Pte 25751 George Francis Pearson

After an extensive search, George is possibly the George Francis Pearson who was born in Liverpool on the 31st December 1883 (St Saviour's school record, Falkner Square, Liverpool), the youngest son of Arthur Edwin Pearson and Elizabeth (née Knowles), who married in 1873.  The only census George is found on is 1891, when the family is living at 4 Forbes Street, with children Lionel, John, Frederick, Henry, George, 7, and Mabel. His father is 38, a shipping wharfinger, born in Bold, Lancashire. 

 

The family is not found on the 1901 census.

His mother Elizabeth died in January 1911, living in Abyssinia Street, Wavertree. 

In 1911 his father Arthur Edwin was in Abyssinia Street with widowed son Frederick.

The 1911 Census shows George Francis living at 26 Wellington Grove Wavertree Liverpool, as a boarder with the Golden family. The head of the household is Elizabeth Golden a widow aged 51, born 1860 in Liverpool and she is a shopkeeper. She has four children, James aged 27, born 1884, a loco engine cleaner with L.N.W.R, Arthur aged 18, born 1893, a joiner’s labourer with Crawford’s, Thomas aged 15, born 1896 a shop boy with Ellis Fish Merchants and Victoria aged 13, born 1898 is at school. George Francis Pearson is aged 27, born 1884 and is a labourer with the Wigan Coal and Iron Company.

He was serving with the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 25751 when he died of wounds on 31st January 1916 at 21st Casualty Clearing Station, aged 32. Based on the amount of the War Gratuity, George enlisted in about May 1915.

 

His father Arthur received George’s Army effects and a War Gratuity of £3-10s.  No pension card has been found.

 

His Medal Card shows that served in France from 07^th November 1915, earning his 3 medals.

He now rests at Corbie Cemetery, Grave I C 38. 

Corbie was about 20 kilometres behind the front when Commonwealth forces took over the line from Berles-au-Bois southward to the Somme in July 1915. The town immediately became a medical centre, with Nos 5 and 21 Casualty Clearing Stations based at La Neuville (the suburb across the Ancre) until October 1916 and April 1917 respectively. In November 1916 the front moved east, but the German advance in the Spring of 1918 came within 10 kilometres of the town and brought with it field ambulances of the 47th Division and the 12th Australian Field Ambulance. The communal cemetery was used for burials until May 1916, when the plot set aside was filled and the extension opened. The majority of the graves in the extension are of officers and men who died of wounds in the 1916 Battle of the Somme. The remainder relate to the fighting of 1918. The communal cemetery contains 249 First World War burials, the extension 918. The extension was designed by Charles Holden.

 

George is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 54.

 

We currently have no further information on George Francis Pearson, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.