Second-Lieut Raymond Eric Deacon, 10th North Staffordshire Regiment (attached 8th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers), was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 7th, 1915. He was aged 23.

Son of well known jeweller Mr Edwin Deacon and his wife Annie, of 11 Dunstable Road, Luton, he was educated at Ramsgate College and Bedford Grammar School. He took up engineering as a career, and soon after the outbreak of war he joined the Glasgow Light Infantry, from which regiment he was transferred to the 10th North Staffordshire Regiment.

He had been in Gallipoli for about three months, but had been listed as missing for about three weeks.

The Acting Adjutant of the 8th Lancashire Fusiliers wrote to Sec-Lieut Deacon's brother, Mr Herbert Deacon: "He was reported missing after a charge in which our men took a Turkish trench, but from which they were afterwards compelled to retire. The charge was made under very heavy shell, machine gun and rifle fire, and although there is no doubt many of our men were made prisoners, it is equally certain that many were killed or wounded. As it was impossible to recover the bodies of the killed, it has been impossible to differentiate.

"Your brother was a very popular and intelligent officer, and we all trust that nothing worse has happened to him than that he is a prisoner of war."