A unique to unit medal group to Corporal Charles Pearce, a veteran of the Sudan, Boer War and WW1, who served with the British Army in Malta, Egypt, South Africa and India, as well as Gallipoli, Egypt and France with the Australian 28th Battalion.
Queen's Sudan Medal (1899), period engraved 4885 PTE C. PEARCE. 2/R BDE.; Khedive's Sudan Medal (1897), unnamed as issued.; Queens South Africa Medal (1899), with three clasps DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH, LAINGS NEK, BELFAST, impressed named 4885 PTE C. PEARCE. RIFLE BRIGADE.; Kings South Africa Medal (1902), with two clasps SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902, impressed named 4885 PTE C. PEARCE. RIFLE BRIGADE.; 1914 - 15 Star, impressed named 753 PTE C. PEARCE. 28/BN. A.I.F.; British War and Victory Medals, impressed named 753 T/W.O.2. C PEARCE 28 BN. A.I.F. Medals court mounted for display and come with the following: Gallipoli Medalion (1967), named C Pearce.; Rifle Brigade black buttons and collar badge; original British Army Soldiers Handbook, Rifle Brigade handbook, service certificate, uniform photographs with medals (3), marriage certificate, A.I.F. discharge certificate and copy WW1 service documents, medal rolls etc.
Warrant Officer Class Charles Pearce was born in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England in 1879. He enlisted into the Rifle Brigade on 18/1/1897 and was posted to the 2nd Battalion, with whom he served for the next 15 years. He served in Malta 1897 – 1898, being deployed to Egypt 12/7/1898 – 20/9/1898, where the 2nd Battalion fought at the famous Battle of Omdurman, with medal noted in his original record as ‘granted by H.M. Queen 1898’. The battalion then deployed to Crete in the aftermath of the uprising and murder of British soldiers and over 1,000 local Christians serving there from 21/9/1898 – 1/10/1899. On the outbreak of the war in South Africa, he served there from 2/10/99 – 24/9/1902, including at the Defence of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek and Belfast. At the conclusion of the war and having spent nearly three years in country, they were posted to garrison Egypt 25/9/1902 – 23/10/1905, where he obtained his ‘Mounted Infantry’ certificate. On returning home he was posted to the Depot and the Reserve Battalion over Christmas 1905/6 before returning to his old battalion who were now stationed in India. He served in India until taking his discharge in Rawalpindi in August 1912. He emigrated to Western Australia and was working as a labourer in Guildford when he enlisted into ‘B’ Company 28th Battalion on 15/3/1915. He departed Australia on 29/6/1915 bound for Egypt and then onto Gallipoli, landing at Anzac Cove in early September. He remained at Gallipoli until the evacuation, returning to Alexandria 4/1/1916. He deployed to France with the battalion in March 1916, being promoted to Corporal the same day, only to be transferred to the 6th Field Company (Engineers) from 18/7/1916 – 18/8/1916 as Acting C.S.M. He reverted to Corporal on posting to 2nd Division Signalling Company on 18/8/1916. For the remainder of the war, he occupied either a training roll or was posted to Divisional and Corps level signalling positions in England and France. He returned to Australia for discharge in April 1919. Post war he returned to W.A., working in the dairy industry in Kirup, where he remained until his death in June 1941 of tuberculosis. A period newspaper shows a photo of Charles in hospital, with the pen inscription ‘Uncle Charlie’, from his niece.
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