In order to prepare for their upcoming journey to France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, students from across Canada research the life and death of a particular soldier in order to better understand and relate to the circumstances faced by so many young men and their families. Researching primary documents found online, the students provided brief biographies of these extraordinary men. Here is one such project:
Soldier project: Ebenezer Harrison
By: Isabelle A., Explorica traveller
When Ebenezer Harrison was born in 1881, in Haydock, a small village in central England, nobody could have imagined the path that his life would take him on. He had brown hair and brown eyes and was one of the middle children in a large family that included siblings Thomas, Arthur, Noah, Moses, and Mary, and parents Henry and Elizabeth. When he got older, he joined a number of English people, including his sister Mary, in the emigration to Canada. He lived in Vancouver with his sister at the outbreak of World War I but later moved to Vernon, where he first worked as a grocery clerk. On September 28th, 1915, when he was 33 years old, he enlisted in the army. Many Canadians of English descent, particularly the ones who were born in England, felt a duty to defend their homeland, along with their new home, Canada; Ebenezer most likely enlisted for the same reasons.
7th (1st BC) Battalion, Canadian infantry C.E.F. on inspection parade, 1917
Once he enlisted, he was moved to Vancouver where he was examined, found to be in fit physical condition, and trained over the next six months as part of the 62nd battalion of the 1st Canadian Division. He departed Canada from Halifax aboard the S.S. Baltic and arrived in England on April 10th, 1916, one year before the battle of Vimy Ridge was to take place. Over the course of the next year, Ebenezer was transferred to two different battalions; the 30th first, then the 7th Battalion, which he joined in October of 1916 and stayed in for the rest of his time serving. Within the 7th Battalion, he would have encountered many familiar faces from British Columbia, as the regiment he joined was also known as the First British Columbia Regiment. He would have participated in a number of battles throughout the cold winter of 1916-17, including the battle of Ancre, but was not wounded or taken out of battle during any of them.
The battle of Vimy Ridge began April 9th, 1917. Ebenezer’s 1st Canadian Division advanced on the enemy positions. On the first day, the Division reached their first objective, the Black Line, then later in the morning reached their second objective, the Red Line, Ebenezer survived through that. On April tenth, they reached the Blue Line in the morning, and the Brown Line in the afternoon, Ebenezer again fought through that. On April 11th, the Canadians reinforced their positions and prepared to attack “the Pimple” (a fortified high point under German control). The Canadians, in their final push, advanced on the Pimple on April 12th, where Ebenezer was struck by a shell and was killed instantly on the battlefield.
Ebenezer was one of the 3598 Canadian soldiers who gave their lives in battle during the four days of fierce fighting during the battle of Vimy Ridge. Private Ebenezer Harrison died at 36 years and was buried at Arras Road Cemetery in Pas De Calais, France.