graves

 

 

 

IN MEMORy by Pierre Vandervelden

The visit of Commonwealth graves in Communals Cemeteries & Churchyards in Belgium & France

pierre.vandervelden@pi.be

Driver John Robert Pearcy for his son John Pearcy

Cairo 1944

John enlisted in 1942 in Sheffield and was posted to the RASC, he trained as a driver and passed out as a driver class 1.
He was then posted to the newly formed 78th division training in Scotland for 'Operation Torch' the anglo-american invasion
of French North Africa.
John landed in Algiers with the 39th infantry brigade,part of the British first army,in november 1942 and served through out
the North African campaign including the battle for Longstop hill in Tunisia, He then took part in the invasion of Sicily,
serving in the battle of Centuripe then on to the Italian mainland being involved in the battle of Termoli, the actions along
the river Sangro and the battle of Monte Cassino.
With the end of the war in Italy the 78th division were sent to Austria where John stayed until 1946 as part of the army of
occupation.

John Robert's father, John fought during WW One, see his story here.

Sicily 1943
Austria 1945 or 1946, John is sitting centre, second behind the little boy

 

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