30 – Alfred Pearson Enlists in World War 1, Part 1: 27 September 2024

Alfred Pearson was born on 5 May 1893 at his parents’ home at 12 Stockbridge Avenue, Everton, Liverpool.  Alfred was baptized around the corner from where he was born in Saint Saviour Church, Everton.

This is a photo of Stockbridge Avenue as it was on 25 September 2024.

Nearly 100 years after Alfred died, Stockbridge Avenue has not yet been populated by wealthy, inner city dwellers.

Alfred’s father Thomas Pearson was a Hanson cab driver – the kind of horse drawn cab often shown in Sherlock Holmes movies.  

Alfred’s mother Jane Scott was the daughter of John Scott.  John had fled Ireland in the 1840s to escape the Potato Famine and earned a living by labouring in a timber yard in Birkenhead.

This is a photo of Saint George Church Everton which I took on 25 September 2024.

Saint George Church is – literally - around the corner from where Alfred lived in Stockbridge Avenue.  It is certain that he and his family regularly worshipped in Saint George even though he was baptized in Saint Saviour.  Saint Saviour is no longer a consecrated church.

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Alfred tried to enlist in the King’s Own Liverpool Regiment on 31 August 1914, but like thousands of others, he was sent home because the numbers trying to volunteer were far in excess of the capacity for enlistment processing.

Alfred managed to enlist for the duration of the war in the 18^th Battalion of the King’s Own Liverpool Regiment on 2 September 1914.  When he enlisted, he was a teacher at Boaler Street School.

This photo of the mass enlistment in the Liverpool Pals Battalions is provided by courtesy of https://liverpoolpals.com

 

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Alfred and his Battalion were shipped to France on SS Invicta on 7 November 1915.  Alfred suffered a shrapnel wound on 12 January 1916 and spent 3 days in a field ambulance and then returned to duty.

Between the arrival in France on 7 November 1915 of the 17^th, 18^th, 19^th and 20^th Battalions of the King’s Own Liverpool Regiment (the Liverpool Pals Battalions) and 30 June 1916, the Pals suffered 140 deaths while on active service.   

Alfred died on 1 July 1916 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.  He was one of 225 soldiers from the Liverpool Pals who died on that dreadful day.  An additional 32 soldiers from the Liverpool Pals were wounded on 1 July 1916, but died after 1 July. 

Although 1 July 1916 was the first day of the Battle of the Somme, it was NOT the day on which the Liverpool Pals suffered their highest casualties.  450 Liverpool Pals soldiers died on 30 July 1916 in battles to take the village of Guillemont; this was the highest death toll the Pals suffered on any single day.

Apart from the memorial to Alfred which is located in the Chapel at Cheshire University, Alfred and the thousands of other Pals who died in World War 1, are also honoured in the Liverpool City Council Building.

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Liverpool Pals has ensured the installation of a dedicated two part sculpted memorial to the Liverpool Pals Battalions at Liverpool Lime Street Station.  The memorial is by Liverpool artist Tom Murphy and it is on the wall at Liverpool Lime Street Station. 

The Panel next to the wall sculptures says this.

The Liverpool Pls Unveiled by HRH The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO On 31st August 2014   Between August and November 1914 more than 6,000 men and boys mainly from the business community of Liverpool, answered Lord Derby’s call for volunteers to join his “Liverpool Pals” battalions, with some 1050 enlisting at St George’s Hall at the very first opportunity on 31st August 1914.   Four battalions, the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Battalions of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, were formed together with two reserve battalions, the 21st and 22nd.   Over 2800 men died as Liverpool Pals during the course of the Great War and the campaign in Russia. The remainder returned home, many wounded, to pick up the pieces of their lives.   This frieze tells the story of their euphoric reception at St George’s Hall; and the Cenotaph during present day Remembrance commemorations.   This memorial is a handsome tribute to the Liverpool Pals – the first Pals battalions formed and the last to be stood down.  May it stand for many years to come as a testament to the memory of every Liverpool Pal, ensuring they are never forgotten.   The Liverpool Pals Memorial Fund would like to thank everybody who helped to place this memorial to these brave men.

 

These photos of the memorial were taken by me today (Friday 27 September 2024).  The two separate panels show the Pals departing after enlistment and then returning after the war had finally finished.

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Today, I had the great pleasure and honour of a personal introduction to the Liverpool Pals memorial by Mt Tony Wainwright, Secretary of Liverpool Pals. 

Tony is not only highly intelligent, he is also truly honourable and decent. 

Thank you, Tony, for lunching with me, for showing me the work done by Liverpool Pals and for demonstrating yet again why the world somehow manages to keep functioning despite all of its multiple problems.

Decent human beings like Tony exist everywhere, usually uncelebrated.  They quietly and efficiently ensure that what is needed to ensure the continued existence of love and compassion in the world is provided, simply by living the lives of love and compassion that we should all live.

God bless you Tony and thank you for an uplifting day.