William Morgan Solloway and John Eric Pearson
The Gaza War Cemetery and Swansea’s Fallen
credit - Commonwealth War Gaves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Statement — 14 October
2025
“The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is deeply
concerned about the condition of its cemeteries in Gaza, including Gaza War
Cemetery and Deir El Belah War Cemetery, following recent hostilities in the
region.
Our primary concern remains the welfare of our people and
their families (currently relocated in Egypt) and the dignity and preservation
of the final resting places of those who served and died in the two World Wars.
Our recent, remote assessments have indicated that both
cemeteries have sustained significant damage. However, the overall integrity of
the sites has been maintained. We are committed to restoring the cemeteries to
the high standards expected of the CWGC as soon as it is safe and practical to
do so.
We will provide further updates as the situation develops
and as access to the cemeteries improves.”
There are 2,696 burials at Gaza War Cemetery, dating
from both the First and Second World Wars. Among those laid to rest there are
two men from Swansea: Private William Morgan Solloway and Serjeant
John Eric Pearson.
Private William Morgan Solloway
Early Life
 |
| 1901 Census |
William Morgan Solloway was born in 1894 in Swansea, the son of Isiah Solloway and Sarah Davies.
At the time of the 1901 Census, the family lived at 237 Carmarthen Road, where Isiah, aged 38 and born in Scotland, was employed at a furnace. Sarah, also 38, managed the household. Their children were Maray A. (12), Benjamin (10), Phoebe Alice (8), William M. (6), and David G. (4).
 |
| 1911 Census |
By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 237 Cumdu, Cumburla. Isiah, now 48, worked as a Copper Worker, while Sarah was 49. Their children included Ben (21) and Willie (17), both Tinworkers; Phoebe (19), a Shop Assistant; and Edwin (10) and Ada (7), who attended school.
Military Service
William enlisted in the Welsh Regiment, serving with
the 1st/5th Battalion — a Territorial Force unit
that formed part of the 158th (North Wales) Brigade, within the 53rd
(Welsh) Division of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF).
The battalion had already endured a long and arduous
campaign. It landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli in 1915, later fighting
across Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, and Palestine. By early
1918, the men of the 1/5th Welsh Regiment were stationed north of Jerusalem,
holding the line in mountainous terrain after the city’s capture in December
1917.
Actions in June 1918
By the summer of 1918, the 1st/5th Battalion
was part of a battle-weary division tasked with defending the approaches to
Jerusalem and maintaining pressure on Ottoman positions along the Jerusalem–Nablus
road.
The men faced harsh conditions: intense heat, water
shortages, and relentless disease. The terrain was unforgiving — rocky
ridges and dry wadis, where every patrol risked sniper fire or ambush. The
battalion’s role in June was one of endurance and vigilance, conducting patrols
and local raids while strengthening defensive positions.
The 53rd (Welsh) Division’s war diary for
this period records frequent enemy shelling and small-scale attacks around El
Jib, Tell el Ful, and Bireh. These actions, though limited in
scale, were vital in keeping the Ottoman Army contained and preparing for the
later Megiddo offensive that would end the campaign.
It was during this period that Private William Morgan
Solloway was wounded. He was likely evacuated from the front to a field
hospital in Egypt, where he died of his wounds on 17th June 1918.
Burial
 |
| Army Register of Soldiers' Effects |
Private Solloway is buried in the Gaza War Cemetery, among comrades who served and died in the Middle Eastern theatre. His grave marks the sacrifice of a young man from Swansea who followed his regiment from the hills of Wales to the deserts of the Holy Land.
Legacy
Though the actions of June 1918 did not involve grand
offensives, they demanded courage and endurance. Men like William Solloway held
their positions under constant strain, ensuring that the line held firm until
the final advance later that year. His service and sacrifice reflect the quiet
heroism of the many Welsh soldiers who fought far from home, in one of the most
difficult campaigns of the Great War.
Serjeant John Eric Pearson
Early Life
John Eric Pearson was born in 1891 in Fazeley,
Staffordshire, the son of Frederick George Pearson and Elizabeth
Anne Walters.
 |
| 1901 Census |
In 1901, the family lived at 5 Gold Street, Roath, Cardiff. Frederick (47), born in Staffordshire, worked as a Tile Manufacturer, while Elizabeth (40), from Cornwall, managed the household. Their children were Lillian F. (15), Gwendoline (13), Vernon G. F. (11), Eric J. (9), and Lionel R. (6) — with John recorded by his middle name.
 |
| 1911 Census |
By 1911, the family had moved to Napton Rugby, Napton-on-the-Hill, Warwickshire. Frederick (55) was a Brick & Tile Works Manager, and Elizabeth was 49. Their children included Vernon George (22), a Tile Works Contractor; John Eric (20), an Odd Stuff Maker at the same works; and Lionel Rose (17), a Fitter.
 |
| 1921 Census |
By the time of the 1921 Census, Frederick and Elizabeth had settled in Effingham, Mayals, Swansea, establishing the family’s connection to the city.
Military Service
John served as a Serjeant in the Warwickshire Yeomanry,
“B” Squadron, 1st/1st Battalion, a Territorial Force cavalry
regiment. The Yeomanry were part of the 5th Mounted Brigade, within the Yeomanry
Mounted Division, later known as the 2nd Mounted Division,
serving under the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the Sinai and
Palestine campaigns.
During the Third Battle of Gaza (1–7 November 1917),
the Warwickshire Yeomanry took part in the British advance that finally broke
Ottoman resistance after months of stalemate. The regiment was then involved in
one of the most dramatic cavalry actions of the war — the Charge at Huj
on 8th November 1917.
At Huj, an Ottoman rearguard, supported by artillery and
machine guns, attempted to delay the British advance following the fall of
Gaza. In a bold and costly assault, around 190 men of the Warwickshire and
Worcestershire Yeomanry charged the enemy position at full gallop under
heavy fire. They overran the defences, capturing 11 guns, 4 machine guns,
and 70 prisoners, though at terrible cost — 36 men killed, 57
wounded, and 110 horses lost. It was one of the last successful
mounted charges in British military history.
It was during this fierce action that Serjeant John Eric
Pearson was killed in action on 8th November 1917,
leading his men in the final phase of the battle.
Burial
 |
| Army Register of Soldiers' Effects |
He is buried in the Gaza War Cemetery, resting among the many soldiers of the British Empire who fell during the campaign in Palestine.
Legacy
Serjeant Pearson’s death came in one of the most daring
cavalry charges of the First World War — a moment of bravery and tradition at
the twilight of mounted warfare. His family’s later connection to Swansea
ensures that his name, like that of William Solloway, is remembered not only
where he fell, but also in the community from which he came.
Conclusion
The graves of Private William Morgan Solloway and Serjeant
John Eric Pearson lie thousands of miles from Swansea, in the sands of
Gaza. Yet their stories remain part of the city’s history — young men who
served with courage and dignity, representing Wales in a campaign far from
home.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission continues to
preserve their resting places, ensuring that even amid conflict and change,
their memory endures.
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