PEARSON, Thomas Reuben

Thomas Pearson was the son of Thomas Pearson of ‘Croakleigh’, Bank Street, Brierley Hill. He was a pre-war regular soldier in the 2nd Battalion of the South Staffords and was stationed at Aldershot in the British Expeditionary Force. He experienced virtually the whole of the military experience of the Western Front during his service and was promoted to Sergeant. He fought from the Retreat from Mons and the Battle of the Aisne in 1914 through the Artois battles of 1915, the Somme in 1916, Third Ypres in 1917 to the Battle of Bapaume in March 1918 when he faced the first German Spring offensive. He was then involved at the start of the great Advance to Victory which began on the 21st August 1918. At Ervillers near Bapaume a hard fought fight on the 23rd broke German resistance and the enemy were driven back to the Hindenburg Line again. However, Sergeant Thomas Pearson was killed in action on the 23rd August. He was 23 years of age and is buried in Douchy-les-Ayette British Cemetery (I H 22) and commemorated on the Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill church Memorials.