Name
Harold Jesse Pearce
30/11/1917
Conflict
Second World War
Date of Death / Age
15/12/1941
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Marine
PLY/X 100006
Royal Marines
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Panel 59. Column 3.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth, Devon.
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Aldbury memorials
Pre War
Harold Jesse PEARCE was born on 30th November 1917 in Southall, Middx, son of Jesse Pearce a Gardener and Elizabeth Pearce (nee Puddephatt). One of their three children although one died in infancy. His parents married on 2nd April 1911, the marriage was registered in Berkhamsted, Herts.
1921 census records Harold aged 3, living with his parents, and sister Margaret (8), at The Lodge, Lycrone, Nashleigh Hill, Latimer, Bucks.
1939 Register records Harold aged 21, employed as an Agricultural Worked by a Nurseryman, living with his parents, and sister Margaret, at No.5 Little Heath, Bourne End, Berkhamsted, Herts.
The family later moved to Aldbury, Hertfordshire.
Wartime Service
Harold enlisted in the Royal Marines at Plymouth and issued with the service No. PLY/X 100006. He was serving aboard HMS Galatea (71), an Arethusa Class Cruiser, with a compliment of 614 Officers and Men, in the Mediterranean Sea when she was torpedoed by the German U-Boat U-557, on 15th December 1941, and sank. Harold was lost at sea, he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth, Devon, to the missing at sea. Panel 59. Column 3.
“HMS Galatea was sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, 35 Miles West of Alexandria returning to Harber there when she was torpedoed by the German U-Boat U-557 under the command of Korvettennkapitan (Commander) Ottokar Arnold Paulseeen. U-557 fired two torpedoes at HMS Galatea; she sank within 3 minutes, with the loss of 470 crew, Harold and her Captain E. W. B. Sim, being among them, there were 144 survivor who were picked up by HMS Griffin (H31) and HMS Hotspur (H01).
It is believed the Italian Submarine “DAGABUR” (Torri) had fired two torpedoes at HMS Galatea the day before the 14th December1941, it is not known if HMS Galatea was damaged.
At about 1800 hrs the following day, the 16th December 1941, U-557 was heading back to her base The 23rd Flotilla based on the Greek Island of Salamis, when she was rammed by the Italian Torpedo boat “Orione” the Italian Torpedo Boat had not been notified that a German U-Boat was in the area and assumed it was a British Submarine, all hands on U-557 were lost”.
Additional Information
His father Jesse Pearce served in WW 1 as Private 23726 Jesse Pearce, with the 5th Battalion, The Duke of Cambridge’s Own, Middlesex Regiment.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
