Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William and Mary J. Pateman and the brother of Robert Pateman. His enlistment documents record that he gave his brother, R. Pateman of Minnehaha, Saskatchewan, Canada as his next of kin. He gave his trade or calling as Farmer and stated that he was unmarried. He had previously served in the Imperial Yeomanry. Information taken from his medical examination shows that he was 5 foot 5 inches in height and had a chest measurement of 30 ½ to 34 inches. His complexion was described as fair with blue eyes and brown hair. He gave his religion as Church of England.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Eli, the son of William a gamekeeper who lived with his family near the church, became a true Victorian/Edwardian Empire pioneer as read about in history books. The humdrum life was not for him. On 4th February 1901 aged not quite eighteen, he attested at Derby and was passed fit for service, becoming Private 23538 of the Imperial Yeomanry. He was part of the 12th Squadron 3rd Imperial Yeomanry (South Notts). Apart from the excitement, no doubt the thought of 5 shillings a day pay was a major attraction. Their training at Aldershot was very brief and after attending a farewell dinner in The Bewicke Arms, he and his comrades departed for South Africa on 16th March. Their main role was one of skirmishing with the Boers. He was discharged at the end of his period of engagement on 30th August 1902 and awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with three clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 and 1902. Life back in Hallaton was too tame – Canada called. On 18th May 1905, Eli and his brother Robert who had also served in South Africa set sail for Quebec. We are not sure what they did for the first few years but moving west they arrived in Battleford, Saskatchewan where, on October 11th 1910, Eli made an application for a homestead. Life was exceptionally hard. The plot of virgin land had to broken and to do this they borrowed two oxen. They had to build a homestead and barn and all with very little money – but it was theirs! Slowly they built up their capital and were able to buy a cow, exchange oxen for more efficient horses, cultivate more land, buy a threshing machine and build a stable and two granaries. They had made it! Their best laid plans were disrupted by the start of the war. The call for men to enlist was as strong in Canada as it was in England. Eli decided to join up and on 29th April 1915 became Private 441311 of the 53rd Battalion (North Saskatchewan) Canadian Expeditionary Force. Sailing from Halifax on 29th March 1916, he eventually arrived in Belgium as one of a draft reinforcing 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles based south west of Ypres. On 9th August he was promoted to Lance Corporal. He was involved in heavy fighting but the real target was Thiepval Ridge. On 29th September they attacked and drove the Germans out of the first trench. The attack was successful and they were withdrawn on 30th. On 1st October 2 platoons of C company were sent up to reinforce 5th Canadian Mounted Rifle battalion. It is likely Eli was among them. The 5th CMR were involved in a desperate fight in the Regina trench. They were isolated and their war diary vividly describes hand to hand fighting, which continued pretty much non stop for 34 hours. There were many casualties - among them was Lance Corporal Eli Pateman. He is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Hallaton War Memorial and on the Parkdale Monument, Saskatchewan.

Information kindly provided by Dennis Kenyon.