Current Information:

Age-19

79, Palatine Road, Stoke Newington

Vermelles British Cemetery, France

The Battle of Loos

This was fought by the British Army from 25th September, 1915 through to 13th October, was conducted along a six-and-a-half-mile front running north from the mining village of Loos on the outskirts of Lens in Northern France. It was the largest offensive carried out by the British so far. The opening day involved an attack by six divisions, with others entering the fray as it progressed and it was part of a much wider offensive with the French launching their own attacks in Champagne and at Vimy. It was the first time that the British used gas during the war, despite their condemnation of the Germans for doing the same in April 1915. There were some encouraging results on the first day but no major breakthrough was achieved and in the successive days of the battle it became bogged down in brutal trench warfare. By mid-October the battle had petered out with the British having suffered over 60,000 casualties during its course.

The reserve Corps for the battle, XI Corps, was made up of the Guards Division and two New Army divisions, 21st and 24th Divisions, made up of volunteers who had responded to Kitchener’s appeal, and who had only arrived in France at the beginning of September 1915. Nevertheless they were soon in battle. Field Marshal French kept them back from the front when the main attack went in on 25th September but when things did not go to plan the reserves were urgently called for. Even so they were held back until the last minute which meant that they had to march across country through a night of heavy rain to reach the battlefield. It was not until the afternoon of 26th September that they were in position to assault the German second line between Bois Hugo & Hulluch.

Private Pearson was killed in action on 25th September, 1915,  but as yet there is no information concerning his death. 24th Division set out at 10pm from their position just in front of Vermelles and as he is buried in a cemetery here, he was probably a victim of German artillery fire.