Samuel Pearse, VC
(16 July 1897 - 29 August 1919)
Samuel was born in Glamorganshire, Wales. He was educated at Penarth Grammar School. He emigrated to Australia in 1911. He joined the 9th Reinforcement for the 7th Battalion in Gallipoli. He spent 2 weeks in Gallipoli before the evacuation. He went to Belgium in 1917, where he was awarded the Military Medal.
Samuel joined the North Russia Relief Force in 1918 with the British Royal Fusiliers. He was a sergeant in the 45th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers.
In 1919, Samuel Pearse died and was awarded a posthumous VC in the following circumstances:
"For his most conspicuous bravery, devotion to duty and self-sacrifice during the operation against the enemy [Bolsheviks] battery position north of Emtsa, North Russia on 29 August 1919. Samuel Pearse cut his way through barbed wire under heavy machine gun fire and rifle fire and cleared a way for 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 the bombs. This gallant officer met his death a minute later and it was due to him that the position was carried with so few casualties."
-The London Gazette, 21 October 1919
