Trafford

Born  on the 15th August 1892, the elder son of Stanley & Edith Sarah L.
Pearson (nee Taylor).    Birth registered during the September quarter 1892
- at Altrincham R.D. - ref: 8a/192.   They later resided at "Park Hill",
Park Road, Hale.

1901 Census - No Trace of Francis or his parents.

1911 Census - Sedgwick House, Sedbergh, Yorkshire.    LISTED AS GILBERT
PEARSON - Boarder - aged: 18 - born: Hale, Cheshire.    Head - Frederick
Lemarchand - Married - aged: 48 - occ: Public School Master - born:
Colombo, Ceylon.    Violet Lemarchand - Wife - aged: 37 - born:
Warwickshire.

His parents lived at "Park Hill", Park Road, Hale, Cheshire.    Stanley
Pearson - Married  - aged: 61 - occ: Chartered Accountant - born:
Stalybridge, Lancashire.    Edith S.L. Pearson - Wife - aged: 46 - born:
Birmingham.   Plus 2 daughters, 1 son and 4 servants.    

His father was of the firm of Messrs. Halliday Pearson & Co, Chartered
Accountants, Manchester.

Educated at Sedbergh School - No. 1610 in the School register, leaving in
April 1911.   His brother also attended Sedbergh School.

MIC - Originally served in the 24th Bn Royal Fusiliers.   Drafted to France
on the 16th November 1915.   Awarded BWM - 15 Star - Victory.

Enlisted in November 1914 as a Private in the Sportsman's Bn. Royal
Fusiliers, where he obtained a commission and became a Machine Gun Officer.
      Transferred to the R.F.C. on the 28th January 1917.

He was seriously wounded by a bomb explosion on the 6th July and died on
the 10th.    Listed as Gilbert F. Pearson on the Roll of Honour.    The
Sedbergh School Register states that he Died of Wounds on the 13th July
1917, however, the R.F.C. Roll of Honour and the CWGC both state that he
died on the 10th.    The Roll of Honour also states that he died of
wounds.

Death reported in the 17/07/1917  edition of the Altrinchazm Garw

10 Squadron - R.A.F. was formed on the 1st January 1915 at Farnborough.  
They moved to Brooklands on the 8th January 1915 - to Hounslow on the 1st
April 1915 - to Netheravon on the 7th April 1915.    Moving to France, they
went to St-Omer on the 27th July 1915 - to Aire on the 30th July 1915, then
to Chocques on the 7th August 1915.    10 Squadron stayed at Chocques until
18th November 1917 when they moved to Abeele.

They had at their disposal a variety of aircraft - they started with
Longhorn's, Shorthorn's, Bleriot XI's, Martinsyde S.1's and BE 2C's. In
June 1916 they moved onto BE 12's; in July 1916 - BE 2D's; in December 1916
- BE 2E's; in January 1917 - BE 2F's and BE 2G's; and in July 1917 - AW FK
8's.

Mentioned in the Royal Flying Corps Communiqués of 1915 - 1918.   The
R.F.C. Communiqué No. 46 (1st - 9th August 1916)      5th August 1916 -
"On the 1st & 2nd Brigades' fronts, some successful co-operation was
accomplished.   Lt. F.R. Hardie and Lt. F.G. Pearson working with the 136th
Heavies engaged a hostile battery of four guns firing on our trenches.    
Eighteen O.Ks were obtained and an ammunition store was set on fire.   The
ammunition continued to explode for over an hour.   The explosions were
confirmed by 10 K.B.S. Observers and forward Artillery Observing Officers. 
   There are other references of a Lt. Pearson, but no initials are given,
so it is not possible to confirm whether it is him or not.

Death reported in the 17/07/1917 edition of the Altrincham Guardian.

According to his MIC, his father later resided at Eryl Tryn, Bodafon,
Llandudno.

Listed in the Guardian Year Book - Roll of Honour for 1918.

Commemorated on the family gravestone in Hale Unitarian Chapel Yard.  His
father - Stanley Pearson died on the 22nd January 1936 - aged: 86 years.