We Will Remember Him – Lieutenant Commander Arthur Harrison VC RN
We Will Remember Him – Lieutenant Commander Arthur Harrison VC RN
The visit of the RFU President, Jeff Blackett, to the United Services Sports Ground, Burnaby Road on 22 October 2021 was the ideal occasion to dedicate the refurbished spectator stand in memory of the only English Rugby International to have been awarded the Victoria Cross.
Lieutenant Commander Arthur Leyland Harrison, Victoria Cross, Royal Navy, played for United Services Portsmouth RFC from 1906. In the last season before The Great War, he played in the Army v Navy match and also represented England at Twickenham and in Paris. He lost his life in the service of his country, leading his men in the Raid on Zeebrugge on 23 April 1918.
Disembarking from HMS Vindictive under heavy gun fire, Harrison bravely led his landing party formed of B and C Companies of the 4th Battalion, the Royal Marine Light Infantry, along the parapet that ran on top of the harbour wall. They faced near continuous machine gun fire and Harrison was killed at the head of his men, all but two of whom were also killed in the action.
The commanding officer of HMS Vindictive, Alfred Carpenter, who himself won a Victoria Cross for his bravery in the raid, later wrote “Harrison’s charge down that narrow gangway of death was a worthy finale to the large number of charges which, as a forward of the first rank, he had led down many a rugby football ground.”
Harrison’s VC was awarded posthumously, and his mother went to Buckingham Palace in 1919 to receive his medal.
It was fitting that the RFU President could reopen the stand and mark the occasion on his recent visit to Burnaby Road. Jeff, himself a former player, captain, chairman and president of United Services Portsmouth RFC and a Royal Navy capped player and now Royal Navy Rugby Union Life Member, had chosen Burnaby Road as the start of his charity walk. This year the RFU celebrates its 150th anniversary and Jeff wanted to mark the occasion by challenging himself to visit as many clubs and constituent bodies as possible during his 15-day nationwide tour. His aim was to raise awareness of the anniversary, thank volunteers for keeping rugby going during the pandemic and to raise funds for the Injured Players Foundation. The Injured Players Foundation is the RFU’s primary charity and provides support to any rugby player who sustains a spinal cord or brain injury while training or playing the game as well as funding vital injury prevention research to keep everyone safer on the field.
Jeff was accompanied during the walk by his wife Sally, and members of the RNRU and USPRFC joined in the challenge, walking with him on his first leg to Portsmouth RFC and then on to Havant RFC on Friday 22 October. Since then Jeff and Sally have been as far north as Yorkshire, east to Kent and west to Devon and Cornwall. The walk completed on 5 November, with Jeff returning to Twickenham. There is still time to support Jeff’s fundraising at the link https://rfuipf.enthuse.com/cf/rfu-presidents-150th-walk