Pte 325219 William Thomas Howton

• Age: 21
• From: London
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• Died Tuesday 12th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Ham British Cem
  Panel Ref: I.B.7

William Thomas Howton was born in Islington, London in the second quarter of 1896 the son of Thomas Howton and his wife Ada (nee Compton) who married on 07th October 1891 in St Stephen's Church, Upper Holloway. William Thomas was baptised at St Mary's Church, Hornsey Rise, Islington on 19th April 1896. He was the third of ten children, his siblings were Emily, George, Horace (died aged 1), Albert, Rose, Lilian, Ernest, Herbert and Florence.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 16 Hatchard Road, Upper Holloway. His father is a 29 year old, general labourer, born in Holloway, his mother is 28 years of age and was also born in Holloway. They have four children in the household, all born in Holloway: Emily aged 9, George aged 7, William aged 5 and two month old, Albert.  

The 1911 Census shows the family are now living at 32 Scholefield Road, Upper Holloway. His father is a 39 year old porter in a saw mill, his mother Ada is 38 years of age. They advise that they have been married for 20 years and have had 8 children, seven of whom have survived. They have their surviving seven children in the household; Emily Elizabeth is a 19 year old ndomestic servant, George Henry is a 17 year old shop assistant, William Thomas is a 15 year old shop assistant. Albert Edward is 10, Rose Mary is seven, Lilian Amy is 6 and Ernest Victor is 3.  

His records show that he enlisted in the 4th City of London Regiment as Private 3600.SDGW also suggest that he served with the Royal Fusiliers as Private 281296 though his medal rolls do not support this, SDGW also incorrectly list his surname as Houghton. 

He was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 325219 when he died on the 12^th March 1918. There is a suggestion that he died accidentally but sadly we do not hold any details to support this as it is not listed in the Battalion Diary.  

He now rests at  Ham British Cemetery, France.

In January, February and March 1918, the 61st (South Midland) Casualty Clearing Station was posted at Ham, but on the 23rd March the Germans, in their advance towards Amiens, crossed the Somme at Ham, and the town remained in German hands until the French First Army re-entered it on the following 6th September.

Ham British Cemetery was begun in January 1918 by the 61st Casualty Clearing Station as an extension of Muille-Villette German Cemetery.

In 1919 the graves in the British Cemetery were regrouped and others were added from the following sites:-

HAM COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (the "Neuer Friedhof Chaunystrasse"); CROIX-MOLIGNAUX GERMAN CEMETERY (March and April 1918); ESMERY HALLON CHURCHYARD; VILLERS ST. CHRISTOPHE CHURCHYARD (March 1918); EPPEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (March 1918); and ST. SULPICE COMMUNAL CEMETERY.

Ham British Cemetery contains 485 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 218 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 14 soldiers, believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 39 casualties known to have been buried in other cemeteries whose graves were not found.

Other German Cemeteries in the area were HAM CHURCHYARD GERMAN EXTENSION; MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY and MUILLE-VILLETTE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION. The British Graves from these three were moved to either HAM BRITISH CEMETERY or ROYE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY.

MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY adjoins the West side of the British Cemetery. It now contains the graves of 1,113 identified and 420 unidentified German soldiers.

William Thomas is commemorated on the War Memorial at St Mary's Church, Islington, London. 

Soldiers Effects for Houghton (alias Howton) to mother Ada and father Thomas, Pension to Ada.

His brother George served in France and Belgium in the Seaforth Highlanders and KOYLI, achieved the rank of Sergeant Major. He was wounded and gassed but survived the war.

His father Thomas enlisted in 1915 and served in France with the Army Service Corps. His father survived the war and died in 1944, his mother died in 1942.