Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family group:

An unusual Second World War O.B.E. group of six awarded to Wing Commander G. W. Houghton, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was an official R.A.F. war correspondent in the Middle East and afterwards the Officer in Charge of the Public Relations Section of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force in North-West Europe 1944-45: his earlier experiences in the Western Desert are recorded in his book They Flew Through Sand

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn, extremely fine

The Second World War campaign group of three awarded to Miss K. I. Staughton, Women’s Auxiliary Air Force - the Wing Commander’s wife

France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45; Women’s Royal Voluntary Service Long Service, the first two in original addressed card forwarding box with related Air Ministry slip, and the last in case of issue, together with two wartime identity discs, extremely fine

The Great War campaign service group of three awarded to Air Mechanic 3rd Class H. F. Houghton, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps - the Wing Commander’s father

British War and Victory Medals (116344 3 A.M., R.A.F.); French Croix de Guerre 1914-1918, mounted as worn, possible official corrections, very fine and better (12) £300-350

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Roy Bartlett Collection of Awards to the R.N.A.S., R.F.C. and R.A.F..

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O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1945. The original recommendation states:

‘Group Captain G. W. Houghton has been in charge of the Public Relations Section of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force for almost the entire period since the landings in Normandy on D-Day, and has been the greatest assistance in the building up of the Inter-Allied Public Relations Organisation. He has, more recently, been the main link with the Air Ministry on this work, and has personally established an extremely efficient organisation with the units in the Field. His tireless work and loyal support, especially during the landings in Normandy, have aided the maintenance of the very high standards attained by his section.’

Mention in despatches London Gazette 1 January 1943 and 17 September 1943.

George William Houghton, who was born in Perth, Scotland in September 1905, the son of Herbert Frodsham Houghton, was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in April 1940, where his pre-war qualifications as a journalist were quickly put to use.

Posted to the Middle East as an official R.A.F. war correspondent, he visited many units and locations in the Western Desert, and came into contact with numerous personalities of the Desert Air Force, “Imshi” Mason among them. So, too, did he come under fire during enemy raids. In addition to his powers of observation and gifts as a writer, Houghton was also a competent artist, and a number of his drawings and sketches were reproduced in his popular wartime title They Flew Through Sand - soon after the war he dramatised one of the incidents described in the book for the B.B.C., and the lead actor, Kenneth More (fresh from active service in the Royal Navy) was praised for his performance by the Royal Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Houghton was twice mentioned in despatches for his services in North Africa and had attained the acting rank of Wing Commander by the time he returned home from the Mediterranean theatre.

Next employed as Officer in Charge of the Public Relations Section of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force in North-West Europe 1944-45, a role that included him witnessing the Normandy landings, Houghton ended the War in the rank of Acting Group Captain and was awarded the O.B.E. He finally relinquished his commission in the R.A.F.V.R. in February 1954, and was permitted to retain his rank as Group Captain on the same occasion.

Sold with his original M.I.D. certificates, his U.K. Passport (1952-62), a framed and glazed portrait photograph and copies of his book They Flew Through Sand (2), including a reprint of 1991, in which Houghton added a new foreword (‘The book was reprinted and issued many times - envious authors in England were amazed and said that our forces in North Africa probably had nothing else to read!’).

Krithia Isabel Staughton was awarded her Women’s Royal Voluntary Service L.S. Medal for services in Bridport, Dorset, where she settled after marrying Group Captain G. W. Houghton, O.B.E.; sold with original forwarding letter.

Herbert Frodsham Houghton, a native of Perth, was born in 1879, and enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps in January 1918. He was subsequently employed as a driver at No. 8 Aircraft Park in France, where he served from May of the same year to January 1919. His service record states that he was demobilised in April 1920, but does not make mention of him being awarded the French Croix de Guerre.