HOUGHTON John Alfred

Both George Withers and John Houghton volunteered as soon as war broke out. They joined the 2nd battalion Worcestershire Regiment that became part of 5th Brigade, 2nd Division. By 1915, the western front had settled down to a long unbroken line of trenches stretching from the Channel to Switzerland and by the summer the first of the volunteers that had flocked to the colours with the outbreak of war had begun arriving in appreciable numbers.

In what was the first large scale battle of the war (in terms of British forces) it was decided to try to break through the German lines at Loos near Lille. The battle began on 21st September 1915 with an artillery bombardment lasting four days. The first assault troops left their trenches at 0630hrs on 25th September 1915 with the 5th brigade attacking north of a canal towards La Bassee. The attack was a failure and by 0945hrs, the men were back in their original trench consolidating their positions, though with the battle continuing to their immediate south, their lives were far from comfortable.

John Houghton was born in Risca, Monmouthshire the son of Alan and Caroline Houghton, who lived in Norton. I can only assume that by 1914 he was living Harvington and this is the reason he is on Harvingtons memorial rather than Nortons. He was shot in the head on the 29th September 1915. The 5th brigade were still holding the same positions that they were 3 days earlier and it is quite likely that John Houghton was wounded while carrying out duties such as reconnaissance or observation of enemy lines. He was moved to hospital in Rouen where he died on 14th October 1915 aged 20. He is buried in St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, and his name is recorded on a gravestone at St Egwins Church, Norton, along with that of his brother who had died (of natural causes) the previous November. A memorial service for John Houghton was held at Harvington on 24th October 1915

The British Expeditionary Force sustained over 61,000 casualties with nearly 8000 dead in the Battle of Loos, which effectively ended on 13th October 1915 having failed to break the German line.

A photograph of Private John Houghton of Harvington can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 30th October 1915, available at Worcestershire Archives.