| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John was born in Beverley the 16 Feb 1895 the son of John Pearson and Elizabeth (nee Cook), who lived at 128 Walkergate, Beverley. He was working as a blacksmiths striker at the tannery in Beverley when he enlisted into the Royal Navy in Portsmouth on 6 Jun 1913, signing on for 12 years’ service. At the time of the outbreak of war in 1914, he was serving at the naval base HMS Victory as a 1st class Stoker. From Oct 1915 until Oct 1916 he served on the battleship HMS King George V, which was the flagship assigned to the Home and Grand Fleet, her main role was patrols and training.
On 31 May 1916 at the Battle of Jutland the George V was the lead ship of the battle line, and fired two salvoes for a total of nine shells at the German Cruiser SMS Derffinger, but had to turn away to avoid attack by destroyers and had to turn again to avoid a cruiser squadron. This was the only time she fired her guns at the battle. By the end of the 1918 John was back serving at the naval base of HMS Victory at Porstmouth, he received the 1914-15 Star, British Medal and the Victory Medal and was invalided out of the Navy on 8 Oct 1924
In July 1930 he married Edith Alice Anderson, of 57 Witty Street, Hull, their daughter Doreen was born the 2 Jun 1931 and in 1936 when they were living at 6 Hengate, Beverley their son John was born. During the Second World War John, aged 44, served as an Air Raid Warden in Beverley. He died in 1966 aged 70.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |