The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Jennings Imrie Harris, 5th Light Horse Regiment, First World War.

Places
Accession Number AWM2021.1.1.8
Collection type Film
Object type Last Post film
Physical description 16:9
Maker Australian War Memorial
Place made Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Campbell
Date made 8 January 2021
Access Open
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
Creative Commons License This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Copying Provisions Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Description

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Criag Berelle, the story for this day was on Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Jennings Imrie Harris, 5th Light Horse Regiment, First World War.

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Speech transcript

Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Jennings Imrie Harris, 5th Light Horse Regiment
KIA 31 July 1915

Today we remember and pay tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Jennings Imrie Harris.

Hubert Harris was born on 19 January 1871 to Alfred and Jessie Harris. Hubert was born in Dalby, where his father had a business as a stock agent. Alfred later moved his family to Brisbane, where took up business as a station produce agent and part-time stock broker. Hubert attended school in Brisbane, eventually attending Brisbane Grammar School, and went on to become an accountant and the secretary of the Queensland Ambulance Brigade. He also spent some time working in the position of collector and organiser for the Brisbane General Hospital. On 30 November 1898 he married Leila O’Mahoney, and they had two daughters and a son. Like his father, Hubert was an active member of the local Masonic lodge.

Also like his father, who rose to the rank of major in local regiment, Harris was very interested in military matters. He served with the Brisbane Grammar School cadets, and went on to become a bugler in the Queensland Rifles. In 1900 he volunteered for service with the Queensland Mounted Infantry and went to war in South Africa as a lieutenant. He saw considerable action and proved a capable soldier, and by the following year had been promoted to captain.

Following his return from the war, Harris retained his association with the Light Horse in Queensland, serving as adjutant and later commanding officer of the 13th Regiment for some time. Following the outbreak of war in 1914, Hubert Harris was appointed commanding officer of the 5th Light Horse Regiment and shortly afterwards left Australia for active service overseas. He first took his regiment to Egypt, where they continued training in the desert.

Although initially considered unsuitable for conditions on Gallipoli, the light horse were soon called on to leave their horses behind and reinforce the infantry there, following the heavy casualties of the landing and subsequent days. The 5th Light Horse landed in late May 1915.

On 28 June 1915, Harris received hurried orders to attack a Turkish position known as the Balkan Gun Pits as part of an operation to prevent enemy troops from being withdrawn. Harris later wrote, “Our casualties were, I regret to say, heavy, but the object was achieved, and my regiment received a great deal of kudos for its part in the show.” Birdwood himself said the operation’s “successful conduct reflects credit upon Lieutenant Colonel H. Harris, who directed the action.”

A month later the 5th Light Horse Regiment was called on to participate in another small operation, this time to attack Turkish trenches in front of a position known as Tasmania Post. At 10 pm on 31 July 1915, Lieutenant Colonel Harris took a position in a machine-gun observation post. As the operation went ahead, there was a “wild fusillade” of fire from the Turkish riflemen. One bullet managed to come through a loophole and struck Harris in the neck. The 5th Light Horse Regiment’s only casualty of the fight, he died within minutes.

It was reported in Queensland that “no more popular officer has ever left this state. Both in civil and military life [Harris] won for himself, by his geniality and good nature, a host of friends, by whom the keenest regret will be expressed at the passing of so brave and gallant a gentleman.” Hubert Harris was buried in Shell Green Cemetery on Gallipoli by his comrades the following night. As the earth filled his grave, a brigadier was heard to say, “The brigade has lost a gallant officer, and Australia a patriot.”

Hubert Harris was 44 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Jennings Imrie Harris, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section

  • Video of The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Jennings Imrie Harris, 5th Light Horse Regiment, First World War. (video)