Pte 22116 Thomas Houghton

• Age: 22
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 2nd August 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Thomas Houghton was born in 1893 in Birkenhead the son of William Houghton and his wife Charlotte (nee Littler). His parents were married in 1883.

On the 1901 Census he is recorded as being aged 7 or 5 and living at 44 Dow Street, Broughton. His father, William, is a 41 year old engine fitter born in Runcorn, his mother Charlotte is aged 39 and was born in Birkenhead. He has seven siblings in the household; William H. 16 b.Birkenhead, Joseph 13 b.Ellesmere Port, Ann 11 b.Birkenhead, Bessie 10 b.Cardiff, Pollie 4 b.Birkenhead, Arthur 3 b.Prescot, Ernest 2 b.Prescot.

His mother Charlotte died in Warrington in 1903 and his father re-married to Elizabeth Mulhall in 1904.

On the 1911 Census his father William is living at 18 Violet Road, Litherland with his new wife Elizabeth 35, stepdaughters Mary 16, and and Florence 9, new children Leonard 5, Maurice 4, Madeline 2 and Leslie 7 months.

The 1911 Census shows Thomas living at 12 Station Road, Prescot with his uncle Peter Lyle and aunt Mary Elizabeth Lyle (Nee Houghton). They married in 1880. Peter is aged 55, born 1856 in Paisley, Scotland and is an engine fitter in a cable works. His wife Mary Elizabeth is aged 49, born 1862 in Rhuddlan, Flintshire. They have five children living at the address as well as Thomas who is aged 17 and is a wire mill labourer in a cable works.

Thomas enlisted in Liverpool joining the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 22116. He gave his age as 21 years and 19 days, and his occupation as a labourer. He was described as being 5' 4" tall, weight 121 lbs, with a 34" chest. He had a fresh complexion, with brown eyes and dark brown hair. His religion was stated as Church of England and his next of kin was his father William Houghton, of 18 and then 20 Violet Road, Litherland. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He embarked for France on 07thNovember 1915.

On the 07th March 1917 - he received 7 days Field Punishment No.1 for insolence to an NCO. 

He was killed in action on the 02nd August 1917, aged 22, during the Third Battle of Ypres.

The 20th Battalion diary gives details of the circumstances that the Battalion found themselves in during the early phases of the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). Having taken part in the initial fighting of 31st July 1917 there is a general write up in relation to the period 01st -08th August and specifics solely from the 03rd August. As such it is impossible to say exactly how each of the men who fell on 01st or 2nd August met their death.

20^th Battalion Diary 01^st August – 08^th August

The Battalion continued to hold the position taken up on the morning of 31^st July. After the first day the weather was very wet and the going very difficult, but the men’s spirits remained wonderfully good. From time to time there was very heavy enemy shelling and in addition to this machine guns and snipers were very active. The work of communication was extremely difficult and the wires to Companies and to Battalions on our flanks were repeatedly cut and were only kept going by most excellent work by our linesmen, who suffered very heavy casualties as also did the runners. 

Thomas' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He was reported as killed in the Liverpool Daily Post on 14th September 1917 

Soldiers Effects to father William, Pension to mother Elizabeth.

He is also commemorated on the Litherland Civic Memorial and at BICC Rod Rollers, Prescot.

Thomas' loss was the second that they family had to endure as his brother Arthur also fell. Arthur was born in 1898 at Prescot. He enlisted in Liverpool and was killed in action serving with the 4th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment on 25th July 1915.

A report on his death appeared in the Bootle Times on the 17th September 1915:

BOOTLE MAN KILLED IN FRANCE.

A large circle of friends will regret to hear of he death of Private Arthur Houghton, of the 4th King's (Liverpool Regiment), who was killed in action in France on July 25th. He resided at 21, Nevada-street, Bootle, and was in hi his twenty-second year. At one time he was an ardent member of one of the local contingents of the Boys' Brigade, in which he took a deep interest. 

Arthur rests at Rue-David Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix.

We currently have no further information on Thomas Houghton. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.