Name: John Hetrick Harris Rank: Private Service Number: F/16766 Service: South Saskatchewan Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps Date of Birth: November 21, 1912 Place of Birth: Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Date of Enlistment: December 30, 1940 Place of Enlistment: Halifax, Nova Scotia Address at Enlistment: Bear River, Digby County, Nova Scotia Age at Enlistment: 28 Occupation: Labourer Marital Status: Single (at enlistment) Religion: Church of England Next of Kin: Vernon Harris (Father) Height: 5 feet, 7 inches Complexion: Fair Hair Colour: Fair Eye Colour: Blue Date of Death: December 12, 1946 Age: 34 Cemetery: Mount Hope Cemetery, Bear River, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia Commemorated on Page 585 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on December 12 John Hetrick Harris was born in Bear River, Digby Co., NS and baptised in Clementsport, NS in August of 1913. He was the son of Vernon Lester Harris (1889-1965) and Beda Sofia (Larson) Harris (1887-1922), of Bear River, and the brother of George Russell Harris (1911-1989). He was the husband of Lila Alberta (Fleet) Harris (1921-2008), also from Bear River. Although John was born in Boston, his brother George was born in Bear River. John’s mother was born in Fredsberg, Skaraborg, Sweden, and his father was born in Bear River, NS. His brother George served with the Canadian Provost Corps, Military Police Office (CPC-MPO) at Aldershot, in Kings Co., NS. John’s middle name Hetrick is spelled as Hettrick in some records. His paternal grandfather’s middle name was Hettrick as well - George Hettrick Harris. John and Lila Alberta Fleet married on December 31, 1941, in Bear River, Digby Co., NS. They had a son Robert ‘Bob’ Lester Harris (1944-2021) born June 16, 1944, at Digby. John’s son Robert served in the Canadian Armed Forces for over 30 years. Sergeant Harris was twice decorated for acts of valour. Bob was awarded the Medal of Bravery (MB) in 1972 for actions taken in December 1966, rescuing his comrade from the flames of an overturned fuel truck forced off the road during a Quebec snowstorm. He was seriously injured in the accident, sustaining 3rd degree burns to his head, hands, and face, and spent a full year recovering. Amazingly, he was again commended for exceptional service in 1976, with a Chief of Defense Staff Commendation for courageously crawling beneath a burning munitions truck to extinguish a fire while on exercise in Shilo, Manitoba. John signed up for the Reserves on July 3, 1934, with the Annapolis Regiment in Aldershot, NS, and completed annual training with the unit. He was also working for Waldo Chute as a chauffeur (driver) 4 years. After enlisting in the Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM), or Reserves, with C Company, 2nd Battalion of the West Nova Scotia Regiment on July 15, 1940, in Deep Brook, NS, John attested for active service in WWII in December 1940. On December 29, 1940, he transferred to the 51st Heavy Battery of the Royal Canadian Artillery. He trained in Coastal Artillery and was employed 2 years on guns and 1 year as a telephonist at fire control headquarters. He transferred to the infantry during the war and was employed as a rifleman for 10 months. He departed Canada October 14, 1944, disembarking in England on October 20th, and subsequently left the UK for the Northwest Europe on November 23, 1944. He embarked a ship Feb 7, 1945, for his return home to Canada, and returned to Canada May 3, 1945. He was medically discharged in Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 10, 1945. He died at Camp Hill Military Hospital in Halifax due to cardio vascular disease. His Circumstances of Casualty record for War Grave Registers confirms that his cause of death was related to service. He is interred at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Bear River, Annapolis Co. NS.

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial findagrave