Herbert William Eades was the son of schoolmaster, William J Eades, and his wife, Hanna.

Herebert attended the High School from 1905 to 1908 on a Corporation Scholarship, leaving without notice to work at Wright's Biscuit Factory, with the intention of becoming a Civil Servant.

By 1911, the entire family emigrated to Winnipeg, Canada. His father to continue in teaching, and Herbert went to work in Farming.

In January, 1916, Herbert was working with the Forestry branch of the Civil Service when he enlisted with the Royal Naval Voluntary Reserve, serving with the Royal Navy Air Service..

Military records show that he was trained back in England. On 27-Sept-1916 he was signed up for temporary service, initally as a Probationary Observer Officer, although he later served as an Assistant Armament Officer.

On 1-Oct-1916 he was posted to the Royal Naval Air Station in Eastchurch, Kent, and then to RNAS Calshot, just south of Southampton, on 10-Jan-1917.

In July, 1917, he requested to be appointed as full Observation Officer, but this appears to have been refused because of the shortage of Armament Officers.

On 8-Nov-1917 he was promoted to Lieutenant, and in January 1918 returned to Eastchurch.

By October, 1919, he had returned to Canada, and then moved to Seattle, Washington, where he applied for American citizenship. Four years later, he returned to live in Vancouver, working with the Canadian Forest Service (eventually as a "timber pathologist"), with a number of articles and books published in his name.

In 1931 he married Gladys Thelma Grace, and died in Vancouver in 1969 at the age of 76.