Person

In August 1915, recruiting began in Sunderland for a new battalion – the 20th (Service) Battalion DLI – and one of the first men to volunteer was 17-year-old Anthony Houston. Though actually too young to enlist or serve overseas, Private Houston clearly impressed his officers and he was soon promoted to lance corporal.

In May 1916, after months of training, the 20th Battalion DLI – nicknamed the ‘Wearsiders’ – left England for active service on the Western Front. Anthony Houston continued to impress and, by July 1917, he had been promoted to Acting Sergeant, though still only 19 years old.

On 31 July 1917 – the opening day of the Third Battle of Ypres (or Passchendaele as it is better known today), the battalion’s buglers sounded ‘Charge’ and four waves of Wearsiders went over the top to attack the German front line trench. That trench and a second trench were captured, until the attackers were finally stopped by intense German machine gun fire from concrete pill boxes and shell fire. In heavy rain and unable to advance any further, the Wearsiders dug themselves in on the captured ground.

During the night, the Germans counter-attacked but were driven back. When the 20th Battalion was finally relieved, it had suffered over 400 casualties. Over 70 of these men were missing, their bodies lost in the Ypres mud.

Three times during the fighting on 31 July, Sergeant Houston had attacked a nest of German snipers, until the position was put out of action with bombs (hand grenades). Then, during the German counter-attack, when so many of the Wearsiders’ officers were dead or wounded, he helped organise the successful defence. Because Sergeant Houston had ‘set a fine example of fearlessness and initiative’ to the rest of his battalion, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

After the First World War, Anthony Houston returned to civilian life, married and, in 1939, was working as a glass blower in Sunderland. He died in 1969.

Anthony Houston was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) as an Acting Sergeant on 31 July 1917 near Ypres.

Awarded Distinguished Conduct Medal (London Gazette 26.1.1918) as 20/41 Sergeant, 20th Battalion DLI.

Citation: “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in July 1917. Having led a bombing attack on an enemy sniping post with his company commander, all the party except himself were killed, whereupon he organised a second party and led them on again. When all these men had been killed, he organised a third party and successfully bombed the enemy out of his position. On the following day he organised a defence against an enemy counter attack, which was repulsed by his skill and coolness and throughout the whole operation he set a fine example of fearlessness and initiative to those who were with him.”

Today, Anthony Houston’s DCM is part of the DLI Collection of Medals held at Palace Green Library in Durham.

https://www.dur.ac.uk/library/asc/dlimedals/

Civil Parish: Sunderland

Birth date: 18-Apr-1898

Death date: 1969

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 1939: 33 Warwick Street, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland

Employment: 1939: Glass blower

Family: 1911 Census: Parents – William Houston (glass worker) & Jane Houston

Military service:

20/41 Sergeant, 20th Battalion DLI, 1915-19

Medal(s): Distinguished Conduct Medal, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Gender: Male

Contributed by Durham County Record Office