Richard Pearce-Brown was born on the 16th April 1882, at Thorngaby, Yorkshire. At the time of enlisting, he was a bank cashier. Richard Pearce-Brown’s family lived at the 8-roomed house, Traligael in Whitebrook.
At the age of 32 years and 4 months, he joined the Coldstream Guards as Private 13928 Richard Pearce-Brown at Doncaster on 25th November 1914. He was given a commission on April 29th 1915. He transferred to the 4th Battalion Durham Light Infantry as a Second Lieutenant. His commission was gazetted 18th May 1915.
Richard Pearce-Brown entered France on 12th May 1916, and was 34 when he was killed on the Somme in July 1916; He was serving in D. Company 12th Durham Light Infantry. During the evening of 16th July 1916, his battalion advanced and took over trenches ready for an attack the next day on the Germans at Pozieres. His company, like the rest of the battalion, was cut to pieces by machine gun fire while trying to cross the enemy wire. Service records show that the only items of his found on the battle field after the German attack were his identifying dog tags. No other items of personal kit were to be found. He was killed in action on the 17th July 1916.
A tall, well-built man, his size must have made him an easy target in the trenches and attacking in no mans land. He was relatively inexperienced and once in the trenches, he lived for just over eight weeks.
Richard Pearce-Brown’s medal entitlement was British War Medal and Victory Medal but not the 1915 Star. Richard was buried at Pozieres British Cemetery, Ovilliers-La-Bois.
See also the description within In Memoriam