Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of the late John and Mary Eaton of Hallaton, Leics. His enlistment documents record that he gave his next of kin as his mother Mrs Mary Eaton of Slawston, Market Harborough, Leics., and his trade or calling as Labourer. Information taken from his medical examination shows that he was 6 foot and ½ inch in height and had a chest measurement of 36 ½ to 39 ½ inches. His complexion was described as dark with hazel eyes and dark brown hair. It was also noted that he was suffering from Hammer toes on both feet, slight varicose veins on his left leg, and he had a hanging mole on the left side of his abdomen. He gave his religion as Church of England.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Arthur was the youngest child of John a well-to-do farmer and grazier with 146 acres, and his wife Mary Anne, who lived with the rest of the family, elder brother John, and sisters Elizabeth and Edith, on Churchgate. Arthur attended the village school. By 1901 the family was living in Rearsby and then they moved to Rothley. Arthur’s father died in 1910 and in the census of 1911 Arthur is shown as a market gardener. Many young men at that time were tempted by the promise of land and opportunities in the Empire and on 15th April 1911 he boarded the White Line ship S.S. Megantic in Liverpool as a second class passenger bound for Portland, Maine arriving on 23rd April. He travelled on to the boom town of Calgary and found work as a farm labourer. He travelled back to the Mother Country in early 1914 returning to Canada on 19th April. On March 22nd 1916 with Canada crying out for recruits, he enlisted in Calgary at the age of 36 with army number 809059. He was a big fellow of just over 6 feet tall and although he had hammer toes he was passed as fit to serve in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. For initial training he was in 137th Battalion. He embarked on 21st August and by 30th of that month found himself in France with 10th Battalion. The next few months were spent in and out of trenches and on interminable working parties but matters were building up to a planned attack on Vimy Ridge. They rehearsed on a model layout to familiarise themselves with the ground, though by the time the attack commenced because of the atrocious weather it was a morass. By Easter Monday 9th April 4.00am all units were in position waiting for zero hour, which was scheduled for 5.30am when the silence was broken by a thunderous barrage from all 963 guns. The attack was a success – Vimy Ridge previously deemed impregnable had been taken and Arthur had survived. It was a proud but painful moment for the C.E.F. After regrouping the Battalion was ordered to take another village. This too was a success but at a high cost – 87 killed including Arthur. His will stated that his medals were to go to his fiancée Mary Blythe in Rothley. Like so many other grieving women, she never married, dying in 1965. His mother received a memorial cross. Arthur’s body was never found and he is commemorated on the Canadian Memorial at Vimy Ridge and on Hallaton War Memorial.

Information (including photograph) kindly provided by Dennis Kenyon.