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Name: HARRISON, Edgar Garston CB, DSO (Lieut.-Col.)

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Nee: known as 'Pygmy', son of Daniel Harrison of The Abbey, Staveley, Kendal. Cousin of James Kay Maberly Harrison and Charles Newton Maberly Harrison

Birth Date: 11.5.1863 Kendal

Death Date: 22.6.1947 Kendal

Nationality: British

First Date: 1895

Profession: Seconded to KAR 1895. Trekked upcountry before railway built

Author: Further Bookref: EAHB 1904, EAHB 1907, Chandler, Web

Book Reference: Gillett, Cuckoo, Ainsworth, Permanent Way, Watt, Lloyd-Jones, Moyse, Empire, Adventurers, Cranworth, Kenya Diary, Tucker, White Man, Debrett, EAHB 1905, EAS, Hut, North, mini-SITREP XIV, EA Diary 19, Land, Pioneers, EAHB 1906, Harmony, DSO, EA Diary 1902

War Service: Various operations against Mazrui rebels and other engagements. 1st Battn. West Riding Regiment

School: Haileybury

General Information:

Permanent Way - 'About May of 1896 a company of Sudanese troops, under Captain E.G. Harrison, arrived from the coast [at Machakos] ...........sent to Uganda from Ravine during the Sudanese mutiny in November 1897 with 135 men and a Maxim.  
Sitrep 6 - Africa General Service Medal 1902-56 - Nandi 1905-06 - This bar was awarded for service in Nandi country under Lt. Col. E.G. Harrison, DSO (RO), Maj. Walker (RF) and Capt. MacKay (Seaforths). Regiments present: 1,3,4, KAR and EA Police Force. Medals are known to an officer of the 'Mombasa Defence Force' and Capt. B.R. Graham, QO Corps of Guides.  
Moyse - 1897 - W. Riding Regt. - at the investment of Luba's during the mutiny ......... 1898 - puruing the mutineers ... .at Machako's in command of Ukamba Military District ............... commanded the punitive expedition of the large Nandi Field Force of 1905 ................ at end of 1901 Major Harrison asumed command at Yonte. MacDougall, the sub-commissioner of the Province, was due to leave Kismayu in 1902 and Harrison had been told to take over his duties ......   Imported 1st couple foxhounds to EA 1900   
Empire - In the quite early days of settlement, drafts of hounds were brought over from England, and as early as 1902 we find Lt.-Col. Harrison - who was in command of the KAR battalion stationed at Nairobi - as Master of a pack of hounds. The usual quarry was the jackal …   
Cranworth - 1906 - Colonel Harrison, who had just completed his most successful KAR command and had taken up land - completed EA service in 1906 - when War broke out he joined up as a subaltern, went out to France and reattained the rank of Captain in the trenches.  
Kenya Diary - 1902 - Harrison (Col. E.G. Harrison, DSO who later distinguished himself in WW1) is second-in-command and is in charge of a large detachment in Jubaland. ............ Feb. 1903 - Major E.G. Harrison has arrived from Jubaland. He takes over from Col. Hatch in April next. ..... Harrison seems a different type of man, with energy, common sense and humour. I like the look of him. ....... 8th April 1903 - On 5th Col. and Mrs Hatch left Nairobi and Major Harrison assumed command of the 3rd battalion. Thank God we have a first-class man. Harrison distinguished himself in the Uganda Mutiny and is the right type of soldeir for these parts. He delegates responsibility, is very firm yet considerate, and stands no nonsense from anyone. And I flatter myself that he likes me, which is more than most people do. .............. 21st July 1904 - The Nairobi Races took place today amid much gaiety. Harrison won the KAR Cup and the Machakos Cup with his Arab horse 'Sheikh'.  
Letter from J.P. Cooper - ' ...... Uganda Mutiny ..... He had been stationed at Machakos and ordered to march with his company of the EA Rifles to help quell the Mutiny in Uganda. The border in those days between Uganda and what is today Kenya was at Naivasha. He marched from Machakos to Jinja in 21 days fighting two actions on the way, at Ravine and Mumias. Later sent towards the Sudan he fought several actions during one of which a militant missionary, Pilkington of the glass family, was killed I believe. He finally rounded up the remains of Emin Pasha's army of a decade earlier who were exercising a sort of minor tyranny over the district and marched them down to Nairobi where they were given the option of serving under the British Crown or being repatriated to Egypt. Quite a number remained and were given land outside Nairobi for themselves and their families. These were the nucleus of the Nubians who served in the KAR ....….
Edgar Harrison eventually commanded the 3 KAR.  
White Man - At the first meeting of the Turf Club in EA in July 1900 - 'Classic' race - Machakos Cup won by 'Nairando' belonging to Major Harrison of the KAR.  
Debrett - entered Duke of Wellington's (W. Riding Regt.) 1885, became Capt. 1892, Brevet Major 1899, and Brevet Lieut.-Col. 1917; retired 1905; served in EA Protectorate 1895-6 in command of Zanzibar Forces (medal, Sultan of Zanzibar's medal), and during Uganda Mutiny 1898, in command of EA Rifles (medal with 2 clasps, Brilliant Star of Zanzibar), subsequently conducted operations in Unyoro (Brevet Major, DSO), in command Nandi Expedition 1906 (despatches, CB), and during European War 1914-17 (twice wounded, despatches, Brevet Lieut.-Col.); commanded 3rd Batn. King's African Rifles 1904-08
