Enoch Alty Mearns was the son of Water-Works manager, Thomas Hutchinson Mearns, and his wife Isabella.

In October, 1895, Enoch joined Westoe Secondary School from Laygate Lane school, although it isn't known how long he attended.

However, he is known to have emigrated to New Zealand around 1911, and lived in Feilding on the North Island.

During the war he joined the Wellington Regiment of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He left from Wellington on 17-Apr-1915 and sailed for Suez, where he served with the 4th Reinforcements of the Wellington Infantry Battalion.

He was killed in action on 8-Aug-1915 while fighting at Gallipoli, and is remembered on the New Zealand Memorial at Chunuk Bair Cemetery, in Gallipoli, Turkey.