John Leslie PEARSON

PEARSON, John Leslie

Service Number: 345
Enlisted: 19 June 1916
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 3rd Machine Gun Battalion
Born: Yarragon, Victoria, Australia, October 1898
Home Town: Yarragon, Baw Baw, Victoria
Schooling: Yarragon State School, Victoria, Australia
Occupation: Farm hand
Died: Killed in Action, France, 15 April 1918
Cemetery: Bonnay Communal Cemetery Extension
(Row A, Grave No. 14), Bonnay Communal Cemetery Extension, Picardie, France
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Yarragon War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

19 Jun 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 345, 12th Machine Gun Company
16 Aug 1916: Involvement Private, 345, 12th Machine Gun Company, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Orontes embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: ''
16 Aug 1916: Embarked Private, 345, 12th Machine Gun Company, RMS Orontes, Melbourne
15 Apr 1918: Involvement Private, 345, 3rd Machine Gun Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 345 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Machine Gun Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-04-15

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

At 19 years and 6 months of age he was the youngest of three brothers from Yarragon in Victoria killed in action in France. His brother 1114 Private George Charles Pearson, 31st Battalion, was killed in action on 21 July 1916 at Fromelles, aged 24 years and another brother 3900 Pte Robert Fearnley Pearson, 6th Battalion, killed in action 3 days later at Pozieres aged 26 years. 

A nephew, 2795 Sergeant William Francis Skinner, D Company, 59th Battalion, of Gippsland, Victoria was killed in action on 31 August 1918, near Peronne, France, aged 20 years.

His father stated on his Roll of Honour form, “He had 2 brothers, 2 cousins and a nephew killed.”

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