garnet was working as a manager.
It’s not clear when the family moved to Merton but according to Kelly’s Directory he was living at 501 Kingston Road in 1915/16. There was no entry in the directory for him prior to this. He enlisted in Kingston and served in the 16th Battalion Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment. He was killed in action in the Western European Theatre (France or Belgium)) on 16th August 1917.
Private Harrison is buried in the Artillery Wood Cemetery in West Vlaanderen in Belgium. An inscription on this gravestone reads ‘to the memory of my dearest husband who died for freedom and honour’. He is also remembered on the memorial at St. Saviour’s Church in Raynes Park.