540:
which broke his jaw and knocked him senseless. Recovering consciousness he proceeded on to the Mole and took over command of his party, who were attacking the seaward end of the Mole. The silencing of the guns on the Mole head was of the first importance, and though in a position fully exposed to the enemy's machine-gun fire Lieut.-Commander
Harrison gathered his men together and led them to the attack. He was killed at the head of his men, all of whom were either killed or wounded. Lieut.-Commander Harrison, though already severely wounded and undoubtedly in great pain, displayed indomitable resolution and courage of the highest order in pressing his attack, knowing as he did that any delay in silencing the guns might jeopardise the main object of the expedition, i.e., the blocking of the Zeebrugge-Bruges Canal.
116:
195:
186:
96:
333:
539:
For most conspicuous gallantry at
Zeebrugge on the night of the 22nd-23rd April, 1918. This officer was in immediate command of the Naval Storming Parties embarked in 'Vindictive'. Immediately before coming alongside the Mole Lieut.-Commander Harrison was struck on the head by a fragment of a shell
544:
His body was never recovered. He, along with three others who were missing in action on the
Zeebrugge raid, are commemorated on the Zeebrugge Memorial, at the Zeebrugge Churchyard. He is also commemorated by a brass plaque, mounted in the Warrior Chapel at St Mary's Wimbledon.
40:
585:
808:
528:
was fitted with howitzers, flame-throwers and mortars so she could be used against the German defenders and as well as naval raiding parties carried two infantry companies of the 4th
Battalion,
803:
848:
813:
513:
was an attack in April 1918 on the
Belgian port of Zeebrugge to stop it being a base for German submarines. The raid was two actions: landing raiding parties on the
833:
736:
828:
823:
853:
843:
818:
730:
759:
490:
442:
311:
20:
264:
775:
563:
His mother
Adelaide Ellen Harrison, who lived in Wimbledon, London, received the VC and in 1967 relatives donated it to the
858:
564:
426:
838:
714:
494:
529:
365:
453:
406:
198:
580:
268:
518:
146:
401:, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
354:
445:. He is the only England rugby union international to have been awarded the VC. Rugby league namesake
798:
793:
724:
469:
514:
348:
691:
657:
696:
662:
446:
362:
433:. At school Harrison was a tremendous all-round games player and, whilst in the Navy, he played
710:
524:
and two ferries and the sinking of three old ships in the entrance of the harbour to block it.
194:
185:
755:
498:
568:
466:
462:
168:
39:
604:
548:
483:
456:
139:
332:
510:
402:
398:
386:
370:
189:
164:
101:
787:
676:
586:
List of international rugby union players killed in action during the First World War
430:
615:
474:
which was in the last stages of completion before her first commission in
November.
434:
394:
159:
390:
121:
79:
418:
83:
59:
438:
465:. The following month it was reported that he would be lent to the
422:
63:
555:
was also awarded a posthumous VC for his actions in the raid.
452:
On 15 September 1902 he was posted as a naval cadet to the
16:
VC recipient & England international rugby union player
389:(3 February 1886 – 23 April 1918) was an English
646:. No. 36901. London. 17 October 1902. p. 8.
809:
British World War I recipients of the
Victoria Cross
666:(Supplement). 15 September 1916. pp. 9063–9083.
631:. No. 36855. London. 25 August 1902. p. 8.
429:, where he is remembered every Armistice Day and at
307:
285:
280:
260:
238:
233:
223:
214:
180:
155:
135:
127:
107:
89:
69:
46:
30:
752:The Final Whistle The Great War in Fifteen Players
804:British military personnel killed in World War I
700:(Supplement). 14 March 1919. pp. 3590–3591.
537:
449:was also awarded the VC posthumously in 1917.
8:
779:(unveiling of a memorial and action account)
210:
19:For other people named Arthur Harrison, see
849:Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross
551:who led the raiding parties from the ferry
737:VCs of the First World War - The Naval VCs
501:in 1916, and was mentioned in despatches
489:for most of the war, seeing action at the
220:
209:
38:
27:
814:England international rugby union players
331:
597:
376:MECHANIC SECOND CLASS F/50269 ROUSE J.
