View source for Jack Harrison (VC)

{{short description|British Army officer VC & MC recipient in WW1 & English rugby league footballer}}
{{other people|Jack Harrison}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
|name             = John Harrison
|honorific_suffix =
|birth_date       = {{birth date|df=y|1890|11|12}}
|death_date       = {{death date and age|df=y|1917|5|3|1890|11|12}}
|birth_place      = [[Kingston upon Hull]], [[East Riding of Yorkshire]], [[England]]
|death_place      = [[Oppy, Pas-de-Calais|Oppy]], [[France]]
|placeofburial    =
|image            = Jack Harrison VC.jpg
|image_size       = 
|caption          =
|nickname         =
|allegiance       = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
|serviceyears     = 1915–1917
|rank             = Second Lieutenant
|branch           = {{army|United Kingdom}}
|commands         = 
|unit             = [[The East Yorkshire Regiment]]
|battles          = [[World War I]]
*[[Battle of Arras (1917)|Battle of Arras]]
**[[Capture of Oppy Wood]]{{KIA}}
|awards           =
{{plainlist|
*[[File:UK Victoria Cross ribbon bar.svg|30px]] [[Victoria Cross]]
*[[File:Military_Cross_ribbon.png|30px]] [[Military Cross]]
}}
|laterwork       =
{{plainlist|
*Teacher
*[[Rugby league]] player
}}
| module = {{Infobox rugby league biography
| embed               = yes
| name                = 
| fullname            = 
| image               = 
| image_size          = 
| caption             = 
| birth_date          = 
| birth_place         = 
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| height              = 
| weight              = 
| retired             = yes
| position            = {{rlp|WG}}
| club1               = [[York Wasps|York]]
| year1start          = 1911
| year1end            = 12
| appearances1        = 5
| tries1              = 3
| goals1              = 0
| fieldgoals1         = 0
| points1             = 9
| club2               = [[Hull F.C.]]
| year2start          = 1912
| year2end            = 16
| appearances2        = 116
| tries2              = 106
| goals2              = 0
| fieldgoals2         = 0
| points2             = 318
| source              = 
}}
}}

'''John Harrison''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|VC|MC}} (12 November 1890 – 3 May 1917) was a professional [[rugby league]] footballer who played for [[Hull F.C.]] He later became a [[British Army|British Army officer]], and was the posthumous recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]] during the [[First World War]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

==Early life==
Harrison was born in [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] on 12 November 1890. His father was a plater and boilermaker in the Earles Shipyard. After leaving school, Harrison studied at St John's College, York (now [[York St John University]]) where he was Rugby club captain and also represented the College at cricket and swimming before becoming a teacher later at Lime Street School in Hull.<ref>''National Union of Teachers War Record, 1914–1919''</ref> In York, he caught the attention of the [[York Wasps|York rugby league club]], and played for them five times in 1911–12, scoring three tries.

He returned to Hull in September 1912 and married Lillian on 1 September 1914. He was invited to join [[Hull F.C.]] which included [[Billy Batten]], and played his first match on 5 September 1912. In 1913–14 season, he scored a record 52 tries and he went on to score a total of 106 tries in 116 matches for Hull up to 1916. Jack Harrison played on the {{rlp|wg}} and scored a [[Try (rugby)|try]] in Hull F.C.'s 6–0 victory over [[Wakefield Trinity]] in the [[1914 Challenge Cup]] Final during the [[1913–14 Northern Rugby Football Union season#Challenge Cup|1913–14 season]] at [[Thrum Hall]], [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]], in front of a crowd of 19,000.<ref name="A complete history of Hull FC's Challenge Cup finals">{{cite news|url=http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/complete-history-Hull-FC-s-Challenge-Cup-finals/story-19692285-detail/story.html|title=A complete history of Hull FC's Challenge Cup finals|newspaper=Hull Daily Mail|date=31 December 2013|access-date=1 January 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203223748/http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/complete-history-Hull-FC-s-Challenge-Cup-finals/story-19692285-detail/story.html|archive-date=3 February 2014}}</ref>

==First World War==
Not long after the birth of his son, Jackie, and while living at 75 Wharncliffe Street, Hull, Harrison volunteered for the army. He started receiving officer training on 4 November 1915,<ref name=hullsweb>[http://www.hullwebs.co.uk/content/k-victorian/people/jack-harrison/jack-harrison.htm Jack Harrison, VC, MC], Hullsweb</ref><ref>Bilton, ''Hull in the Great War'', p. 149.</ref> as a private in the [[Inns of Court Regiment|Inns of Court Officer Training Corps]].<ref name=MedalCard>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=2749832|title=Medal card of Harrison, John|work=DocumentsOnline|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]|format=fee usually required to view full pdf image of medal card|access-date=4 March 2009}}</ref> On completion of training, he was commissioned as a probationary temporary [[second lieutenant]] in the [[East Yorkshire Regiment]] on 5 August 1916,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29720|supp=y|page=8372|date=22 August 1916}}</ref> and was posted to 6 Platoon, [[Hull Pals|11th (Service) Battalion (the Hull Tradesmen)]].<ref name=hullsweb/> In February 1917 the Hull brigade entered the front line once again and Jack was soon in the thick of the action. On 25 February, Harrison led a patrol into [[no man's land]], and for this action he was awarded the [[Military Cross]] (MC).<ref name=hullsweb/><ref>Bilton, ''Hull Pals'', p. 174.</ref><ref name = BiltonApp3>Bilton, ''Hull Pals'', Appendix 3.</ref> The citation for his MC read:

