John Eric Pearson – Warwickshire Yeomanry, “B” Squadron, 1st/1st Battalion

Serjeant John Eric Pearson – Warwickshire Yeomanry, “B” Squadron, 1^st/1^st Battalion

Early Life

John Eric Pearson was born in 1891 at Fazeley, Staffordshire, the son of Frederick George Pearson and Elizabeth Anne Walters.

1901 Census

In 1901 Census, the Pearson family were living at 5 Gold Street, Roath, Cardiff. Frederick Pearson (47), born in Staffordshire, was employed as a tile manufacturer, while his wife Elizabeth (40), born in 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 the 1911 Census, the family had moved to Napton-on-the-Hill, near Rugby, Warwickshire. Frederick (55) was working as a brick and tile works manager, while Elizabeth (49) remained at home. Their children included Vernon George (22), a tile works contractor; John Eric (20), employed as 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 Pearson had settled in Effingham, Mayals, Swansea, establishing the family’s connection with the city.

Military Service

John Eric Pearson served as a Serjeant in the Warwickshire Yeomanry, “B” Squadron, 1^st/1^st Battalion, a Territorial Force cavalry regiment. The regiment formed 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.

The Gaza Campaign and the Charge at Huj

During the Third Battle of Gaza (1^st–7^th November 1917), the Warwickshire Yeomanry took part in the British advance that finally broke Ottoman resistance after months of stalemate. On 8 November 1917, following the fall of Gaza, the regiment was involved in one of the most dramatic cavalry actions of the war — the Charge at Huj.

At Huj, an Ottoman rearguard supported by artillery and machine guns attempted to delay the British advance. In a bold and costly assault, around 190 men of the Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry charged the enemy positions at full gallop under intense fire. They succeeded in overrunning the defences, capturing 11 guns, 4 machine guns, and 70 prisoners, though at heavy cost — 36 men killed, 57 wounded, and 110 horses lost. The charge is remembered as one of the last successful mounted cavalry actions in British military history.

It was during this fierce engagement, while leading his men, that Serjeant John Eric Pearson was killed in action on 8^th November 1917.

Burial

Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects

According to the Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects, Serjeant Pearson is buried in the Gaza War Cemetery, resting among many soldiers of the British Empire who fell during the Palestine campaign.

Legacy

Serjeant Pearson’s death occurred during one of the most daring cavalry actions of the First World War, marking the twilight of traditional mounted warfare. Through his family’s later settlement in Swansea, his sacrifice is remembered both where he fell and in the community that became his family’s home.