L/Cpl 21424 Herbert Oswald Pearson

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Herbert Oswald Pearson was born in 1895 at Huyton, Liverpool and was the son of Henry Oswald Pearson and his wife Elizabeth Rhodes (née Ibberson). When his parents married in Stone, Staffordshire in 1894 his father was a widower with a daughter Ada, born in 1890. Soon after the marriage the couple moved to Huyton, where their three children were born. Herbert had two younger sisters, Beatrice Alison and Constance Annie.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at Tarbock Road, Huyton, Liverpool. Herbert's father, Henry, is aged 36, a grain salesman born in 1865 in Liverpool, whilst his mother, Elizabeth is aged 34, born 1867 in Hanley, Staffordshire. At the time of the Census they have four children living with them, Ada aged 10, born 1891 in Liverpool, Herbert aged 5, Beatrice aged 4, born 1897, and Constance aged 3, born 1898 were all born in Huyton. Also living at the address are Lavinia Jordan aged 32, born 1869 in Chorley occupation domestic cook and Elizabeth Dickinson aged 13, born 1888 in Whiston occupation domestic servant.  

By 1911 they have moved to Hoylake, Cheshire, living at “Lamorna”, a 9-roomed house on Birkenhead Road. His father, 47, is a grain trade salesman, his mother is 44. Herbert, 15, Beatrice, 14, and Constance, 13, are at school.  They have a visitor, Annie Pearson Ibberson, a 72-year old widow from Barnsley, Yorkshire, and a domestic servant, Blodwyn Eames, 23, from Anglesey.

He enlisted on the 24th September 1914 at Liverpool, joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as  Private 21424. He gave his age as 19 years and 118 days. he was described as five feet eight and three quarter inches tall, weighed 126 lbs, 36" chest, being of fresh complexion with hazel coloured eyes and brown hair. He had an appendix scar. He stated his religion as Church of England and gave his mother as next of kin at “Meaford”, Northway, Wavertree, Liverpool.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915 via Folkestone.

His service record shows:

18.01.16: Appointed unpaid Lance-Corporal.

18.4.16:  Sick, admitted to 55 F.A. then Highland C.C.S. with German Measles. 

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.     

Herbert was initially declared Missing. His mother placed notices in Liverpool newspapers on 20th September 1916 and subsequent dates:

“Missing - Lance-Corporal H. O. Pearson, K.L.R.  His mother (88 Nicander Road, Sefton Park) will be grateful for any information.”

It is not known when she was officially informed of Herbert’s death, which was later assumed to have occurred on 30th July 1916.

Herbert's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. 

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

Herbert is also commemorated on the War Memorial at All Saints, Childwall. 

He earned his three medals. 

His mother received his Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s, and was awarded a pension, amount unknown. Additional addresses from the pension card show her living at 3 Halton Road, New Brighton, and “The Warren”, Upton Road, Greasby, Cheshire.

In June 1921 Infantry Records requested the assistance of Liverpool Police in locating his mother, in order to dispose of the Memorial Plaque and Scroll.  She had left the Nicander Road address 12 months previously, and her present whereabouts were unknown.  She was eventually located at “Bron Llan”, Glan Conway, North Wales, and received the Scroll in August 1921.

His mother died in North Wales in 1926 aged 58.

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