Frederick Pearce was born around 1890 in London. In 1912 his mother and sisters moved to the United States with the expectation that he would soon follow, but the outbreak of the First World War and his resulting enlistment delayed this. His family planned to visit him in 1916 but the sinking of the Lusitania dissuaded them from coming. Following the war, the economic downturn put a trans-Atlantic cross beyond his means and by the time he was able to make one the Second World War intervened. He was finally able to make the trip in 1951 and, although his mother had died prior to this, his was finally able to see his sisters for the first time since 1912.