2ND LIEUTENANT F.R. HOUGHTON, 2ND/6TH BATTALION MANCHESTER REGIMENT (FORMERLY LANCE-CORPORAL, GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT). Three: 1914-15 Star (2884 Private, Gloucestershire Regiment) British War and Victory Medals (2nd Lieutenant). Good Very Fine.

2ND LIEUTENANT F.R. HOUGHTON, 2ND/6TH BATTALION MANCHESTER REGIMENT (FORMERLY LANCE-CORPORAL, GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT). Three: 1914-15 Star (2884 Private, Gloucestershire Regiment) British War and Victory Medals (2nd Lieutenant). Good Very Fine.

Group accompanied by Medal Index Card details and 8 pages of photocopied documents from 2nd Lieutenant Houghton’s Officers Papers file. Francis Reginald Houghton was born on 1st October 1892 in the parish of Redland, Bristol. He enlisted into the 1st/6th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment on 2nd September 1914. At the time of enlistment Houghton was 21 years and 11 months of age, a clerk by trade, and gave his home address as 19 Effingham Road, Bishopston, Bristol. He entered the France and Flanders theatre of operations on 31st March 1915 and saw service with the British Expedionary Force continuously until 12th March 1917. Houghton was promoted Lance-Corporal 15th February 1917 and was then selected for a commission. He saw service at home from 13th March to 25th September 1917, being commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 2/6th Battalion Manchester Regiment, on 26th September 1917. 2nd Lieutenant Houghton was wounded in action at St Quentin on 21st March 1918 (first day, German Spring Offensive), his wound consisting of a “thro’ & thro’ wound of left thumb, fracturing first metacarpal bone at base”. He was subsequently evacuated to England for treatment at the Second Southern General Hospital at Southmead, Bristol. At a medical board convened on 8th May 1918 it was judged that Houghton’s wounds were “severe not permanent”, and that he would be incapacitated for military duty for a period of seven weeks (also entitled Silver War Badge).

On 21st March 1918 the 2/6th Manchesters were in the forward section of the British front line at Fervaque Farm, north of the Grand Priel Woods. The battalion held out until 13.30 hours, repulsing several concerted German attacks during the first day of their Spring Offensive, during which the Germans used Flammenwerfers or flamethrowers on the battalion. The 2/6th Manchesters suffered approximately 70% casualties, only 12 officers and 150 other ranks surviving.