William George Pearson
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William George was the son of William Henry and Eliza Pearson (née Lawson). His father William Henry was born and bred in Hockwold cum Wilton, Norfolk. He was born in about 1847 the son of George and Harriet Pearson and baptised at the parish church on 24 October 1847. His father was variously a grocer, draper and landowner, and in 1871 William (24) was a draper, presumably assisting in his father's business. However, by 1881, when the family was living on Main Street, Hockwold, he was a seed merchant. His mother Eliza was born in Habrough, Lincolnshire, in about 1859, the daughter of John and Harriet Pearson. She was baptised in Habrough parish church on 8 May 1859 as 'Elizabeth' although all other records give her first name as Eliza. Eliza's father was a farmer and the family lived in the Croxton area of Lincolnshire until 1881 when they were recorded at Manor House, Hockwold cum Wilton, where John (56) was farming 880 acres. He employed nine labourers and three boys on the farm and one female general domestic servant. Eliza (21) had left home and was employed as a governess by Joseph and Elizabeth Hardy, who had six children ranging in age from one year to nine years, of North End House, Coxhill, Glanford Bridge, Lincolnshire. Joseph was a farmer of 402 acres and employed eight men and three boys. William Henry and Eliza were married at Hockwold parish church on 6 April 1890. William marrying rather late in life. They resided in High Street, Hockwold cum Wilton, and on the 1891 census William gave his occupations as both seedsman and tax and rates collector. Also in the household was his cousin, Mark Palmer (17), who was a seedsman's apprentice, presumably working for William. William and Eliza's son William George Pearson was born later that year on 21 August. William Pearson senior died on 26 February aged 45. This was a quite a bizarre series of events, from marriage to parenthood to death within two years. In 1901, Eliza and William George were still living in the village but had moved into Cross Hill Villa; Eliza was described as 'living on her own means.' Also in the household was general domestic servant and a boarder, Mary A Totman (75), a widow who was also living on her own means. Ten years later in 1911, George was working as a bank clerk in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, and a boarder with Mr and Mrs Dales of 1 Stanhope Terrace. Meanwhile, his mother was living at 40 Constable Road, Ipswich, and described on the census as a boarding house keeper although she had only one boarder, a bank clerk. She also employed a general domestic servant. Four years later, William had enlisted and at the time of his death his mother was employed as a housekeeper by a Mr Harris of Manor View (sic), Worksop, as reported in the Worksop Guardian of 20 July. An RN record and the later CWGC record also give Eliza's address as Manor Villa Sparken Hill, Worksop. Eliza has not yet been traced after this period. The probate record gave William George's address as 3 Sydney Street, Cambridge. The report of his death in the Worksop Guardian mentioned that he was a bank clerk with the Capital and Counties Bank in Cambridge before he enlisted.
Petty Officer (Motor Mechanic), Royal Naval Air Service, Russian Armoured Cars William George Pearson probably served with the Russian Armoured Cars unit from November 1915. He was one of five RNAS armoured car ratings who were killed in action near Brezazany on 1 July 1917. Those who died with him were: CPO Wiliam James Locke, CPO John McFarland, PO (Motor Mechanic) Wilfred Lionel Mitchell and PO (Motor Mechanic) Edgar Vane. The men's graves were never found and they are commemorated on the Poznan Memorial, Poland, in the Commonwealth War Graves Section of Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. He was awarded the Order of St George (Russia). CWGC - Poznan Memorial, Poland (extract): 'The city of Poznan is located in the west of Poland approx 320kms east of Berlin ... After the First World War, the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died in Poland as prisoners of war were gathered together in this cemetery. There are now 174 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery ... The cemetery also contains the Poznan Memorial commemorating five RNAS armoured car ratings who died near Brezazany in July 1917 and whose graves were never located.'
