Contributed by Ron Inglis, October 2021:
The work of finding bodies, identifying them and transferring them to an honoured burial in a military cemetery continued for decades after the First World War. In 1928, Denah Harris received the below letter from AIF Base Records about her husband, Private William Harris, who had died 12 years earlier:
"Dear Madam
With reference to the report of the regrettable loss of your husband, the late No. 3815 Private W.H. HARRIS, 2nd. Battalion, I am now in receipt of advice that during the course of exhumation work in the vicinity of Pozières the Imperial War Graves Commission was successful in recovering the remains of this soldier which have since been interred with every measure of care and reverence in Plot 19, Row “E”, Grave 9 of SERRE ROAD CEMETERY NO. 2, situated near Beaumont Hamel, France, where a permanent headstone of uniform design will be erected and engraved with his full regimental description and date of death, together with any verse or epitaph previously selected in the form of a personal inscription."
William Henry Harris, 35, lived with his wife and two children, Charles William and Marion Isabel, at 49 Park Road, Auburn. A railway shunter, born in Balmain, Harris enlisted at Holsworthy on 8 October 1915. Sailing to Egypt, then on to France, Harris marched into the 2nd Battalion on 25 May 1916. He was killed in action on 23 July 1916, the first day of the Australian attack at the French village of Pozières.
For her children, Denah Harris was granted pensions for Charles William (￡1 p.f.) and Marion Isabel (15 shillings p.f.). In 1922, Denah received her husband’s medals, memorial plaque and memorial scroll.
William Harris is honoured on the following memorials in Australia:
- Auburn War Memorial
- Municipality of Auburn 1914-1919 Honour Roll
- NSW Government Railways & Tramways First World War Honour Roll, Central Station
- Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial Canberra
His decorations:
- British War Medal
- 1914-20 Victory Medal
