Alfred Edmond PEARCE

PEARCE, Alfred Edmond

Service Number: 6561
Enlisted: 3 May 1916
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 2nd Infantry Battalion
Born: Hay, New South Wales, Australia, 12 June 1884
Home Town: Junee, Junee, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Killed in Action, Belgium, 7 November 1917, aged 33 years
Cemetery: Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial
Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passchendaele, Flanders, Belgium
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

3 May 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6561, 2nd Infantry Battalion
7 Oct 1916: Involvement Private, 6561, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: ''
7 Oct 1916: Embarked Private, 6561, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Alfred Edmond Pearce enlisted in the 2nd Battalion of the 1st AIF at Junee in May 1916. Private Alfred Pearce, who was previously wounded at Bullecourt, was killed in action at Passchendaele, Belgium on 7 November 1917. Lance Corporal B.T. Pettit left behind an account of Alfred Pearce’s death, ‘I left Australia with him on the ship Ceramic with him and was in the same Section. He was killed instantly on the night 7 November 1917 by shell and buried next day with two other lads on the battle field at Passchendaele. He was a short fair complexion chap and worked on Rockview Station, Junee and his father lived at Murrumburrah. I was left out of the line at the time of that stunt my mate C.H. Harris buried him poor fellow.’

Private W.J. Bateman also wrote of Private Alfred Pearce’s death. ‘Pearce was killed alongside me about Nov. 8th. He got the top of his head blown off by a shell which lobbed in the front trench at about 4 p.m. His name was Alfie.’

Alfred’s brother, 2010 Private Wilfred Ernest Pearce 3rd Battalion AIF, had already been killed in action at Lone Pine, Gallipoli on 7 August 1915.

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