Samuel Pearse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel George Pearse
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Private Samuel Pearse c.1915
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| Born | 16 July 1897 Penarth, Glamorganshire, Wales |
| Died | 29 August 1919 (aged 22) north of Emtsa, Russia |
| Buried |
Obozerskay
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| Allegiance | Australia United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
Australian Imperial Force (1913–19) British Army (1919) |
| Years of service | 1913–1919 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | 73rd Battalion 7th Battalion 1st Machine Gun Battalion 45th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers |
| Battles/wars | First World War Russian Civil War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Military Medal |
Samuel George Pearse was a brave Australian soldier. He was born on July 16, 1897, and sadly died on August 29, 1919. Samuel Pearse received the Victoria Cross (VC) and the Military Medal (MM). The Victoria Cross is the highest award for bravery in battle for British and Commonwealth soldiers.
Pearse fought in the First World War with the First Australian Imperial Force. He was part of the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915. Later, he fought on the Western Front from 1916 to 1918. After the war ended, he joined the British Army. He fought in the North Russia Campaign in 1919. Samuel Pearse was killed in Russia while bravely attacking an enemy machine gun. He was given the Victoria Cross after he died for this amazing act of courage.
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Growing Up in Australia
Samuel George Pearse was born in Penarth, Wales, on July 16, 1897. His parents were George and Sarah Pearse. He went to school in Penarth. In 1911, when he was 14, his family moved to Australia. They settled on a farm near Mildura, Victoria.
Before joining the army, Samuel worked many jobs. He picked fruit, worked as a labourer, and trapped rabbits. He also worked on a paddle-steamer boat.
Joining the Army
Samuel Pearse had already served two years in the local army group, called the Militia. In July 1915, just before his 18th birthday, he joined the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF). He wanted to fight overseas in the First World War. At that time, he was working as a rabbit-trapper.
He sailed from Melbourne, Australia, on September 10, 1915. He was part of the 9th Reinforcement for the 7th Battalion. Samuel arrived at Gallipoli just before the soldiers left the area. He spent two weeks fighting there in December 1915.
Fighting on the Western Front
After Gallipoli, Samuel joined the 2nd Machine Gun Company. This unit helped support the 2nd Brigade. He then fought on the Western Front. He was injured on August 24, 1916, but quickly returned to his unit.
On September 28, 1917, he earned the Military Medal. He got this award for a brave act near Ypres in Belgium. He single-handedly attacked a German machine gun post.
Normally this man is a runner ....and throughout he showed an utter disregard of danger in carrying messages, guiding parties and in bringing in wounded men on every return run.
General Sir William Birdwood personally gave Pearse his Military Medal. It is said that the General had run out of medals. So, he decorated Pearse with just a piece of medal ribbon.
Samuel was promoted to lance corporal on November 21, 1917. He became a corporal on April 10, 1918. He was wounded a second time on May 19, 1918. He went to England to get better. He did not return to his unit until the war ended. On December 1, 1918, he joined the 1st Machine Gun Battalion.
Bravery in Russia
After the First World War ended, Samuel Pearse volunteered for a new mission. He joined the North Russia Relief Force. About 150 Australian soldiers volunteered for this. Pearse left the Australian army on July 18, 1919. He then joined the British Army as a private soldier. Many of the Australians who volunteered had not seen much fighting. But Pearse was an experienced soldier. He was quickly promoted to sergeant.
He was a 22-year-old sergeant in the 45th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers. This unit was part of the North Russia Campaign. On August 29, 1919, he performed the act for which he received the Victoria Cross.
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For most conspicuous bravery, devotion to duty and self-sacrifice during the operation against the enemy battery position north of Emtsa, North Russia on the 29th August 1919. Sergeant Pearse cut his way through enemy barbed-wire under very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire and cleared a way for the troops to enter an enemy battery position. Seeing that a blockhouse was harassing our advance and causing us casualties, he charged the blockhouse single-handed, killing the occupants with bombs. This gallant non-commissioned officer met his death a minute later and it was due to him that the position was carried with so few casualties. His magnificent bravery and utter disregard for personal danger won for him the admiration of all troops.
—The London Gazette, 21 October 1919
This means he bravely cut through enemy barbed wire under heavy fire. He made a path for his fellow soldiers. When he saw an enemy blockhouse (a small fort) causing problems, he attacked it alone. He used bombs to defeat the enemies inside. He died a minute later. Because of his courage, his unit captured the position with very few losses.
Burial and Awards
Samuel Pearse was buried in a military graveyard. It was near the Obozerskaya railway station in North Russia. A photo from September 1919 shows his grave. However, the graveyard was later lost. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission now lists him as buried in the Obozerskaya Burial Ground. His name is remembered at the Archangel Allied Cemetery.
His Victoria Cross, Military Medal, and 1914–15 Star are on display. You can see them under his photo at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra.
Finding His Grave
In 2018, a small team of Russian volunteers found a grave. They believe it belongs to Sergeant Pearse. They had been searching for over ten years. They used an old map from 1925 and an aerial photo from 1919. The remains were dug up and are being kept in Russia.
Scientists are working to confirm if the remains are truly Samuel Pearse. The skeleton is the same height as him (5 feet 6 inches). They found parts of a slouch hat in the grave. The grave was exactly where the 1925 map showed it. Also, a toe was missing from the right foot. This matches Pearse's army records.
On August 29, 2019, a small ceremony took place. It was held at the remains of the bunker where Pearse died. This marked 100 years since his brave act.
Family Life
While on leave in England in January 1918, Pearse met Kitty Knox. She was an ambulance driver. They got engaged in May 1918. They married on June 1, 1919, in Durham. They planned to move to Australia later.
Samuel and Kitty had a daughter named Victoria Catherine Sarah Pearse. She was born in February 1920, after her father had died. Kitty and Victoria later moved to Australia in May 1920. Kitty then married Albert Rose.
