Embarkation Roll
William Houghton
First Name:
William
Last Name:
Houghton
Mother's Name:
Mary Elizabeth (Lizzie) Houghton
Father's Name:
Andrew Houghton
Rank at Enlistment:
Private
Unit:
37th Infantry
Company:
45th Battalion
Service:
Infantry
Awards:
British War Medal
Victory medal
1914/15 Star
Date of Death:
Sunday, May 18, 1980
Place of Death:
Wollongong
Details:
William Houghton (Service No 3798) was born in Durham, UK.
William enlisted on the 28 August 1915, when he was 18 years old, his enlistment papers showing he lived at Keira Ville (Keiraville), Wollongong. At the time he was a single man, and worked as a miner, as did his father. William's older brother, Richard (Dick) also enlisted on the same day.
At enlistment William was assigned to the 37th Infantry, 45th Battalion.
William was wounded in action in France on 6 August 1916 with a gunshot wound to the thigh. He was sent to England from Boulogne on 17 August, and admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital. William rejoined his unit on 16 January 1917.
On 23 February 1917 William was again admitted to hospital. William subsequently returned to Australia 'for discharge', leaving England on 19 October 1917 on the H T Port Lyttleton.
William was discharged from the 2nd Military District on 25 February 1918.
William's grandson says William was the first ham radio operator in the Illawarra, and after the war he worked at Metal Manufactures, Port Kembla.
