Artefacts of the Pearson brothers

On November 9th, Duke's will be hosting another Medals & Militaria auction. Within the collection is this set of medals, letters of commendation, and pictures pertaining to the two men to whom the collection once belonged: The Pearson brothers.

A WWII CASUALTY DFM GROUP TO SGT PEARSON OF 156 PATHFINDER SQUADRON

On auction within the Medals & Militaria Sale, November 9th

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The Pearson brothers were both born in Guisborough, North Yorkshire. Arnold in 1917 and Kenneth in 1921. Their parents, Edith Tones Dunning and Albert Pearson, had married in 1916. Albert sadly passed away in 1921 when Kenneth was only a few months old.

There is some confusion as to the family connection of the Great War Trio to Pte Nailor. Edith was adopted as a young girl and used multiple surnames throughout her life. At the time of the 1939 census, she was going by Nailor and is listed as 'Widowed'. Frank Nailor was a native of Guisborough; he landed in France with the Berkshire Regiment on the 30th of May 1915. He was later transferred to the Northumberland Fusiliers and survived the war. It is believed that Frank Nailor was the stepfather of the brothers, and he passed away in 1955.

Arnold was living in Coventry when the Second World War broke out. He joined the Royal Warwickshire Yeomanry Royal Armoured Corps and served in Africa.

He sadly died in an accident on the 9th of November 1944 in Belgium. He was laid to rest in Leopoldsburg War Cemetery. At the time of his death, he was serving with H.Q. SQN 8th Armoured Brigade.

Kenneth stayed in Guisborough and, at the time of the 1939 census, was living with his mother and working for the post office, a job he got when he left school at 14. His role was as a telegraph messenger. 

When WWII broke out, Kenneth joined the RAF and volunteered for an aircrew role. He qualified as a wireless operator on the 8th of March 1941 and as an airgunner on the 1st of November 1941. He was posted to 23 Operation Training Unit for the final part of his training.

Pearson was then posted to 156 Pathfinder Squadron, which operated Vickers Wellingtons. He completed 30 Ops as a front gunner before he was given a period of rest and training duties. 

The operations were concentrated on France and Germany, with some minelaying. 

A second tour of Ops followed with 156 Squadron, this time on Lancaster's as a mid upper gunner. With his pilot from his first tour, Flight Lieutenant Alan Montgomery Lutz, he resumed operational flying on the 28th of June 1943. 

On the night of the 6th of September 1943, Kenneth and the crew of Lancaster ED990 were sent on an Op to Munich. The crew took off from RAF Warboys at 19.49pm; the aircraft was intercepted and shot down by a FW-190 at 00.43am on the morning of the 7th of September. The 190 was flown by the German Ace Hauptmann Friedrich-Karl "Nasen" Müller of JG300. 

Kenneth and the rest of his crew were killed, and all were laid to rest in Durnbach War Cemetery. 

The award of a posthumous Distinguished Flying Medal to Kenneth was announced in the London Gazette on the 20th of  March 1945.