PEARSON, Albert Edward

Albert Pearson was the son of Mrs M. Pearson of 12 Stocking Street, Wollescote and attended Wollescote school. He worked for Ben Baker, a horse-shoe and frost-cog maker. He volunteered for the Worcesters and joined the 14th Battalion, the Severn Valley Pioneers, which eventually became the Pioneer Battalion of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. In November 1916 they fought on the Somme in its last phase on the Ancre. In 1917 they transferred to the Arras front and were closely involved in the April fighting around Gavrelle in the Battle of Arras. They remained in the line for the next four months although the main conflict had moved to Flanders. There were fighting patrols and much shelling which resulted in occasional casualties. On the 12th August Lance Corporal Albert Pearson was killed, probably by shell fire. He was 25 years of age and is buried in Bailleul Road Cemetery, St. Laurent Blangy (I O 9) near Arras. He is commemorated on the Lye and Wollescote, Lye church and Wollescote school Memorials.