Handel James Eaton – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Drake Battalion, Royal Navy Division
Able Seaman Handel James Eaton – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Drake Battalion, Royal Navy Division
Birth and Family Background
Handel James Eaton was born in 1898 in Swansea, the
son of Thomas and Ann Eaton.
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| 1911 Census |
The only census record in which Handel appears is the 1911 Census, which records the Eaton family residing at 37 Vincent Street, Swansea. At that time, Thomas Eaton (49) was recorded as a widower and employed as a builder’s carter. His three sons were living with him: Thomas Richard (26), also a builder’s carter; William George (24), a printer machinist; and Handel James (13), who was still attending school.
Naval Service
Handel entered wartime service with the Royal Naval
Volunteer Reserve, serving as an Able Seaman with the Drake
Battalion, Royal Navy Division. Although naval by origin, the Royal Navy
Division served as infantry on the Western Front, fighting alongside the
British Army in major land operations.
Operations on the Western Front – April 1917
On 23rd April 1917, the Drake Battalion
was engaged in heavy fighting during the Battle of Arras, particularly
in the costly follow-up actions after the initial British assault earlier in
the month. British forces were attempting to consolidate and extend their
gains against determined German resistance, with units operating
under intense artillery fire, machine-gun fire, and frequent counter-attacks.
The fighting during this phase of the battle was especially severe, with
high casualties suffered by frontline infantry units, including those of
the Royal Navy Division.
Death and Commemoration
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| British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records |
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| Handel James Eaton Arras Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France credit- findagrave |
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