The African Standard - 26-2-1903 - Invited to the wedding of H.R. Phelips & Miss Jacquette Edith Lambe in Mombasa (Major Harrison DSO)
North - Seconded to command Sultan of Zanzibar's troops; sent to Solkoli 13/11/1895; Appt. 2i/c EAP troops (Sudanese) Nov 1895; based at Kavalin, Ukamba June 1896; Based Machakos Aug 1897; Machakos for the wedding of John Ainsworth 3/11/1897; dep. Ravine for Luba's 19/11/1897 with 100 regulars for service in Uganda during Sudanese mutiny; due to dep. Zanzibar on leave 28/7/1898; Major; based Nairobi July 1900; dep. Mombasa for Nairobi 7/5/1901; second in command EA Rifles; Appt. Acting Sub-Comm. Jubaland 26/5/1902; Nairobi Feb 1903; Local Col.; Commanding Officer 3 KAR at Nairobi from 5/4/1903; end of Appt. 10-9-1905
mini-SITREP XIV - article by James Paten Cooper ........In 1896 a Captain of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, Edgar Harrison, was seconded to the Sultan of Zanzibar's army, for the Sultan still retained a nominal rule over the coastal region of BEA under British protection; one of those polite Victorian euphemisms. Edgar Harrison was later to become one of my father's partners and a life long friend to him and his family. He was sent with a company of 100 Rifles to Machakos about 40 miles from Nairobi in the Ukamba Province. No sooner was he established there than he  was ordered to Uganda to help quell the Uganda Mutiny which had broken out in 1897. He marched 420 miles in 21 days fighting two engagements on the way at Ravine and Mumias, now part of Kenya but in those days in Uganda. Later sent on to follow up the mutineers in the Acholi country to the north of Uganda he captured the remnants of these men in a mud fort.
There was a man called MacDonald trying to reach Khartoum from the South, so Harrison sent a message advising him to return until the country was more settled and while waiting for a reply he rounded up the remains of Emin Pasha's troops who were exercising a minor tyranny over the countryside, being the only people armed with rifles of a sort. Edgar Harrison marched these men, mostly Nubians, down to Nairobi, which the Railway had now reached. These men were given the option of enlisting under the British or being repatriated. About half enlisted and were given land for their wives and children on which to settle. It became the Nubian village of Kibera and still exists I believe. One of them, an Effendi or Officer, so Edgar Harrison told me in later years, had fought with the Emperor Maximilian in Mexico in 1860 and quite a few had fought against Gordon and complained that they had not received a British Campaign Medal. ....... (more)
Land - 1912 - Col. E.G. Harrison - Grazing and agricultural, 5004 acres - Gilgil - 27/12/06 - Occupation Licence for 5 to 99 years from 1/2/12 - Registered 1/3/12
Pioneers - The Coopers of Kirawa - Jim Cooper - My uncle Archie Cooper, went to BEA in 1896 as assistant accountant to the Uganda Railway. In 1904 he suggested to my father, Douglas Cooper, that he should take up land in partnership with himself, two Harrison cousins and J.H. Gailey. The immediate object was to grow potatoes for the South African market. Their capital was £500 and a lot of hope. ……. C.N.M. Harrison was a lawyer and founder partner of the Nairobi law firm. His cousin Edgar, was a cowboy in Texas before getting a commission in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. He was seconded to the Sultan of Zanzibar's army in 1896 and took part in the Arab revolt and the Uganda Mutiny. Amongst other exploits he marched from Machakos to Jinja in 21 days with his company, fighting an action at Ravine and at Mumias on the way. He was awarded a CB and DSO for his services.
Member of Lodge Harmony - Initiated 3/7/05, age 42, Soldier, Nairobi
DSO - "…… Capt Harrison again saw active service in Uganda in 1897-8, was in command at the capture of Kabagambi, and took part in several other engagements, leading the final counter-attack at Kijembo, and conducting various operations in Unyoro. He was Mentioned in Despatches, was given the Brevet of Major 25 Jan 1899, received the Medal with 2 clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette 25 Jan 1899) - In recognition of services during the recent operations in Uganda. The Insignia were presented to him by the Queen at Osborne 1 Feb 1899. He was in command of the operations in Nandi in 1905-6, received the Medal and clasp, and was created a CB. He served with the KAR 1903-7. Bt. Major Harrison retired from the W. Riding Regt. 1905. He served in the European War from 1914 (2nd Battn. Duke of Wellington's Regt) in France from Oct. to Dec 1914; (12th Service Battn. Manchester Regt.) in France 1914-17. He was twice wounded, mentioned in Despatches, and given the Brevet of Lieut.-Colonel 1 Jan 1917.
EA Diary 1902 - Major - The East Africa Rifles - 1901
EA Diary 1902 - Listed as Vice-President of the East Africa Agricultural and Horticultural Society - Established 1901
Web - Played cricket for Haileybury College, 1878 and Herefordshire 1881
Cuckoo - 1904 - Commanding 3 KAR.
Lloyd-Jones - 1899 - in command of EA Rifles.
Moyse - succeeded Capt. F.E. Lawrence as 2 i/c EA Rifles
1939 England and Wales Register living, single, in Burneside, South Westmorland, as retired Lt-Col.

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