Lieutenant Hughes Henry B Pearson RFA

[high wood]

Can anyone with a Great War period army list, say between 1916 and 1918 please look to see if Lieutenant Hughes Blatcher, served in the Royal Artillery for me please? I cannot find a medal index card for him but his service papers may have survived in WO 339/122444 under the name H. Blatcher. A check of the Army lists should tell if I am on the reight track. In the photograph that I have of him he is a Lieutenant in the RA. He has four overseas chevrons amd what appears to be a 1914/15 star ribbon. The photograph is dated April 1919.

Thank you.

Simon.

[rksimpson]

Hi Simon

There is only 1 H Blatcher with a MIC , in this list - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/search-results.asp?searchType=browserefine&mediaarray=*&first_date=&last_date=&CatID=10&pageCount=2&query=first%5Fname%3D+%7Clast%5Fname%3Dblatcher%7Ccorpname%3D&queryType=1&pageNumber=2&sortSpec=first%5Fdate+desc

Is it possible the photo is post WW1?

THere is a few other Blatcher's in the RA in the above list, but different first names?

regards

Robert

[rflory]

The officer in WO339 is Harold Blatcher. I can find not RA officer with the name "Blatcher" in any of my Army Lists from August 1914 to November 1919. Are you sure that you have read the name on the photograph correctly? Dick Flory

[high wood]

Robert and Dick,

thank you for your help. The problem is that I am trying to read a signature where only the first name is easy to read, Hughes. Using Hughes as my indicator I put the name into FreeBMD and came up with a list of possible names for the right period. Hughes Blatcher stood out as it seemed to match the signature. I thought that I had found a lead.

Births Mar 1880

Cooke Hughes Charles Thorne 9c 721

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Births Jun 1880

WILLIAMS Hughes Oliver Kensington 1a 44

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Births Sep 1881

Pearson Hughes Henry Chelsea 1a 339

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Births Mar 1883

Denton Hughes Wynne West Derby 8b _06

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Births Sep 1883

Hutchinson Hughes Caistor 7a 656

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Births Mar 1884

Hudson Hughes Claxton Stockton 10a 65

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Births Mar 1885

Rosser Hughes Swansea 11a 729

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Births Jun 1885

Blatcher Hughes Woolwich 1d 1150

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Births Dec 1888

COLLINGWOOD Hughes Davies N. Witchford 3b 539

SAWYER Hughes Langridge Croydon 2a 2_0

Taylor Hughes Waine Solihull 6d 579

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Births Jun 1890

Grace Hughes Coventry 6d 509

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Births Jun 1893

Gee Hughes Leslie Greenwich 1d 1093

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Births Sep 1893

Hall Hughes Ronald St. Olave 1d 189

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Births Sep 1896

Kenyon Hughes Sheffield 9c 510

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Births Dec 1896

Bedford Hughes Hessel W. Ham 4a 181

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Births Sep 1897

Reed Hughes Francis C Eastbourne 2b 75

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Births Dec 1897

Walker Hughes Delling Macclesfield 8a 138

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Births Sep 1899

Richardson Hughes Thomas W Gloucester 6a 347

[rflory]

It looks to me like Hughes H B. Peak____. Dick Flory

[IPT]

Here are some artillery officers from Ancestry;

Maj John Hughes Adams RFA

2Lt Herbert Hughes English RFA

Lt Sidney Hughes Evans RGA

Capt Samuel Hughes Fletcher RFA

2Lt Alban John Hughes Francis RGA

Capt CP Hughes Gibb RGA

Maj Wiilfred E Hughes Hallett

Lt Denis William Hughes Johnson

Cpt Reginald Henry Hughes Whitehead RA

None of them look too good.

I agree with Dick that it's Hughes HB, and the "Hughes Pearson" on your list may be;

England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005

Birth, Marriage & Death, including Parish

View Image Name: Hughes H B PearsonDeath: Cuckfield, Sussex, EnglandDeath: Jan-Feb-Mar 1948

[IPT]

The undermentioned Wt. and N.C.O.s.

to be 2nd Lts. for Service in the Field:

ROYAL REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY.

R.H. & R.F.A..

Serjt. Hughes Henry Pearson. 31st

Aug. 1916.

http://www.london-ga...pplements/9719/

[high wood]

Excellent work gentleman and a pretty convincing argument. I cannot find a medal index card for him so he may not have applied for his medals. I have found that he married in Sheffield in 1909 to either a Miss Margaret Hutchinson or a Miss Lily Collins, (difficult to tell which from FreeBMD).

Many thanks.

Simon.

[IPT]

I wonder if this is him retiring from the Indian Army in 1931?

Qr.-Mr. & Capt. H. H. Pearson, D.C.M., M.M.

(R.C. of Sigs., I.A.), retires, 10th May 1931

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/33761/pages/6467/

[rflory]

He evidently went by the name Hughes Henry Pearson during his years in the service.

Lieut. Hughes Henry Pearson

Born on 24 Jul 1881

Served in the ranks for 12 years and 200 days

Discharged on 11 May 1904

Served in mobilized Army Reserve for 2 years and 25 days

Served in France and Belgium fro Feb 1915 to May 1915, Jun 1916 to Aug 1916, Sept 1916 to Dec 1916, Jan 1917 to Oct 1917, and May 1918 to Nov 1918.

