The 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal issued to 9/190 Trooper Henry Leycester Pearse, Headquarters, Otago Mounted Rifles, Main Body NZEF.

 

Henry Leycester Pearse was born 5th February 1880 at Glasgow, Scotland. Son of Henry and Fannie Pearse. He served in the 2nd Anglo-Boer War with the 12th Lancers (5080 Trooper), service for which he received the Queen's South Africa Medal w/clasps Cape Colony, Transvaal, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902. The whereabouts of this medal is unknown. Pearse subsequently served in India before emigrating to New Zealand.

 

By the time of the First World War Pearse was working as a labourer with the Public Works Department at Heriot. He enlisted in August 1914, and served on Gallipoli from May until late August 1915. He subsequently served on the Western Front with the Otago Mounted Rifles Squadron from 1916 until the end of the war.

 

Henry Pearse died at the Montecillo War Veterans' Home, Dunedin in May 1965.

 

All three WW1 medals are correctly impressed 9/190 TPR. H.L. PEARSE. N.Z.E.F.

Service File Held at Archives New Zealand