PEARCE, William Henry
| Service Number: | 2561 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 January 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 14th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Pearcedale, Victoria, Australia, 1893 |
| Home Town: | Pearcedale, Casey, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Somerville State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Farm labourer |
| Died: | Died of Wounds, France, 4 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Erquinghem-Lys Churchyard Extension Grave I. K. 4. INSCRIPTION A SON AND BROTHER KIND AND TRUE LOVED AND RESPECTED BY ALL HE KNEW |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2561, 14th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 2561, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: SS Makarini embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 15 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 2561, 14th Infantry Battalion, SS Makarini, Melbourne | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 2561, 14th Australian Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour William Henry Pearce's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
Sergeant Pearce was 28 and a son of Mary Brace Pearce, of Pearcedale, Somerville, Victoria, Australia, and the late Nathaniel Pearce.
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
William Henry Pearce enlisted in January 1915. He was 6 foot 2 inches in height and weighed almost 13 stone. According to his father he was kept in camp for nine months and during that time he was rejected twice before finally being accepted. He left Australia during late 1915 and served at Gallipoli for about six weeks.
He was made a Sergeant during April 1916 and landed in France with the rest of the 14th Battalion in early June 1916.
The Battalion was in the arrived in France during early June 1916 and made a raid on the German trenches at Bois Grenier on 2 July 1916. The Germans retaliated the next night by making a raid on the Australian trenches. The bulk of the attackers, after a heavy covering bombardment, assaulted the trenches held by D Company of the 14th Battalion. Pearce was mortally wounded and died of wounds the next day. It is noted in the Battalion history that he was the bombing Sergeant of D Company and was an excellent soldier.
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