336:Zeebrugge Memorial. Inscription reads:
642:"Naval & Military Intelligence".
627:"Naval & Military Intelligence".
535:The official citation for the award:
7:
686:
684:
369:LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HARRISON A. L.
497:in 1915. He also saw action at the
482:He served aboard the battlecruiser
834:Royal Navy officers of World War I
731:The Register of the Victoria Cross
345:AND ONE MECHANIC OF THE ROYAL NAVY
14:
443:England national rugby union team
829:Rugby union players from Torquay
824:People educated at Dover College
193:
184:
114:
94:
21:Arthur Harrison (disambiguation)
754:. New York: The History Press.
571:where it is on public display.
854:Royal Navy rugby union players
265:United Services Portsmouth RFC
1:
844:Military personnel from Devon
565:Britannia Royal Naval College
427:Brockhurst Preparatory School
715:Lives of the First World War
819:English rugby union players
530:Royal Marine Light Infantry
875:
517:from the obsolete cruiser
491:battle of Heligoland Bight
454:pre-dreadnought battleship
374:LIEUTENANT HAWKINGS C.E.V.
18:
228:
219:
204:
37:
750:Cooper, Stephen (2012).
739:(Stephen Snelling, 2002)
711:Arthur Leyland Harrison
383:Arthur Leyland Harrison
199:Mentioned in dispatches
32:Arthur Leyland Harrison
581:Albert Edward McKenzie
542:
378:
269:Royal Navy Rugby Union
616:Rugby History Society
495:battle of Dogger Bank
417:Harrison was born in
381:Lieutenant-Commander
335:
859:Rugby union forwards
733:(This England, 1997)
727:(David Harvey, 1999)
725:Monuments to Courage
605:profile at scrum.com
343:THESE THREE OFFICERS
281:International career
131:Lieutenant-Commander
839:Royal Navy officers
339:TO THE GLORY OF GOD
211:
697:The London Gazette
663:The London Gazette
425:, and educated at
379:
215:Rugby union career
499:Battle of Jutland
461:, serving in the
397:recipient of the
330:
329:
326:
325:
322:
321:
866:
765:
717:
708:
702:
701:
688:
679:
674:
668:
667:
654:
648:
647:
639:
633:
632:
624:
618:
613:
607:
602:
569:Dartmouth, Devon
467:armoured cruiser
463:Channel Squadron
347:WHO FELL ON THE
341:AND IN MEMORY OF
271:
221:
212:
197:
188:
173:
120:
118:
117:
109:
100:
98:
97:
76:
56:
54:
42:
28:
874:
873:
869:
868:
867:
865:
864:
863:
784:
783:
772:
762:
749:
746:
744:Further reading
721:
720:
709:
705:
690:
689:
682:
675:
671:
656:
655:
651:
641:
640:
636:
626:
625:
621:
614:
610:
603:
599:
594:
577:
561:
549:George Bradford
507:
480:
478:First World War
415:
377:
375:
373:
368:
361:WING COMMANDER
360:
358:
355:ST GEORGE'S DAY
352:
346:
344:
342:
340:
337:
267:
263:
208:
192:
169:
145:
115:
113:
95:
93:
78:
74:
58:
57:3 February 1886
52:
50:
33:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
872:
870:
862:
861:
856:
851:
846:
841:
836:
831:
826:
821:
816:
811:
806:
801:
796:
786:
785:
782:
781:
771:
770:External links
768:
767:
766:
760:
745:
742:
741:
740:
734:
728:
719:
718:
703:
680:
669:
649:
634:
619:
608:
596:
595:
593:
590:
589:
588:
583:
576:
573:
560:
557:
511:Zeebrugge Raid
506:
505:Zeebrugge raid
503:
479:
476:
441:twice for the
