Chaplain The Rev George A Harris BD

George Alexander Harris was the son of Alfred and Blanche Clarinda Harris, of Castle Lane, Olton, Birmingham, England. He was born in Birmingham, England but at some time went to study at the University of Manitoba. He joined the Canadian OTC in October 1931 to April 1934 and the Manitoba Mounted Rifles from March 1940 to March 1943. He entered service with the Canadian Chaplain Services as Chaplain 4th Class, attached to 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion at Shilo camp on 24 May 1943. He qualified as a parachutist, and returned to the UK on 19 September 1943 and took part in Operation Overlord (Normandy).

Rev Harris and the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion jumped into Normandy on the night of 5/6 June 1944. He was killed in action on 7 June 1944, aged 34, and was given a field burial near St Vaast-en-Auge and was re-interred to Ranville War Cemetery, Calvados, France, on 2 October 1945.

Rev Harris lost both of his elder brothers in WW1.

Lance Corporal Joseph Edgar Harris 1st/5th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regiment, killed in action on 18 July 1916 (Battle of the Somme) and commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing.

Lance Corporal Charles Rudolph Harris 2nd Bn., Coldstream Guards, killed in action on 27th August 1918 and commemorated at Mory Street Military Cemetery, St Leger, ref. C. 10.

If you are part of Rev Harris’s family and would like to complete this biography, you can apply to the curator to do so. To do this you will need to become a member of ParaData and select the 'friend or family member' option on the registration form.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a member please visit our registration page.

Members of ParaData can submit their material by clicking on the 'Add content to this article' button on the right.