This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who died during The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Pearson, James played for Scotland Internationals: 12 : 1909 I+ E+ ; 1910 F+ W- I+ E- ; 1911 F- (1dg) ; 1912 F+ (1t 1p) W- SA- ; 1913 I= E- James Pearson was born on 24 February 1889 in Edinburgh Played as a Centre/Wing for: George Watson’s College, Watsonians Profession: Remarks: “A secure handler, and excellent cricketer. He joined the Army in August 1914, and left for the front on his 26th birthday in February 1915.” War service: 2061, Private, 1/9th Battalion, Royal Scots, 81st Brigade, 27th Division. James Pearson's death is noted in the book 9th Royal Scots (T.F.) B Company on active service, February-May 191'. It states...' Late in the afternoon word came down from the trenches and passed like wildfire that Pearson, the Rugby International and the most notable of men still remaining in the ranks of the Ninth, had been killed.' He was killed in action when shot by a sniper at Hooge, Belgium, on 22 May 1915. He is buried in Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium [Grave V. E. 27].
James Pearson played for the GWC 1st XV in 1907 and went on to become one of the best known and loved internationalists of his age. He played alongside two other great Watsonian internationalists, Eric Milroy and Alex Angus, as well as the “dominant Watsonian of the day”, Sandy Morrison. Pearson scored 103 tries for Watsonians during a period when they won the championship 4 times between 1909 and 1914. All four joined up when War broke out. In 1915, Pearson was killed by a sniper in the infamous ‘Sanctuary Wood’ in Ypres. In 1930, a comrade wrote http://www.watsoniansrugby.com/read_more.php?newsid=190 In Memory of Private JAMES PEARSON 2061, 9th Bn., Royal Scots who died on 22 May 1915 Remembered with honour SANCTUARY WOOD CEMETERY
jimmy was my great uncle .I have some items at home.he will not be forgotten as my nephew is a keen rugby player.