414:
411:
399:Victoria Cross
359:NO KNOWN GRAVE
338:
328:
327:
324:
323:
320:
319:
317:
314:
309:
305:
304:
299:
294:
289:
283:
282:
278:
277:
274:
272:
261:
258:
257:
252:
247:
242:
236:
235:
231:
230:
227:
217:
216:
206:
202:
201:
190:Victoria Cross
182:
178:
177:
176:
175:
165:Zeebrugge Raid
157:
153:
152:
137:
133:
132:
129:
125:
124:
111:
105:
104:
102:United Kingdom
91:
87:
86:
77:(aged 32)
71:
67:
66:
48:
44:
43:
35:
34:
31:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
871:
860:
857:
855:
852:
850:
847:
845:
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
830:
827:
825:
822:
820:
817:
815:
812:
810:
807:
805:
802:
800:
797:
795:
792:
791:
789:
780:
777:
774:
773:
769:
763:
761:9780752481241
757:
753:
748:
747:
743:
738:
735:
732:
729:
726:
723:
722:
716:
712:
707:
704:
699:
698:
693:
687:
685:
681:
678:
673:
670:
665:
664:
659:
653:
650:
645:
638:
635:
630:
623:
620:
617:
612:
609:
606:
601:
598:
591:
587:
584:
582:
579:
578:
574:
572:
570:
566:
558:
556:
554:
550:
546:
541:
536:
533:
531:
527:
523:
522:
516:
512:
504:
502:
500:
496:
492:
488:
487:
477:
475:
473:
472:
468:
464:
460:
459:
455:
450:
448:
447:Jack Harrison
444:
440:
436:
432:
431:Dover College
428:
424:
420:
412:
410:
408:
404:
400:
396:
393:officer, and
392:
388:
384:
372:
367:
364:
357:1918 AND HAVE
356:
350:
334:
318:
315:
313:
310:
306:
303:
300:
298:
295:
293:
290:
288:
284:
279:
275:
273:
270:
266:
262:
259:
256:
253:
251:
248:
246:
243:
241:
237:
234:Senior career
232:
226:
222:
218:
213:
203:
200:
196:
191:
187:
183:
179:
174:
172:
166:
163:
162:
161:
158:
154:
151:
150:
144:
143:
138:
134:
130:
126:
123:
112:
106:
103:
92:
88:
85:
81:
73:23 April 1918
72:
68:
65:
61:
49:
45:
41:
36:
29:
26:
22:
778:
751:
706:
695:
672:
661:
652:
643:
637:
628:
622:
611:
600:
562:
552:
547:
543:
538:
534:
525:
520:
508:
493:in 1914 and
485:
481:
470:
457:
451:
416:
407:Commonwealth
382:
380:
351:AT ZEEBRUGGE
301:
296:
291:
286:
254:
249:
244:
239:
224:
207:Rugby player
170:
156:Battles/wars
148:
141:
75:(1918-04-23)
25:
799:1918 deaths
794:1886 births
692:"No. 31236"
658:"No. 29751"
435:rugby union
395:World War I
363:BROCK F. A.
225:Position(s)
160:World War I
788:Categories
677:CWGC entry
592:References
526:Vindictive
521:Vindictive
413:Early life
391:Royal Navy
149:Vindictive
122:Royal Navy
90:Allegiance
53:1886-02-03
776:News Item
644:The Times
629:The Times
559:The Medal
471:Good Hope
80:Zeebrugge
575:See also
437:and was
409:forces.
302:(Points)
255:(Points)
108:Service/
553:Iris II
419:Torquay
403:British
312:England
229:Forward
171:†
84:Belgium
60:Torquay
758:
439:capped
366:O.B.E.
181:Awards
167:
119:
110:branch
99:
423:Devon
287:Years
240:Years
64:Devon
756:ISBN
519:HMS
515:mole
509:The
486:Lion
484:HMS
458:Mars
405:and
371:V.C.
349:MOLE
308:1914
297:Apps
292:Team
250:Apps
245:Team
205:----
147:HMS
142:Lion
140:HMS
136:Unit
128:Rank
70:Died
47:Born
713:on
532:.
353:ON
790::
694:.
683:^
660:.
567:,
421:,
387:VC
385:,
276:()
82:,
62:,
764:.
316:2
55:)
51:(
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
