Horace William Eales was born in 1888 in Hammersmith, London. 

In 1911 Horace is 22 years old & working as a boiler maker in the iron foundry. He is living at 19 South Road, Luton with his widowed mother Kate 42, & sister Edith Florence 14, both are working as straw hat machinist. His brother Edwin Benjamin 19, is a straw hat blocker, whilst 6 year old Cyril Thomas is at school.

Horace joined the 12th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers on 12th June 1915, whilst living at Frederick Street in Luton. On his pension record he is described as being 5ft 6 1/2 inches tall with a scar on his right hand.

Horace was posted to France in September 1915. He marched with his battalion from the Etaples area to Loos. The Battle of Loos was the largest British offensive to have been launched on the Western Front.  This was fought from 25th September to 14th October 1915. It was also where poison gas was used by the British for the first time & heavy losses were suffered. In 1916 the enemy used gas on the British at Wulverghern before going to the Somme. Horace's battalion also took part in The Battle of Deville Wood & The Battle of Guilemont.

Horace suffered badly from the effects of combat as it is reported in his pension record that he was discharged from the County of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St Albans on 22 September 1916 to his mother's address, 24 Boyle Street, Luton. He was suffering from what they described at the time as 'insanity'. Horace suffered from 'attacks of mania & delusion as a result of stress of active service'. Perhaps it was what we would refer to as 'shell shock'. He was admitted to Cane Hill Asylum, Coulsdon, Croydon on 14th March 1917.  He died on 8th May 1918 & is buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.