Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Edward and Edith Ann Pearson; husband of Helen Thompson Pearson, of Ballina.

SUICIDE
BY A.I.F.
PRIVATE
BALLINA, Friday. — A finding that George James Pearson, 31, a private in the A.I.F., had died from a gunshot wound in the head wilfully inflicted by himself at Ballina on September 18, was returned by the District Coroner (Mr. A. J. Bryant) at an inquest in Ballina today. The Coroner expressed the sympathy of the court with the widow and relatives of Pte. Pearson. Walter Francis Yeates, G.M.O. Ballina, said that on September 18 he was called to the residence Pearson and in the laundry saw the body of Pearson lying on the floor with a shot-gun lying along his body. Pearson was dressed in military trousers, boots and shirt. Dr. Yeates said Pearson was dead and he went to the police, leaving instructions that the body must not be disturbed. There was a wound in the roof of the mouth,  and about half the skull was blown away on the right hand side. "I would say the wound was caused by the gun being placed in his mouth. There were no other marks of violence," said Dr. Yeates. "In my opinion," continued Dr. Yeates, "the wound could only have been self inflicted. I would say he was standing up when the gun was fired. Death was instantaneous." Sergt. F. Carroll, of Ballina, said that about 4.5 p.m. on September 18 Dr. Yeates came to the police station and said a soldier named Pearson had shot himself. He visited the house with Dr. Yeates and went into the wash-house. He gave corroborative evidence of the position of the body. On September 21, continued Sgt. Carroll, Mr. G. F. Newlands gave him a note which he said had been found by Mrs. James in a pair of trousers that were in a kit bag belonging to Pearson.
The note, which waa read by the Coroner, said : "I can't keep going; God bless Ella and the kiddies, Mum and Dad. George." Pearson, said Sgt. Carroll, had his right thumb bandaged and the doctor on examining it found an old whitlow, which was nearly cured. Hubert Whick, a seaman, of Bagot-street, said he heard some children calling out for his wife. He went outside and the eldest boy (Athol)  said: "Our father shot himself when he was in the wash-house." Mrs. Mary Ann Hampton, of Tamar-street, said she spoke to Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Newlands as they passed her house. They had not been gone long, she said, when she heard a loud report and, after a few minutes, Betty Pearson came along Tamar-street and asked where her mother was. Mrs. Louisa Mary James, of River-street, said she found the note produced in court in the left pocket of a military pair of trousers which were included in clothing belonging to Pearson which she had taken home to wash. Widow's Evidence Mrs. Helen Thompson Pearson, widow of Pte. Pearson, said that before her husband enlisted in June, 1942, he was working on his father's farm at Eltham. After his enlistment she had lived at Ballina. Before enlisting her husband was a member of McLean's Ridges V.D.C. and was in the habit of taking the shot gun to drill. The gun had been taken by her husband to Ballina and kept in the washhouse, and she could not say whether there was a cartridge in it. He used to write regularly from camp until his thumb became bad. He was in a camp hospital for five weeks, but returned to Ballina on  September 17 and was in good spirits on arrival and overjoyed to see the children. She went to Lismore with him the next day and returned to Ballina about 3 p.m. She had suggested to her husband that she and her mother should telephone his father and arrange for a visit to Ballina on Sunday. While waiting for the call her daughter Betty had come screaming "Daddy has shot himself." Mrs. Pearson said she returned home and saw her husband lying on the washhouse floor. He did not answer when she spoke to him. She recognised the handwriting in the note as her husband's. She could not give any reason why her husband should take his life. Some time ago he had had a nervous attack and had been treated by a doctor. The trousers in which the note had been found had not been worn since he returned to Ballina. The Coroner (Mr. A. J. Bryant) said there seemed to be no doubt that Pearson had wilfully taken his own life. Whether he had decided to do so on some previous  occasion and had reconsidered his decision could not be definitely stated, but he seemed to have done so. The evidence did not disclose any reason why he had taken his own life.