2nd Lieut., 31 Aug 16

Lieut., 27 Aug 18

Once wounded

On Half-Pay, 17 Oct 18

Retired, Lieut., RA, 27 Nov 20

Regards, Dick Flory

[IPT]

And latterly a Post Office Night Telephonist and Call Office Attendant

http://www.edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/issues/14354/pages/802/page.pdf

[high wood]

Dick and IPT,

thank you again for the updated information that you have sent. It is much appreciated. Dick, would you like a high resolution copy of his photograph for your archive?

Simon.

[rflory]

Simon: I would very much appreciate a high resolution copy of Lt Pearson's photo. I have sent you a PM with my email address.

[David26]

Simon,

 

I found this thread while researching briefly Lt H H Pearson, so in case the following few details are of any interest:

 

His service number before he was commissioned was 18627.  He served in 58 Bde RFA after being commissioned and was posted from there to 11 DAC on 10 October 1916.  He was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 March 1918.  Lt Pearson was appointed a Quay Officer (Cl. HH) on 1 April 1920 and relinquished that appointment on 17 October 1920, when he was put on the half pay list.  He retired on retirement pay on 27 November 1920. 

 

Regards,

 

David.

[David26]

And @high woodin case it is still of interest after all this time, the lady Hughes Henry Pearson married was Lily Collins.  From his service record and other sources, I hope the following summary of his life and service may be of interest:

 

Hughes Henry Pearson was born in London on 22 Jul 1881, the son of John Henry Pearson and Ada Pearson (née Lester).  In 1891, when he was 9 years old he was lodging with the Dobson family in Chelsea along with his younger brother John.  He was working as a printer’s apprentice and serving in a militia infantry regiment, the 3^rd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment when he enlisted into the RFA at Dover on 24 Aug 1901 and was assigned service number 18627.  He signed on for 7 years with the Colours and then 5 years in the Reserve and was posted to the depot at Woolwich on 27 May 1901.  He was promoted to Bdr on 12 Jan 1907 and to Corporal later that same year on 7 Oct 1907.  On 5 Aug 1909 he chose to extend his service with the Colours to 12 years.  On 6 Dec 1909 he married Lily Collins in St Mary’s church, Sheffield and before the war they had two children: Edna Beatrice May Pearson who was born on 6 Jul 1911 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne while he was stationed at the Military Barracks on Barrack Road, and John Worthington Pearson who was born in Aldershot on 9 Dec 1912.  He was promoted to Sergeant on 3 Feb 1912 and although he signed on to complete 21 years on 28 Dec 1912, he decided to leave the Army and did so on 11 Mar 1914 in Gosport.  He had been serving with 91 Battery RFA in India before this and the previous year had contracted malaria.  When he left the Army his character was described as “exemplary” at that time.  He got a job as a postman and was living at 72 Tillotson Road, Heeley, Sheffield when he enlisted for 4 years into Section D of the Army Reserve at Sheffield on 7 Apr 1914.  He was appointed a Sergeant in the Reserve and shortly after war was declared he was mobilised at Hilsea on 6 Aug 1914.  Two days later he was posted to 140 Battery RFA though a few days later he was posted to 33 Bde RFA on 14 Aug 1914.  On 5 Nov 1914 he was posted to 3B Reserve Bde before being posted to 100 Battery, 31 Bde RFA on Christmas Day 1914.  He may have been serving in that battery when he went to France on 16 Jan 1915 and took part in the Second Battle of Ypres in which he may have been injured because part way through the month-long battle he arrived back in the UK and was posted to 13 May 1915 to 5C Reserve Bde.  He remained in the UK for a year and was described as a “good physical drill and gymnastic instructor and pay clerk”.  On 23 Aug 1916, Sgt Pearson was serving in 315 Bde RFA when he was approved for a permanent commission in the RFA.  He was posted to 11 Divisional Artillery and so left the UK to return to France and joined 11 Division on 31 Aug 1916 at which point his commission as a 2/Lt took effect.  He joined B/58 but was posted to 11 Division Ammunition Column on 10 Oct 1916.  Probably about a year later he was serving in C/165 Bde RFA when he reported sick.  His debility was ascribed to him having had “22 months of continuous front line duty”.  He had a series of medical boards at Lezarde Valley Camp, Le Havre, including on 19 Oct 1917 and 16 Nov 1917.  He complained of attacks of giddiness, headaches and occasional feelings of sickness and the latter board found that he was improved but still very anaemic, debilitated and “war-worn”.  Another medical board held at Lezarde Valley Camp on 4 Apr 1918 found that he was still debilitated and needed a further month at a Base after which the board expected him to be ready for general service.  This diagnosis was confirmed by a medical board held at Harfleur, Le Havre on 6 May 1918 which declared him fit for general service.  He was promoted to Lieutenant during 1918, with different sources stating this occurred either on 1 Mar 1918 or on 27 Aug 1918.  After the Armistice he was appointed a Quay Officer (Class HH) on 1 Apr 1920, a post he relinquished on 17 Oct 1920 and so went onto half pay.  He retired on retirement pay on 27 Nov 1920 and joined the Regular Army Reserve of Officers.  He was living at 28 Dagnall Park, South Norwood, London when he reported for duty at No.4 RFA Depot at Woolwich on 10 Apr 1921 but was informed that his services were not required two weeks later.  In 1939 he and Lily were living in Croydon, Surrey, and he worked as a Night Telephonist with the GPO.  Lily died on 11 Dec 1944 and since Hughes was suffering from angina, his daughter gave up her full-time employment to look after him, so she and her son moved in with Hughes at 41 Adastra Avenue, Hassocks, Sussex.  Hughes’s son-in-law was serving in the RAF in India at the time.  Hughes Pearson died on 16 Jan 1948 in Cuckfield, Sussex, aged 67.