In Heworth St. Mary Churchyard is the Commonwealth War Grave with a private headstone of T/31320 Driver Henry Pearson serving with the Royal Army Service Corps who died 26/05/1919.
The CWGC commissioned a new headstone in 1980 due to the damage to this and other memorials. CWGC documentation bears a handwritten note “This burial is now commemorated by a new single Special Memorial” dated 14 July 1980.
This headstone reads:
1914-1918
1939-1945
Those honoured here
died in the service
of their country
and lie buried
in this churchyard
Gunner E.J. Bilby
Royal Artillery 9.9.1939
Driver H. Pearson
Royal Army Service Corps 26.5.1919
Private W. Rowley
King’s Own Scottish Borderers 7.4.1916
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Henry Pearson was born at Heworth, Gateshead, historically in County Durham in 1888, one of 8 known children, 5 sons and 3 daughters, born to James Oliver Pearson of Kirk Merrington, County Durham, born 1849 and his second wife Jane Reed Forster born 1864 native of Benton, Northumberland, whom he married February 8th 1886 at Heworth.
Henry had a half brother Alfred F. Pearson born at Gateshead in 1882, from his father’s first marriage. In 1891 James Oliver, his wife and children were living at High Lane, Heworth where he was employed as a stone quarry-man also living with them was a widower, Septimus Carr, a joiner cartwright and also the local preacher. Alfred (19) who was not listed with them in 1891 had returned to live with the family by 1901, now at 21, Rowlandson Terrace and was also employed as a stone quarry-man, he and his father were the only bread winners. Henry aged 12 was a scholar, he attended High Felling Council School.
At the age of 23 years Henry Pearson enlisted January 23rd 1912 and was assigned as Driver T/31320 to the Army Service Corps. The Army Service Corps received the Royal prefix in 1918. On the outbreak of war he was mobilized and embarked, October 5th 1914 to serve overseas. The job of the A.S.C. was to maintain the supply line distribution of food, equipment and ammunition, using horsed and motor vehicles, railways and waterways. The letter T in front of Driver Pearson’s regimental number indicates he was part of the Horse Transport section, most of which were under the orders of Divisions, he would have been based at the port of entry to a theatre of war.
Records available indicate that Driver Henry Pearson was discharged from the A.S.C. December 11th 1915 due to sickness, under King’s Regulations 392(xvi), no longer physically fit for service. He was awarded Silver Badge number 30519 after its introduction, September 1916, along with an official certificate of entitlement. Introduced as an award for having received wounds or injury during war service, a secondary cause was that a practice had developed of some women publicly confronting and embarrassing men of fighting age who were not in military uniform presenting them with white feathers, a suggestion of cowardice, as many discharged men from their outward appearance were not obviously infirm.
Driver T/31320 Henry Pearson R.A.S.C. died May 26th 1919 as a consequence of wounds/injuries sustained during the 1914-1919 conflict. Buried in an unmarked grave within Heworth St. Mary Churchyard his sacrifice is recorded on a special memorial headstone along with one other WW1 and a WW2 casualty H92.06
Awards; 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Henry Pearson is remembered at Felling on F32.23 and at Heworth on H92.03 and H92.06.
