Highgate School OTC Summer Camp.

Captain Eric Guy Harries, 1/7 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers (name is misspelled as Harris on Gates memorial) was the youngest son of Dr Thomas Harries and Annette Harries of Aberystwyth where he was born in 1892, he had 2 elder brothers and a sister. He had a privileged upbringing, the family lived on Marine Terrace on the sea front at Aberystwyth with servants, including a cook, nurse, house maids and a chauffeur. He attended Highgate School in London – his mother was from London and it would seem he was living with her father in Chelsea. After school he went to Aberystwyth University after which he moved to Oswestry to take up an engineering apprenticeship with Cambrian Railways. At school and university he was in the Officer Training Corps. When he arrived in Oswestry around 1912/13 he joined the 1/7 Bn (Merioneth and Montgomery Yeomanry) RWF Territorials – he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in April 1913 and, at the outbreak of war, was promoted First Lieutenant and then, in April 1915, to Captain. At first he was in charge of the battalion Maxim machine gun section but, when promoted to Captain, was O/C of D Company. The battalion went to the Dardanelles in July 1915.

Captain Eric Guy Harris. Mudros Cemetery

Eric was wounded on 10 August 1915 at Chocolate Hill near to Sulva Bay. This was the third offensive to try and capture the Gallipoli Peninsula – see also Third Battle of Krithia above which was the diversionary action to cover the landings at Sulva Bay. The battalion was part of 158 Brigade 53 (Welsh) Division, they took heavy casualties, especially amongst the officers. As elsewhere the offensive failed and achieved nothing. His commanding officer, Colonel Jelf-Reveley wrote to his parents – ‘ I am proud to say your son’s behaviour on Aug 10 under fire has been most favourably reported on by several officers. He was perfectly cool and led his men like a veteran’. 

Eric was evacuated to the troop and hospital ship SS Euripides where he died of his wounds a week later on 17 August 1915. He is buried at East Mudros Military Cemetery. His 2 brothers were also serving soldiers: the eldest, Lionel, was with the Territorials in Singapore; and Austin at Madras. Both survived the war.  Eric is also commemorated on the war memorials on the seafront at Aberystwyth and at nearby St Michael’s Church. He also appears on Aberystwyth University and Highgate School war memorials, Aberystwth Roll of Honour and on the Cambrian Railways Memorial in Cae Glas Park, Oswestry.

Acknowledgements. Highgate School .

References and Sources

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