Samuel George Pearse | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Private Samuel Pearse c.1915 | |
| Born | 16 July 1897 Penarth, Glamorganshire, Wales |
| Died | 29 August 1919 (aged 22) north of Emtsa, Russia |
| Buried | Obozerskay |
| Allegiance | Australia United Kingdom |
| Service | Australian Imperial Force (1913–19) British Army (1919) |
| Years of service | 1913–1919 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | 73rd Battalion 7th Battalion 1st Machine Gun Battalion 45th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers |
| Battles / wars | First World War Russian Civil War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Military Medal |
Samuel George Pearse, VC, MM (16 July 1897 – 29 August 1919) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Serving in the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, he saw action during the final weeks of the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915 and later on the Western Front from 1916 to 1918. Following the Armistice he fought as part of the North Russia Relief Force with the British Army during the North Russia Campaign in 1919. He was killed after charging a machine gun post during an action at Emtsa, in North Russia, for which he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.