PEARSON, John Graham

Graham Pearson was the only son of John and Ann Pearson who lived at Burnie, Tasmania. He was also a grandson of George Pearson of Thornhill and, therefore, a cousin of George Pearson, who had been killed on 12th August 1915 at Suvla Bay. He had, according to the County Express, been born in Oldswinford, lived with his parents at Ellinthorpe, Pedmore, and attended King Edward’s School, before emigrating at the age of fourteen. His details for the Australian War Memorial, however, state that he was born at Windsor, emigrated at the age of 2 and was educated at Launceston High School. Tasmania. By the time he volunteered he was a clerk, probably working for a Mr Murray of Gormanston, Mt. Lyell, Tasmania. He volunteered in 1915 and came to England in September with the Australian infantry. Poor eyesight meant a transfer to the Medical Corps and he went to France as a stretcher bearer in September 1917. He served in a military hospital but then volunteered for front line service in 1918 when the role of the Australian army was expanding greatly. During the German great Spring Offensive the Australians had played a vital part in holding up the German advance as it neared Amiens. The Australians came into the line when both the British and the French forces were nearly spent. The fierce fighting around Villers-Bretonneux from 21-26 April ended finally in stalemate. The Australian Memorial in that place records their casualties. The Australians stayed in the front line from April to August when the Allies were ready for their counter attack which turned into the Advance to Victory. Starting on the 8th August, the Australian Corps under General Monash was responsible for the rapid advance on this day, which Ludendorff later regarded as “the black day in the history of the German army”. But it was also a difficult advance under the heavy artillery and machine gun fire of the Germans. By the 11th the Australians had reached half way to Peronne and their neighbouring units had kept pace. The battle was resumed on the 22nd August with an advance under a creeping barrage at 4.45 a.m. Fresh forces had been brought up, but the Germans had been reinforced, too. The confidence of the Allied forces had been raised and, in spite of the broken country which helped the German machine gunners, the Australian 3rd Division were able to take the town of Bray on the 24th. For the next day the 11th Brigade with the 44th, 43rd and 42nd Regiments were ordered to move through Ceylon Wood to Suzanne. They drove the enemy back quite easily but met thick fog on the crest of the first ridge. Then German resistance increased and artillery halted the advance. It was on this day that Graham Pearson became a casualty, just as the Germans fell back across the old Somme battlefield of bitter memory. A fellow soldier, Lance Corporal Sneyd, wrote to his aunt, Mrs Alice Grazebrook, of 148 Brompton Road, London, whose son, Engineer Commander Robert Grazebrook, also of Oldswinford, had died in September 1914. Before going into the line Graham Pearson gave me your address and asked me, if anything happened, to let you know. I am sorry to have to tell you that Graham was killed on Sunday 25th August, at about 12.30 p.m. He was in a dugout with several others, including myself, when a mine blew up about 30 yards away. He was struck in the head and body by several pieces of metal and killed instantaneously. It will be a relief to you to know that he suffered no pain. On the following day he was buried at the Australian cemetery at Moncourt on the Somme river, Chaplain Bain officiating. Graham was extremely popular with all the lads here, and they all wish me to convey to you their deepest sympathy.’ [County Express, 28 September 1918] The Australian forces went on to Peronne where a fierce two day battle on the 1st and 2nd September was needed to overcome stubborn German resistance on the Mont St. Quentin over-looking the town. Private Graham Pearson was buried beside the Somme but later his remains were buried in nearby Heath Cemetery, Harbonnières (VII D 4). He is commemorated on the Oldswinford church, Stourbridge, Memorial. A fine marble tablet was placed by his family in the chapel at St. Mary’s and his name is also commemorated on the Australian War Memorial.