Hello Philip Just a brief email to pass on the very sad news that my Dad, Harry "Darkie" Houghton died at the end of last week after a very short illness. We are in the throes of organising, with the help of the Paras of course, a military-style funeral, for him on Wednesday 16th at 2pm, at his local parish church of St. Nicholas in Whiston, Merseyside. We know that you'll be thinking of Us.
Another sad loss...visited him on behalf a Dutch friend some years to conduct an interview....will see if I can find my notes to post up a few details of his service.....
Harrys funeral at St Nich's church is followed by a service at 3pm at St Helens Crem. RIP Harry and condolences to Jean and family.
I went through my pics and found this one of Harry in the book "The Tenth". It's very poor quality I'm afraid .
Harry was interviewed b BBC Merseyside in Sept 2010 just as he was leaving for Arnhem. BBC News - WWII Arnhem comrades are reunited in Liverpool Just out of picture was Harry Dickens, who also served with the 10th Battalion
Id the pleasure of meeting Harry in 09 and again in 10...in 09 I took his photo with a member of the cadets who accompanied him around that day...the cadet said it was a pleasure to do so...I took a photo of them together and gave permission for it to be used by their organisation..they did so in their annual report. In 2010 I met him again and gave him the photo I had taken the year before...he was delighted.....a true gent
RIP Harry, old Para's never die, their memory is immortal Arnhem Memories Sgt Harry R Houghton, No 3316885, 10th Para Btn. MID Around 1300hrs, 20th Septemebr 1944, Harry was wounded from fire from a German Panzer some 400 yards from entering the Oosterbeek perimeter. He and others, including Lt Leslie Kiaer (who was killed instantly from the same shell) were trying to recover a 6lb field gun at the edge of the woods to bring it into the Perimeter. Harry was subsequently captured and became a POW and was repatriated after the War. Gone but not forgotten.... and at the going down of the sun we will remember them Grahame Warner
Thanks to my Dutch friend Bob G for telling me about this in the Liverpool Echo..... Paratroopers pay tribute to former Merseyside comrade Harry Houghton - Liverpool Local News - News - Liverpool Echo
Found some notes as promised about Harry from the interview a few years ago....He was in the Highland Light Infantry before volunteering for the 10th Btn in the Middle East. By the time of Arnhem in 1944 he was Platoon Sergeant of 3 Platoon A Company under the command of Lieutenant Kiaer. He was wounded by the same mortar shell that killed Lt Kiaer when near a 6 pounder anti-tank gun. However, he was also one of the men in the 'rearguard' with Captain Queripel. There is more to this story but to be fair to the bloke I carried out the interview for I feel I ought to stop here. But to gain some points back here is a wartime photo of Darkie in the ME whilst still in the HLI.... We also have a letter from an officer written to his family dated 3rd October......hopefully to be used in the future in a book on the 10th......