Pte Gustavus 'Will' Eames, 2537, 24th County of London Regiment, died on February 13th, 1916, from wounds sustained in action in Flanders. He was buried at Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais.

Born in Luton in 1897, he was christened Gustavus but appeared in some Census returns as Augustus and in military records as William or Augustus William. He was popularly known as Will.

He was the son of retired painter and decorator William Eames and his wife Harriet, of 107 Cambridge Street, Luton. Before enlistment, Will worked in the office of the Luton Co-op Society.

He joined the Londons in the early days of the war and his death came after he was severely wounded in the stomach by a rifle grenade. He had seen a lot of fighting in France and had been wounded in 1915, after which he had come home on leave.

A Chaplain who wrote to Will's parents said their son had rapidly become weaker on February 11th and passed away while unconscious two days later. The lad, he said, was too weak to say much, but he sent his love and asked that his mother should not worry.

"He was very brave and quite prepared for the end," said the Chaplain, who added that the funeral took place on February 14th and promised to see that the grave was well cared for.

In the 1911 Census, Gustavus, as he was named there, was living in Cambridge Street with his parents, three brothers and a sister. His older brother, John Robert Eames, had married Gertrude Warren, of Luton, in 1909 and had left home to be living at 19 Queen Street, Luton, in 1911, and later, according to military records, in Limbury.

John Robert, who became a lance-corporal (32217) in the 4th Bedfords, was killed in action in Flanders on April 7th, 1918, and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial. Both brothers are included on the Luton Roll of Honour.