Henry Harbinson was born in Belfast, Ireland and later immigrated to Canada. He was working for Canadian Copper Refinery in Montreal when he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Engineers on 5 May 1941, in Montreal. In September, after training in Petawawa, he was posted to the 1st Field Squadron and arrived in the UK in October.
Harry qualified as a Group B bricklayer and as a Group C blacksmith while in England. He arrived in Naples with the 5th Canadian Armoured Division in November 1943. He would have seen action through the Liri Valley battles and the advance to Rome. Between then and his arrival on the east coast in preparation for the Gothic Line assault, his unit would have done more training, road and bridge work and mine clearance.
On 20 August 1944, the 1st Field Company was working on HAT and BOTTLE Routes south of the Metauro River. The roads were heavily cratered and bridges and culverts had been blown. The unit war diary reported forecasted rain could easily wash away diversions and fords that were built. It also reported no mines had been found in the verges of the roads. There is no indication in the war diary that there was any contact with the enemy that day.
Sapper Henry Harbinson, the father of eight-year-old Henry and husband of Eugenie, was killed in action on 20 August. He was 38 years old. He is buried in the Ancona War Cemetery in Italy.