pte Charles William Houghton 22351.

[Gwill]

Hi.

I'm looking for any information on the above soldier from Birmingham. He was with the 9th battalion Worcester regiment and was injured in Gallipoli and died of his wounds in a military hospital in Malta on 30/11/1915.
Any information or picture's would be a help.

Look forward to being a member of the forum.

Gwill

[kenf48]

 

On 18/08/2022 at 10:32, Gwill said:

I'm looking for any information on the above soldier from Birmingham. He was with the 9th battalion Worcester regiment and was injured in Gallipoli and died of his wounds in a military hospital in Malta on 30/11/1915.

Hi and welcome to the GWF.

We always recommend you have a look at the Long Long Trail website (link top left) for information on how to research a soldier and to gelp you understand the structure of the Army of the Great War.

As for photographs, you may get lucky but  local newspapers are often a good source.

Malta was known as 'the Nurse of the Mediterranean'  and men were evacuated there from the Peninsula.  As you have probably discovered his service record has not survived.

The gratuity paid on his death was £3 which indicates less than 12 months service at the time of his death.  The 9th Battalion landed on the Peninsula in July he appears to have been in a reinforcement draft on the 4th October 1915.

The war diary is on Ancestry if you subscribe.

Initial near number sampling indicates enlistment May 1915.

No doubt others will be along soon to put some flesh on the bones I have to go out

[Gwill]

Again thank you.

Gwill

[michaeldr]

22 hours ago, kenf48 said:

9th battalion Worcester regiment and was injured in Gallipoli and died of his wounds in a military hospital in Malta on 30/11/1915.

22 hours ago, kenf48 said:

he appears to have been in a reinforcement draft on the 4th October 1915.

Per Westlake's 'British Regiments at Gallipoli' [ISBN 0 85052 511 X] during this period the 9th Worcesters were doing tours in the trenches at Sulajik Farm or Chocolate Hill. Both of those places can bee seen in square 105 on the map below (taken from Ian Hamilton's diary)

[Gwill]

Hi. Thanks for that information.

Gwill

[michaeldr]

I'm having a look at the diary now and contrary to Westlake quoted above, in fact it does not seem to mention Chocolate Hill, only Sulajik

The reinforcement draft on the 4th October 1915 seems to have reached the front line on the night of the 12th October - 194 rank & file

[michaeldr]

This map is found in the IX Corps War Diary and shows the 13th Division's position in the line on 8th November 1915. That section allotted to 39th Brigade is enlarged below and will give some idea of the area where this man fought. The diary of the 9th Worcesters mentions both Sulajik Farm and Gloster Post

Edited 19 August , 2022 by michaeldr

[Gwill]

Hi michaeldr.

Just want to say thanks for the information you've sent me,  I'm really pleased with the help from you and Ken.

Gwill

[Gwill]

Remembering Charles William Houghton 22351 30/11/1915. In Malta.  

RIP.