Harris Joseph Selwyn Pte 5951794
Personnel Entry
Name Harris Joseph Selwyn
Army number 5951794.
Rank Private.
Decorations None known beyond Service Awards.
Date of birth Born 7/8/1917 in Coventry. Mother's name Charlotte Harris (1895 - 1979).
Age (At the time of his death) 69.
Unit Enlisted in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment 15/2/1940. Posted to the Infantry Training Centre for Basic Training. Transferred to The Durham Light Infantry 26/6/1940 and posted to the 16th Battalion. Posted to Y List 1/4/1941. Posted to the ITC 23/5/1941. Posted to the 11th Battalion DLI
21/7/1941. Served Iceland 24/7/1941 to 23/12/1941. Returned to the UK. Served Normandy. Posted to 48 Regimental Holding Unit 9/9/1944. Transferred to the Duke of Wellington's Regiment 27/10/1944. Posted to the 7th Battalion. Posted to 49th Division HQ 13/8/1945. Absorbed into the War Establishment as a Batman 24/9/1945. Spell in hospital 19/11 - 7/12/1945. Granted Release Leave 4/3/1946. Struck off Y List and Relegated to Class Z(T) Reserve 24/5/1946. Posted Class Z (Z) T Reserve 25/5/1946. Discharged from Reserve Liability 30/6/1959.
Company/Battery Company not yet known. 49 Div HQ.
Platoon or other sub-unit Not yet known. Probably Admin. Platoon at Div HQ.
Task or role Not known but initially probably Rifleman. Cook. Batman.
Joined Brigade 21/7/1941.
Promotions With 16th DLI promoted Acting Unpaid Corporal 15/7/1940. Granted Paid Rank of Acting Corporal 15/7/1940. Reverted to Paid Rank of Lance Corporal 14/10/1940. Reverted to Private on admission to hospital 11/3/1941. With 11th DLI Acting Unpaid Lance Corporal 4/8/1941. Paid Lance Corporal 1/10/1941. DWR - Reverted to Private at own request 23/11/1944. Additional Pay as Cook granted 22/3/1945.
Wounded Not as far as is known.
Prisoner of War Not so far as is known.
Died/Killed in action Died 22/5/1987 in Huntingdonshire. Buried 1/6/1987 in Cambridgeshire.
Home address Working as a General Labourer on Enlistment. Lodging in the Armer household at the time of the 29/9/1939 National Census. Lived in Huntingdon in the 1930's. Married Edith Joan Armer (1919 - 2003) 5/9/1939 in Huntingdon.
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