Royal Marine Corps General. A special operations officer, he had a distinguished career of more than 30 years. Educated at Hailebury, he joined the Royal Marines in 1930 and saw duty aboard ship and in Alexandria, Egypt. Advanced to captain at the outbreak of World War II, he became a commando in 1942 and as part of Operation Jubilee supported Canadian troops in the Dieppe Raid on the northern French coast August 19, 1942. Meeting heavy German resistance, much of the unit was either killed or captured, and Houghton was held prisoner of war for three years; upon his 1945 release he was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for bravery in the raid and under confinement. After briefly serving with 45 Commando, he attended the Army Staff College then was assigned to 40 Commando; in 1948 he was posted to Haifa in support of the British effort to end the Palestine Mandate as peacefully as possible, and for his mostly successful efforts was designated Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). A variety of staff and garrison billetings followed and in 1957 he was given command of the 3rd. Commando Brigade based out of Malta. Houghton set about developing a rapid deployment mobile assault force which was to be used in Lybia, Turkey, Cyprus, and other Mediterranean hot-spots of the time. He was made commander of the Royal Marines, Deal, in 1959, was promoted to Major General in 1961, and retired in 1964 after serving as commanding general of the Royal Marines, Portsmouth. Upon leaving active duty he was made Companion of the Order of Bath (CB). In later years, he headed the 40 Commando Association, was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for East Sussex in 1977, and for over 40 years was president of the Guage One Model Railway Association.
Royal Marine Corps General. A special operations officer, he had a distinguished career of more than 30 years. Educated at Hailebury, he joined the Royal Marines in 1930 and saw duty aboard ship and in Alexandria, Egypt. Advanced to captain at the outbreak of World War II, he became a commando in 1942 and as part of Operation Jubilee supported Canadian troops in the Dieppe Raid on the northern French coast August 19, 1942. Meeting heavy German resistance, much of the unit was either killed or captured, and Houghton was held prisoner of war for three years; upon his 1945 release he was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for bravery in the raid and under confinement. After briefly serving with 45 Commando, he attended the Army Staff College then was assigned to 40 Commando; in 1948 he was posted to Haifa in support of the British effort to end the Palestine Mandate as peacefully as possible, and for his mostly successful efforts was designated Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). A variety of staff and garrison billetings followed and in 1957 he was given command of the 3rd. Commando Brigade based out of Malta. Houghton set about developing a rapid deployment mobile assault force which was to be used in Lybia, Turkey, Cyprus, and other Mediterranean hot-spots of the time. He was made commander of the Royal Marines, Deal, in 1959, was promoted to Major General in 1961, and retired in 1964 after serving as commanding general of the Royal Marines, Portsmouth. Upon leaving active duty he was made Companion of the Order of Bath (CB). In later years, he headed the 40 Commando Association, was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for East Sussex in 1977, and for over 40 years was president of the Guage One Model Railway Association.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
Inscription
In ever loving memory
of
Dorothy Uladh
Died 22nd October 1995
Aged 83
And her dearly loved
husband
Robert Dyer
Houghton
Major General R.M.
Died 17th January 2011
Aged 98
Family Members
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See more Houghton memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
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