S22049
PEARSON, Albert Wilfred
| Service Number: | 55878 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 April 1918 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Kadina, South Australia, 5 June 1899 |
| Home Town: | Kensington, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Wallaroo Mines District High School |
| Occupation: | Bank Clerk |
| Died: | Berri, South Australia, 16 July 1960, aged 61 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Berri Cemetery, S.A. Protestant Section, Block A, Grave 15 R2. Interred on 19 July 1960 with Rev. M. Norman. Funeral Director was David Chandler |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National Australia Bank WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Apr 1918: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun 1918: | Involvement Private, 55878, 1st to 6th (SA) Reinforcements, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Orontes embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 5 Jun 1918: | Embarked Private, 55878, 1st to 6th (SA) Reinforcements, RMS Orontes, Sydney | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Corporal, 55878, 32nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 15 Nov 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 55878, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Previously he had the rank of Corporal but reverted to Private but no reason was given Discharged at the 4th Military District |
Help us honour Albert Wilfred Pearson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of Henry Charles Phipps Pearson and Mary Ann Emma Pearson nee Thorne
On 2 April 1927 Albert married Orpha Gurner in the Malvern Methodist Church, SA
15 July 1918 - to hospital with Mumps
Returned to Australia on 5 September 1919 on board HMAT Plassy
Medals: British War Medal
Previously served in the Citizen Military Forces and the Cadets
Biography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Albert Wilfred Pearson, born on June 5, 1899, in Kadina, South Australia, was the son of Mary Ann Emma Thorn Pearson and Henry Charles Phipps Pearson. His family included his sister, Meloria, and a brother named Walter, who sadly passed away before Pearson's birth. At the age of 18 years and 10 months, in April 1918, Pearson made the decision to enlist, his address being 14 Walsall Street, Kensington Park, SA. He was given the rank of Private. On his 19th birthday, June 5, 1918, he embarked on the RMS Orontes from Sydney, setting sail for the United Kingdom to join the 2nd Reinforcements "S." Later, on September 13, 1918, he was allotted to the 32nd Battalion and was eventually promoted to the rank of Corporal. Pearson returned to Australia on September 5, 1919; his service overseas complete. On April 2, 1927, Pearson married Orpah Gurner. After his return Pearson served as the district clerk of Berri until he passed away at the age of 61 years on July 16, 1960.
Born in the town of Kadina SA, Pearson went to Wallaroo Mines District High School. He was featured in multiple newspapers in January 1913 for obtaining enough marks to qualify for a public exhibition. Sometime before enlisting, Pearson moved to his address at enlistment of 14 Walsall Street, Kensington Park, SA and he had also served in the Citizen Military Forces and the Cadets. Unfortunately- just 2 years before his enlistment- on April 9, 1916, Pearson’s father, Henry Charles Phipps Pearson passed away.
On the April 23, 1918, at the age of 18 years and 10 months, Albert Wilfred Pearson commenced his military service by enlisting. He possessed a height of 5 feet 9 inches, fair complexion, blue eyes, and light brown hair, and was assigned the service number 55878. Pearson was assigned to the 2nd Reinforcements "S." On his 19th birthday, June 5, 1918, he embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, aboard the RMS Orontes, bound for the United Kingdom.
On August 15, 1918, while onboard the RMS Orontes, Pearson was infected with mumps, a viral infection that affects the salivary glands. He was admitted to the ship’s hospital and was discharged 16 days later August 31, 1918.
On September 11, 1918, Pearson disembarked at Liverpool, a port city in the United Kingdom, before undergoing military training in Fovant, a training centre in Wiltshire, England. On September 13, 1918, he was assigned to the 32nd Battalion Reinforcements. Finally, on September 14, 1918, he moved from Fovant to Codford, a village in Wiltshire known for its military camps during World War I.
On May 1, 1919, Pearson was promoted to the rank of Corporal, a significant achievement in his military service. On September 5, 1919, Pearson returned home to Australia aboard the HMAT Plassy. He was awarded the British War Medal, which was awarded to men and women for service in the First World War.
On April 2, 1927, Pearson married Orpah Gurner in the Malvern Methodist Church, SA, he would remain with her for the rest of his life. In 1936, Pearson became the district Clerk of Berri and was included in a newspaper on October 24, 1939, where he was filing a case against a man, Albert Henry Ward for selling goods without a permit. Pearson would remain the district Clerk of Berri until 1960, the year of his passing, where he died to unknown causes. His grave remains in the Berri Cemetery, buried with his wife, reunited in death.
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