{{blockquote|Temp. 2nd Lt. John Harrison, E. York. R.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He handled his platoon with great courage and skill, reached his objective under the most trying conditions, and captured a prisoner. He set a splendid example throughout.|''[[London Gazette]]''<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30023|supp=y|page=3682|date=17 April 1917}}</ref>}}

[[File:Nash-Oppy Wood.jpg|thumb|''Oppy Wood, 1917. Evening'' by [[John Nash (artist)|John Nash]]]]
On 3 May 1917 came the actions that led to his VC, during the [[Capture of Oppy Wood]] as part of the [[Battle of Arras (1917)|Battle of Arras]]. Ordered, with the rest of his brigade, to attack a wood near [[Oppy, Pas-de-Calais]], his platoon became pinned down by machine gun fire.<ref name=hullsweb/><ref name = BiltonApp3/><ref>Bilton, ''Hull Pals'', p. 189.</ref><ref>Bilton, ''Hull in the Great War'', p. 144.</ref> The citation for his VC describes events in more detail:

{{blockquote|T/2nd Lt. John Harrison, M.C., E. York. R.

For most conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice in an attack.

Owing to darkness and to smoke from the enemy barrage, and from our own, and to the fact that our objective was in a dark wood, it was impossible to see when our barrage had lifted off the enemy front line.

Nevertheless, 2nd Lt. Harrison led his company against the enemy trench under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, but was repulsed. Reorganising his command as best he could in No Man's Land, he again attacked in darkness under terrific fire, but with no success.

Then, turning round, this gallant officer single-handed made a dash at the machine-gun, hoping to knock out the gun and so save the lives of many of his company.

His self-sacrifice and absolute disregard of danger was an inspiring example to all. (he is reported missing, believed killed.)|''London Gazette''<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30130|supp=y|page=5866|date=12 June 1917}}</ref>}}

Harrison's body was never found.  He is commemorated on the [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]] [[Arras Memorial]].<ref>[http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/785562 Harrison, John], [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]]</ref>

==Further information==
Lilian Harrison was presented with his Victoria Cross at Buckingham Palace by [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] in March 1918. The war widow benefitted from a fund raised in Hull to provide for the younger John Harrison’s education. Their son went on to serve as an officer in the [[West Riding Regiment|Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment]] during the [[Second World War]], and was killed as a [[captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] in the [[Battle of Dunkirk|defence of Dunkirk]], and is buried in the Dunkirk town cemetery.<ref name=hullsweb/>

Lillian Harrison died on 5 December 1977, and bequeathed Harrison's medals to the East Yorkshire regimental museum in [[Beverley]] (now part of the Museum of [[The Prince of Wales Own Regiment of Yorkshire#The Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire Museum|Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire Museum]] in Tower St, York).<ref name=hullsweb/><ref>[http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2274921 Harrison, John (junior)], [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]]</ref>

In 2017, York St John alumnus, Patrick H. A. Neal, released his biography of Harrison, ''The Heroic Johnsman: The Story of Jack Harrison VC, MC''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-book-reviews/the-heroic-johnsman-the-story-of-jack-harrison-vc/|title=The Heroic Johnsman: The story of Jack Harrison VC &#124; The Western Front Association|website=Westernfrontassociation.com|access-date=2 February 2023}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* David Bilton, ''Hull Pals, 10th, 11th 12th and 13th Battalions East Yorkshire Regiment – A History of 92 Infantry Brigade, 31st Division'', Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2014, {{ISBN|978-1-78346-185-1}}.
* David Bilton, ''Hull in the Great War 1914–1919'', Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2015, {{ISBN|978-1-47382-314-3}}.
*{{cite book|last=Gliddon|first=Gerald|title=Arras and Messines 1917|series=[[VCs of the First World War]]|year=2012|orig-date=1998|publisher=[[The History Press]]|location=[[Stroud]], [[Gloucestershire]]|isbn=978-0-7524-6604-0}}

{{Hull F.C. - 1914 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Jack}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1917 deaths]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:British military personnel killed in World War I]]
[[Category:Alumni of York St John University]]
[[Category:British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:East Yorkshire Regiment officers]]
[[Category:English rugby league players]]
[[Category:Hull F.C. players]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Kingston upon Hull]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Kingston upon Hull]]
[[Category:Rugby league wingers]]
[[Category:Schoolteachers from Yorkshire]]
[[Category:York Wasps players]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]