'At 11am on the 1st January 1917, in the trenches, Corodonnerie sub sector near Sailley sur La Lys, No 8/3127 Pte G.H. Pearcy was one of a team and 3 men firing a stokes gun. A heap of ammunition lay alongside the gun. By some means the fuse of a stokes bomb became ignited. Pte Pearcy at once picked up the smoking bomb and shouting out a warning to everyone, took a few paces and threw the bomb well away from the gun. The bomb exploded without doing any harm. But for the presence of mind and courage shown by Pte Pearcy at the greatest personal risk, a very serious explosion without loss of several lives, besides the destruction of the gun and ammunition must have inevitably occurred.'
Source: London Gazette
Date: 12 March 1917