Oswald Richard Dawe Harris (SN 254) born in Ballarat, was a 19 year old printer when he enlisted in Ballarat on July 17th 1915. On November 10th he embarked aboard the Ascanius for service with the 29th Infantry Battalion. In June 1916 he reached the battlefields of France where he was wounded twice. In September 1917 he received a wound to his arm then on December 16th 1917 he suffered a severe shell wound to his right knee. He was evacuated to hospital in England where his leg had to be amputated below the knee. His active service was over, and he was returned to Australia aboard the Kanowna, disembarked at Melbourne on March 7th 1919 and was finally discharged ‘medically unfit’ on January 23rd 1920.