Samuel George Pearse

He cut through wire and silenced a blockhouse under gunfire.

Samuel George Pearse was born on 16 July 1897 at Penarth in Wales. Around 1911 he travelled to Australia with his father and a brother, and the family settled at Koorlong near Mildura, Victoria. Before military service he worked in fruit-picking, labouring and trapping, and aboard the paddle-steamer Viola.

After two years with the 73rd Infantry of the Citizen Military Forces, Pearse enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Melbourne on 5 July 1915, shortly before his eighteenth birthday. He sailed on the Star of Victoria on 10 September with reinforcements for the 7th Battalion. He served briefly at Gallipoli in December, returned to Egypt and reached France in March 1916.

In August 1916 he transferred to the 2nd Machine-Gun Company, later incorporated into the 1st Machine-Gun Battalion. He was wounded twice on the Western Front. During the fighting near Ypres in September 1917, his courage earned the Military Medal. His actions included an attack on an enemy post and dangerous work as a runner. Promoted to lance corporal that November and corporal in April 1918, he was evacuated to England after his second wound in May. He returned to his unit after the Armistice.

On 1 June 1919, at Durham, he married Catherine Knox, who had served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Pearse was discharged from the AIF in Britain on 18 July 1919 and joined the British Army's 45th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, for service with the North Russia Relief Force. He served there as a sergeant.

On 29 August 1919, during an attack on an enemy battery position north of Emtsa, Pearse cut through barbed wire under intense machine-gun and rifle fire, opening a route for the attacking troops. A blockhouse was inflicting casualties and obstructing the advance. He assaulted it alone and killed its occupants with grenades. He was killed a minute later, aged 22. His actions helped the troops capture the position with few casualties and brought a posthumous Victoria Cross. His life and military career ended in this action.

Official Victoria Cross citation London Gazette, 23 October 1919

The late 133002 Serjeant Samuel George Pearse, M.M., 45th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (Mildura, Australia).

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.

Serjeant Pearse cut his way through the enemy barbed wire under very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire and cleared a way for the troops to enter the 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.