Montague Pearson

A Joiner 5th Class with H.M.S. Thracian, Montague died on 12th of October 1942 at the age of 24. 

Montague was born at Blundeston on 6 June 1918, a son of David Samuel and Alberta Clara Pearson. In 1921 his family lived at The Street, Blundeston. By 1939 Montague’s father had died and Montague lived with his mother at the Street, Blundeston, and Montague worked as a woodworker at Eastern Coach Works. 

Montague served in the Royal Navy and was drafted to the destroyer H.M.S. Thracian. In November 1941 the Thracian deployed at Hong Kong in preparation for war service and began work laying mines. In the first few weeks of December 1941 the ship was constantly engaged dealing with the looming Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. On 16 December the ship engaged with several smaller vessels and sank them, but by this time the ship had major structural damaged and needed to be docked, however the Hong Kong dock gates had been damaged in air raids, so it was decided to abandon the ship. On 17 December the ship’s crew left the ship and the next day they joined with Canadian Army units in the defence of Hong Kong, technically part of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps. Montague was attached to the Canadian Grenadiers. He was wounded on 20 December. On 25 December he was captured at the Chinese School University Compound. Montague was then held at Shamashuipo Camp, Hong Kong, where he died from nasal diphtheria on 12 October 1942. 

Initially Montague was buried at Argyle Street Cemetery and in 1947 he was reburied at Sai Wan Military Cemetery.