Raymond Praed Eason was born on 4 April 1895, at Queen's Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, the eldest of the five children of James William Eason (1867-1923) and Elizabeth Praed Eason née Gee (1870-1955). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1895 in the Watford registration district.
In the 1901 census he is shown at West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire, with his mother and sister, Mildred Moulton Eason (1898-1976), at the home of his maternal uncle, Herbert William Gee (1875-1956) who was an iron master's agent & coal dealer, together with a female general domestic servant. His sister had been born in Manor House, West Street, Bourne.
When his father completed the 1911 census return form he was shown as living in a ten roomed property called 'Liebenheim', Abbey Road, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, with his parents, his four siblings: Mildred Moulton Eason, Alfred Bernard Eason (1904-1974), Evelyn Maude Eason (1904-1998) and Hilda Marion Eason (1906-2006), and his maternal uncle, Herbert William Gee, together with two female domestic servants. Both his father and his uncle were described as railway agents & pig-iron merchants.
He attended University College at the University of London where he became a Cadet in their Officer Training Corps. In September 1914 he joined the 10th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment (known as the Grimsby Chums) initially as a Sergeant, service number 150 according to his medal card. The London Gazette of 20 November 1916 shows that on 16 November 1914 he was commissioned as a temporary Second Lieutenant, but this was cancelled according to the London Gazette of 11 May 1915. However, he is shown as a Lieutenant serving in the Lincolnshire Regiment on page 18 of the University of London Officer Training Corps Roll of the Fallen.
He was serving in 'A' Company, 10th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment when he died, aged 21 years, on 1 July 1916 in the 1st Battle of the Somme near the mine crater at La Boisselle, France. Some records show he was killed in action whilst others state he died of wounds. He was buried in a shell hole on the battlefield near where he fell but his body was later exhumed and reburied in Plot 6, Row F, Grave 6 in the Gordon Dump Cemetery, Rue Les Champs Malpart, Ovillers-la-Boisselle, Somme.
On 24 January 1917 his army effects totalling £81-17s-11d were sent to his father who was also sent his £8-0s-0d war gratuity on 19 September 1919. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is also commemorated in the 10th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment - WW1 Roll of Honour held In a wooden cabinet under an east window in St James Church, James Street, Grimsby, Lincolnshire and also in this church his name appears on Board Two of the Grimsby War memorial, in the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website and in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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