Probate: Pearson William Henry of Hackwold-cum-Wilton Norfolk seed merchant and nurseryman died 26 February 1892 Probate Norwich 23 April to Eliza Pearson widow John Houchen the younger solicitor and John William Peacock farmer Effects £1709 6s. 3d. Probate: Pearson William George of 3 Sydney-street Cambridge died 1 July 1917 in Russia Probate London 15 August to David Percy Benjamin stock and share broker. Effects £709 16s. 8d. 'Leading Petty Officer W. C. Pearson' Worksop Guardian 20 July 1917 'A great bereavement has befallen Mrs. Pearson, house keeper to Mr. T. Marris/ Harris, Manor view, Worksop, in the death in action of her son, Leading Petty Officer, William George Pearson, age 25 years. His father was the late Mr. Wm. Henry Pearson, corn, cake, and seed merchant, of Hockwold, Norfolk. He was educated at the Thetford Grammar School, and afterwards entered the services of the Capital and Counties Bank, commencing his career at the Ipswich branch, and was in the employ of that Banking Co. at Cambridge when the war broke out. He joined Commander Locker-Lampson’s Armoured Car Brigade in November, 1915 and proceeded to Russia, where they had most wonderful experiences, which have been recorded from time to time. The Squadron to which Pearson belonged saw active service in Armenia, Romania and elsewhere, being recently sent to the Galician Front, two cars leading the attack on the Brezazany Heights on Sunday, July 1st, where the brave boy, volunteering for especially dangerous duty, and gave his life for King and Country, and died a hero’s death. Mrs Pearson has the sympathy of her many friends in Worksop in her great sorrow.' ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE, RUSSIAN ARMOURED CARS The following extracts are from the website: navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-themes/technology-and-weapons/armoured-car 'In order to further its reconnaissance role and to rescue downed pilots the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) developed armoured cars as early as September 1914. While this was not the first use of such vehicles, they were quickly absorbed as a function of the RNAS. Commander C.R. Samson was the instigator of this initiative which was so successful that on 3 September 1914, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill ordered the formation of an additional wing of the RNAS to be known as the Royal Naval Armoured Car Division. The vehicles, Rolls Royce and Lanchester’s being the most suitable were acquired from around the country and fitted with armour and weapons. Fitting out consisted of stripping the vehicles of their coachwork, strengthening the rear axles, fitting an armoured body and installing an armoured turret for the machine gun. In anticipation of the appearance of German armoured cars, a ‘Heavy’ armoured car was developed based on a truck chassis, fitted with a three pounder gun … 'While drivers could be trained easily, skilled mechanics could not, and so suitably qualified men were recruited, being given the minimum rank of Petty Officer Mechanic, at appropriate level of pay … 'The increasingly static nature of trench warfare greatly inhibited their use in France. Coupled with this was a review by the Admiralty as to why it was so involved in what was patently a military (as opposed to naval) function. As a result, in mid-1915 most of the Squadrons were transferred to the Army. Number 20 Squadron was retained and was eventually instrumental in the development of tanks, while 15 Squadron again deployed to France remaining in the Dunkirk area until November. The vehicles, Rolls Royce and Lanchester’s being the most suitable were acquired from around the country and fitted with armour and weapons. 'For reasons which are obscure, the Admiralty agreed to second a squadron of armoured cars to Russia. As a single squadron it was not a viable unit so it was decided to send a complete division of three squadrons, created around the nucleus of 15 Squadron and the detachment of 17 Squadron heavies which was then serving with it. The unit’s active service strength was 32 officers and 372 men plus 21 officers and 83 men at base in England. Additional personnel to complete the complement came from volunteers from the disbanded squadrons. This was a new unit, which unlike its predecessors, was not a wing of the RNAS. Its formal designation was British Armoured Car Division RNVR. This unit saw hard fighting in Russia before being withdrawn following the Bolshevik revolution and the personnel were subsequently transferred to the Army Motor Machine Gun Corps.' It would be interesting to know how William George, a bank clerk, acquired the skills to be employed by the RNAS as a motor mechanic. Perhaps as he was from a fairly comfortably off family he was one of the relatively few young men to have access to motor transport and had the interest and knowledge to maintain them.
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