Site Home
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.
If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.
Great War Home
Search
Add Stories & Photos
Library
Help & FAQs
Features
Allied Army
Day by Day
RFC & RAF
Prisoners of War
War at Sea
Training for War
The Battles
Those Who Served
Hospitals
Civilian Service
Women at War
The War Effort
Central Powers Army
Central Powers Navy
Imperial Air Service
Library
World War Two
Submissions
Add Stories & Photos
Time Capsule
Information
Help & FAQs
Glossary
Our Facebook Page
Volunteering
News
Events
Contact us
Great War Books
About
253993Sgt. Alfred Ernest Pearce
British Army 1/7th Btn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers
from:Corwen, Merioneth
(d.10th Aug 1915)
Born in 1893, my Great-uncle Alfie Pearce joined the Merioneth and Montgomery section of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Newtown in July 1914. His unit trained at Kinmel Bay near Abergele, North Wales, after which he was stationed at a number of Army bases in England until the following year.
At the end of July 1915 his Regiment was sent to Gallipoli. It landed at Suvla Bay on the evening of 8th August. Early on the morning of 10th, three Battalions, 1/5th, 1/6th and Alfie's battalion, 1/7th RWF, were sent to relieve 159 Battalion on the front line below Chocolate Hill with a view to advancing a further half mile upwards. Despite gaining the initial advantage of surprise over the Turkish forces on 8th August, the allied troops had been rested for a day, so by the 10th, the Turkish forces had re-grouped and re-armed. In order to reach the trenches, the three Welsh Battalions had to cross a dry salt lake where they encountered extremely heavy fire. Despite widening the line there were heavy casualties, added to which they met the 159 Battalion already retreating. In the chaos, the lines were broken and there were many more losses. Nevertheless the Fusiliers reached the front line and held it for a further two days before being relieved. Much depleted, they were unable to make further progress up the hill as intended.
My Great-uncle was among the casualties that day. His body was never recovered and his name is listed amongst those missing in action on the Memorial overlooking the Dardenelle Straits. I'm sure his story is not unique and that many young soldiers lost their lives prematurely in this and other conflicts.
Related Content:
Can you help us to add to our records?
The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them
Did your relative live through the Great War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial?
If so please let us know.
Do you know the location of a Great War "Roll of Honour?"We are very keen to track down these often forgotten documents and obtain photographs and transcriptions of the names recorded so that they will be available for all to remember.
Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice.
Celebrate your own Family History
Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Great War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc.
Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.
The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers.
This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.
If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.
Hosted by:
Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
- All Rights Reserved -We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.