William Eric Craven Harrison was born 30 April 1907, in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. The son of William Craven Harrison and Hetty Halpine, his early schooling was taken at Brighton Municipal Secondary and Varndean School in Brighton, Sussex where he excelled in both academics and sports. The latter saw him Captain of both the school cricket and football (soccer) teams. In 1926 he entered King's College, University of London from which he obtained a B.A. (First Class Honours in History) in 1928. He then attended the University's London School of Economics, which graduated him with an M.A in English Economic History in 1931. During his time at the University, Eric Harrison held many posts including Lecturer at the London County Council's Men's Junior and Senior Evening Institutes; Administrative Assistant and Assistant in the London School of Economics; Rockefeller Research Assistant; Research Assistant in the Institute of Historical Research; and finally as Lecturer in the London School of Economics. During the summer of 1931, and following his graduation from the LSE, he travelled to Switzerland and the Geneva School of International Studies, where he was first a Scholar, and the next summer, a Tutor.
In the autumn of 1931, Eric Harrison was invited to Canada, Kingston, and Queen's University by the then Douglas Professor of Canadian and Colonial History, and Head of the University's History's Department, Duncan McArthur. Beginning as a Lecturer and then Assistant Professor of Modern History, he took a leave of absence in 1937 through 1939 to attend New College, Oxford. Upon returning to Queen's University in 1939, he once again resumed his duties in the Department of History, prior to being called to Ottawa in 1943, to take up the position of Narrator, in the Historical Section of the General Staff, Department of National Defence. Later that same year he was transferred to Canadian Military Headquarters in London, England, where he became Historical Officer to Lieutenant-General H.D.G. Crerar, First Canadian Corps, and Officer Commanding the First Field Historical Section in Italy. During this time too, he was attached, for a period, to H.Q. 5th Canadian Armoured Division, and the 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade. By 1944, Eric Harrison had become the Personal Assistant to Lieutenant-General Crerar, and was headquartered with the First Canadian Army, North-West Europe. As Officer-in-Charge of all Canadian Field Historical Services in the 21st Army Group, he had the responsibility of drafting the Despatches of the G.O.C. to the Minister of National Defence. He then took on the role of Assistant Director, Historical Section, General Staff, Canadian Military Headquarters in London, England, which saw him as Officer in Command of all Canadian Historical Services in North-West Europe. As such he had the responsibility for the narrative of Canadian operations in North-West Europe. In 1945, and confirmed with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, he took over the duties of Historical Officer for the Canadian Forces in the Netherlands. This same year saw him receive the Order of the British Empire, and over the next several years he took on special writing assignments, first with Canadian Military Headquarters in London (Summer 1947), and then with the Department of National Defence in Ottawa (Summer 1950). Following the cessation of the War, Eric Harrison transferred to the Supplementary Reserve of Officers, where he remained until he retired, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, in 1969.
While extremely active in the military, he was also very busy in civilian and academic life as well. From 1933 to 1937, he was Editor of the Queen's Quarterly; was a special writer for the Montreal Gazette just prior to enlisting; and during the late 1940's and through the 1950's was an occasional Lecturer at both the Canadian Army Staff College and the National Defence College, and spoke occasionally over both the National and International networks of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1949, he became Acting Head of the History Department at Queen's University and two years later became Head, a post he held until 1964.
Eric Harrison was founder and Faculty Adviser for the International Relations Club at Queen's University (1932) and was its Honorary President for many years commencing in 1935. He served as Secretary and Vice-Chairman of the Kingston Branch of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs (1933-1937), and was a member of the CIAA National Executive Committee from 1935 to 1937. At this time too, he lectured and tutored for the Kingston Branch of the Worker's Educational Association (1934-1937), and served as its Honorary President for many years after 1937.
W.E.C. Harrison was a prolific writer throughout his life. Besides contributing many contributions to the Canadian Army's Official History, he published numerous articles and reviews, relating to history and international affairs, in many prestigious journals including The Canadian Historical Review, Queen's Quarterly, International Journal, The Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science, and the University of Toronto Quarterly. With A.N. Reid, he wrote Canada and the United Nations, and with Neil N. Morrison and others, he published Canada: The War and After. He also authored the much reviewed and discussed book, The Universities Are Dangerous (1941).
In 1931, he married Elizabeth Tatchell, painter, writer, poet, teacher. The couple settled first in Kingston, and then on their "beloved" Garden Island. They had one daughter, Elizabeth Valerie, who predeceased them both in 1968. Upon his retirement from Queen's University in 1970, Eric and Elizabeth Harrison removed to Niagara-on-the-Lake. There they both engaged in their passions for the arts and letters; he in gathering the large amount of correspondence that had gone between the two of them during the Second World War in preparation for writing a book whose central theme was the effects war and separation have on two people; she to continue her love of painting. They both were also extremely active in civic affairs over the years, especially in the field of heritage preservation. William Eric Craven Harrison died in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2000.
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