Born in Stapleford, Nottingham, Private Pearson enlisted into the 2nd Battalion The Sherwood Foresters whilst in his early 20s. After completing basic training, he was posted to the Western Front, where in 1916, he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in battle. Although the action for which he received the award is not fully recorded, the medal speaks of his bravery and distinguished conduct in his service for his country.   

By the summer of 1917, Private Pearson was fighting in Northern France, where the Germans were retreating towards the Hindenburg Line and the British troops were fighting to gain ground from remaining pockets of resistance along the old German Front Line. On 1st July 1917, Private Pearson and the 2nd Sherwood Foresters were involved in an attack carried out by four companies, on German positions at the town of Cité St Theodore, near Lens, France. The attack was to be initiated in the early hours of the morning, with visibility hampered by heavy clouds. Headquarters issued last minute orders to delay the attack by 25 minutes, but C Company had not received this information and so attacked at the originally planned time. Caught up in the British barrage, C Company suffered several casualties before finding shelter behind a railway embankment. When the attack commenced at the new zero hour, the remaining companies were able, despite German artillery, to reach their objectives and push towards the town. Due to the confusion caused by C Company’s early attack and the early morning darkness, however, some of both B and C Company had gone too far left along the line, leaving a gap in the British position. As the British troops pushed forwards towards the town itself the Germans counter attacked. Although the 2nd Sherwood Foresters, as part of A Company, held the right flank against the German attack, they were unable to advance any further due to the number of German troops who held the line against them, who also had a machine gun set up in a house to the left of the 2nd Sherwood Foresters. In addition to these dangers, the men were also under constant sniper fire from a trench, which should have been taken earlier in the attack. With strong German counter attacks against the other British companies the attack continued into the next day, until the 2nd Sherwood Foresters and the rest of the British troops received orders to withdraw. Sadly, by this time there had already been many casualties, including Private Pearson, who was killed in action on 1st July, at the age of 23.   

Although it is not known where Private Pearson was buried, he is commemorated on Loos Memorial in Northern France.