John Eyres (Ian) PEARSON

PEARSON, John Eyres

Service Number: WX8118
Enlisted: 16 August 1940
Last Rank: Sergeant
Last Unit: 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion
Born: Kalgoolie, Western Australia, 13 September 1900
Home Town: Swanbourne, Nedlands, Western Australia
Schooling: Scotch College, Perth, Western Australia
Occupation: Clerk
Died: Beri-Beri and Enteritis whilst a prisoner of the Japanese, Thailand, 13 February 1944, aged 43 years
Cemetery: Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
Burial reference: - Plot 10, Row B, Grave 15. Personal Inscription: - "HIS DUTY NOBLY DONE".
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial
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World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939: Involvement Sergeant, WX8118
16 Aug 1940: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sergeant, WX8118, 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion

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Biography contributed by Dianne Black

Family: - John Eyres Pearson was  known as Ian and was born in Kalgoorlie he was the eldest child of Mary Isabella Eyres and John David Pearson who married in  Claremont, Western Australia in  1899.

John (Ian) married Julie May of Manning, Western Australia in  1940, Julie had previously resided in Geraldton with her parents and siblings for some years before moving to Manning in 1939.  Her father was appointed district engineer to Geraldton in 1924, having earlier been in Kalgoorlie. After the death of Ian, Julie went to live with her parents and never remarried. 

John's younger brother Donald David Pearson (WX13816) also enlisted on 3rd June 1941 joining the 2/4th Machine Gun and was taken on strength with 'B' Company with John who was Platoon 7, Sergeant .  Donald also work on the Burma Railway unlike John he was lucky to survive and returned home. John became ill with beri-beri and enteritis and died at Chungkai Hospital Camp on 13th February 1944. 

 

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