Lt Frederick Houghton AM.

[w.longmore]

Hi folks, While I was exploring the site I found an entry for the winners of the Albert Medal. The particular entry is =

27th July 1917 Lieutenant Frederick Houghton, 3rd Royal Warwickshire Regiment Mory. A grenade incident.

Can anyone shed any light on this person or incident. I have checked the MIC's and can find nothing, Thanks in advance, best regards

[taryong]

Dear Bill

Lt. (T/Capt.) Frederick Leonard Houghton, M.C. of the 3rd Bn., R. War. R. (attd. 2nd Bn.) was a Brigade Bombing Officer then. His Albert Medal was related to an incident happened while he was leading a bombing instruction as follows,

"On the 27th July 1917 during bombing instruction, a bomb hit the parapet and fell back into the trench which was occupied by Lieutenant Houghton, a non-commissioned officer and the man who had thrown the bomb. The non-commissioned officer shouted to the man to seek cover, which he could easily have done, but the man remained crouching near the bomb. Lieutenant Houghton had already placed himself in safety ; but on hearing the shouts of the non-commissioned officer, he ran back into the trench, seized the bomb, and threw it over the parapet, where it at once exploded. Lieutenant Houghton returned from safety into danger, the man would almost certainly have been killed." (London Gazette, 1/1/18)

Lt. Houghton was educated at Malvern College and a Chartered Accountant in civil life. He was commissioned in the R. War. R. from the Public Schools Bn., Royal Fusiliers (Pte.) on 18/5/15.

Regards,

Clifton

[w.longmore]

Dear Bill

Lt. (T/Capt.) Frederick Leonard Houghton, M.C. of the 3rd Bn., R. War. R. (attd. 2nd Bn.) was a Brigade Bombing Officer then. His Albert Medal was related to an incident happened while he was leading a bombing instruction as follows,

"On the 27th July 1917 during bombing instruction, a bomb hit the parapet and fell back into the trench which was occupied by Lieutenant Houghton, a non-commissioned officer and the man who had thrown the bomb. The non-commissioned officer shouted to the man to seek cover, which he could easily have done, but the man remained crouching near the bomb. Lieutenant Houghton had already placed himself in safety ; but on hearing the shouts of the non-commissioned officer, he ran back into the trench, seized the bomb, and threw it over the parapet, where it at once exploded. Lieutenant Houghton returned from safety into danger, the man would almost certainly have been killed." (London Gazette, 1/1/18)

Lt. Houghton was educated at Malvern College and a Chartered Accountant in civil life. He was commissioned in the R. War. R. from the Public Schools Bn., Royal Fusiliers (Pte.) on 18/5/15.

Regards,

Clifton

Hi Clifton, Thank you very much for the very informative reply