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Major Frederick Philip Harvey PEARSE (113574)
C Company, 1/8th (Salford) Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers Date of birth: 15th August 1912 Date of death: 28th April 1944 Killed in action aged 31 Buried at Kohima War Cemetery Plot I Row A Grave 14
Frederick Philip Harvey Pearse was born at West Norwood in South London on the 15th of August 1912 the son of Arthur Ernest Pearse, Chief Mechanical Engineer for the East India Railway, and of Amy (nee Shattock) Pearse. He was christened at St Peter’s Church, Streatham on the 12th of September 1912. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Gibbs House from September 1926 to July 1931. He gained his School Certificate in 1928. He was a member of the Fives Team in 1929 and 1930, the Athletic Team in 1930 and 1931, the Squash Team in 1930 and 1931. He shot in the Ashburton in 1931. He was a member of the Cricket XI in 1930 and 1931 being Captain in 1931 and the Football XI in 1929 and 1930 being Captain in the latter year. The Lancing College Magazine wrote of his 1930 cricket season: - "Judged by his form as a colt, he was disappointing. His batting, especially in back play, is hadicapped by faulty footwork. As first change bowler he was not often able to go on under conditions favourable to himself. Good field." He served as a Cadet Officer in the Officer Training Corps achieving Certificate A in November 1928 and was appointed as a House Captain, a Prefect and as Head of House in 1930. On leaving school he joined Agricultural Engineers Ltd, Messrs. Howard of Bedford. In November 1933 he joined the Monopolies Department of the Colonial Office in Singapore. He continued to be an enthusiastic sportsman, joining the Singapore Cricket Club (SCC) in 1934 where he opened the batting for the Cricket XI. He was appointed as Vice Captain in January 1936 and was their Captain for the 1937 season. He also played in their Football XI, his first game for them being on the 16th of September 1935. He also represented the SCC at rugby representing them in the Malaya Cup final against Johore in November 1936. In October 1934 he won the Griff Cup in at the Tanglin Tennis Club tournament with Mr. M.W.F. Tweedie as his partner. By 1937 he was serving as a Police Officer. On the outbreak of war he enlisted in the army and was sent for officer training to the 164th Officer Training Unit from where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment on the 14th of January 1940. He transferred to the Lancashire Fusiliers and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 5th of July 1941. He was married at Aldershot in 1941 to Genevieve (nee de La Chaise), of Hawley in Hampshire. In April 1944 the British High Command discovered that the Japanese were attempting to infiltrate British positions to the west of their positions at Kohima and as a result General Grover ordered the 1/8th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers and the 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment to surprise them. On the night of the 27th /28th of April 1944 they marched at night down a valley and up the steep sides of Merema Ridge. During the subsequent fighting Frederick Pearse was killed at the head of his Company, leading an attack on the position of Firs Hill. Despite fierce fighting the attack was a failure with the Lancashire Fusiliers suffering casualties of seven Officers and twenty four other ranks killed with another seven officers and ninety other ranks being wounded.

Gibbs House