PEARCE, Joseph William, MC (1886-1917)
Joseph William Pearce was born on 14 February, 1886, the elder son of Isaiah Pearce and Anna Maria nee Catah, of Ballarat. He was educated at Golden Point State School, before his enrolment as a boarder at Geelong College on 15 March 1900. His address at the time was Barkly St, Ballarat. He later studied at the Ballarat School of Mines.
Prior to enlistment in the AIF during World War I, he was manager of the North Woah Hawp Mine at Ballarat East. He was on the Southland when she was sunk en route from Alexandria to Lemnos on 2 September, 1915, being the mining engineer in charge of the pumps, he was mentioned in orders ‘for remaining on the ship and leading the auxiliary volunteer party of stokers in order to drive the ship at maximum speed to the nearest land’ .
Bean wrote of his service in the Official History:
'In the Southland, which was then dependent upon the holding of one bulkhead, Captain Kelk had asked for volunteers to stoke the ship, if possible, into port. Accordingly Lieutenant Pearce of the 21st Battalion, with five other officers and twelve men from that and other units, stayed in the ship and, though she was fourteen feet down by the bows, brought her successfully into port. Thirty-two Australians lost their lives, most being drowned. Among them was Colonel Richard Linton, commander of the 6th Brigade, whose boat had been overturned.
When the call for volunteers was made, someone asked the chief engineer of the Southland: ‘Is it good enough?’ I don’t give it much chance but I’ve a wife and kids and its good enough for me, was the reply. The troops immediately volunteered for duty. During part of the journey Pearce was given charge of the engines.’
Eric Carpenter in an article in the Australian War Memorial’s official magazine, Wartime, titled Sunken Hopes, told of this work:
‘A skeleton crew of five officers and twelve men under Captain Harry Crowther and Lieutenant Joe Pearce volunteered to remain with the still-subsiding ship in an attempt to keep the boilers stoked and the limping vessel under way. In the final event, the Southland did make it to port at Mudros Bay by 7 o’clock that evening assisted by HMS Racoon, although by this stage more than four metres down in the bows.’
Pearce was in hospital for some time prior to embarkation for France, where he was wounded in August, 1916, and at the same time awarded the Military Cross, gazetted 20 October, 1916, the citation read:
‘For gallantry and ability in reconnaissance work at Mouquet Farm on the 22nd/23rd August 1916, and also the same day for guiding the relieving troops under heavy fire, when the guides had failed to locate the positions to be occupied. Captain Pearce remained at duty the following day after being wounded twice, until he was ordered to report to the Aid Post. This Officer has previously distinguished himself by his gallant conduct on all occasions that his battalion has been engaged, and was also brought to notice for his plucky work in the engine room of HMT Southland on 2nd September 1915, remaining in charge until port was reached.’
He also received a letter from General Birdwood, headed 1st Anzac Corps, 17 September, 1916:
‘Dear Pearce, This is just a line to congratulate you very heartily upon the award of the Military Cross, which has been made to you in recognition of the good work you did for us during the fighting around Pozieres. I well know how gallantly and ably you carried out reconnaissance work near Mouquet Farm on 22nd and 23rd of last month, and how you helped in guiding the relieving troops under heavy fire when others had been hit and become casualties. I know too, how you remained on duty the whole of the following day, even though you had been twice wounded, and how gallantly you behaved on every possible occasion, perhaps the least conspicuous being on the Southland, when I am fully cognisant of how you remained so pluckily at work in the engine room until the ship was brought into port. Thank you so much for all your good work, which I am so glad has now received this recognition.’
After his wounding, while recuperating in England, he took the chance to visit his father’s birthplace in Cornwall.
Bean wrote of his exploits at Noreuil on 20 March, 1917:
‘As the light was increasing, they presently turned right, towards Noreuil. But this turn was made too soon, with the result that they headed towards the southern, rather than the northern, end of the village. Moving over the spur, they came into such heavy machine-gun fire from left and front that losses were severe. Men tended to fling themselves down, and the advance could only proceed by rushes. Captain Sale tried to organise the centre company into groups which would alternately cover with Lewis-gun fire each other’s advance, but to improvise this system under a sharp fusillade, with officers and NCO’s falling, was no easy matter. When one group rose others, instead of firing, rushed forward also, offering an easy target. At this stage a snow-storm descended, half blotting out the targets, and the advance was stopped, the three companies (under Captains J W Pearce, Frederick Sale, and E M Bland) forming a rough line with its right 500 yards south-west of Noreuil. . . . The three companies of the 21st in front of Noreuil had independently made a second effort. Captain Pearce had suggested to his colleagues that the companies should reorganise in dead ground occupied by his own men near Vraucourt Copse. The second attempt was made after this reorganisation, but was stopped by machine-guns.’
Bean then wrote of Broodseinde on 4 October, 1917:
‘All this fighting left many of the troops for the next stage with little time to reorganise. In spite of this, except on the 1st Division’s right, where it was mixed with the 2nd Gordons, the officers during the halt managed to check direction (near Broodseinde cemetery Pearce after his vain effort to stop them breaking forward, had followed, and brought them back just in time to escape the intensification of the barrage at 8.10) ... The 1st Division’s left brigade (the 2nd), which had to go a quarter of a mile beyond the road, received distant machine-gun fire from the Keiberg. At a dug-out 300 yards down the slope three German officers fired with rifles until they were wounded. Through similar resistance in front of the next brigade (the 6th, of the 2nd Division) a well-known leader, Captain Pearce, was killed as he launched the attack.’
Captain Pearce (21 Battalion) was killed, aged 31, shortly before his compatriot from Geelong College, Captain George Harriott (24 Battalion), at Broodseinde on 4 October, 1917. He has no known grave - his name is commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
‘Joe’ Pearce’s brother, Pte Jack Pearce was awarded the Military Medal while serving with 12th Field Ambulance ‘on 5 April, 1918, when carrying wounded from the RAP situated about three-quarters of a mile south-east of Millencourt during a heavy bombardment which preceded an enemy attack at about 7 am. The carry was a long and dangerous one, and the route almost continuously swept by heavy shell fire.’
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. pp83-86 (citing Pegasus December, 1917; C E W Bean, The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18: Vol. IV. The AIF in France 1917; Eric Carpenter (Australian War Memorial), Wartime Magazine titled Sunken Hopes, Photo Pegasus December, 1917.)