GORDON PEARCE

Private Gordon Pearce was another casualty of the disaster at Passchendaele. He had been born in Kaiapoi in 1896 and worked as a carpenter before his enlistment in May 1916. While training at Featherston, he had overstayed his leave pass in July 1916, a not uncommon occurrence, for which he was required to forfeit one day's pay. He arrived in France in November 1916, and in January 1917 was detached to Divisional Headquarters for some time fusing artillery shells. He rejoined in unit in August 1917. On 12 October he sustained multiple bullet wounds to his left side, elbow and abdomen, and was unable to be evacuated to an Australian field ambulance station until the next day. Despite being evacuated to a Canadian Casualty Clearing Station on that day, he lingered before dying of his wounds two days later on 15 October 1917. He is buried nearby (see photo below) with 10,750 other soldiers in the picturesque Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery near Poperinge.

Back to The Men from Papanui